CET repeat candidates allege ‘discrimination’, stage protest

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

The recently announced Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET) results have angered the repeat candidates, as they feel they have been discriminated against while deciding the ranks. A tense atmosphere prevailed in front of Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) office on Monday, as hundreds of such candidates and their parents protested over the exclusion of their pre-university course (PU) marks.

In 2021, the PU department had passed all students in light of the pandemic. As a result, CET ranks in that year were solely based on CET scores. The PUC students who decided to appear for CET after a gap of one year, in order to improve their ranks, were this year ranked based only on their CET scores. But in case of fresh candidates, the KEA had announced their ranks after considering 50 per cent of PU marks and 50 per cent CET scores. Ever since the KEA announced the entrance test results on July 30, a lot of complaints and queries have poured in. The repeat candidates felt they have been put at a disadvantage. They felt they should have been informed beforehand that for repeaters their PUC marks will not be considered.

According to officials from the Higher Education Department, the students have scored very high percentage based on internal marks in the CET 2021 during the pandemic and the engineering seats were announced based on this. “Every year the CET rankings and engineering seat announcements are usually declared based on the PUC and the CET marks.

This year (2021-2022), 24,000 repeaters had taken up the exams and they are demanding that their PUC marks also should be considered for CET rankings. Technically this cannot be done and it will affect the previous batch of students as well as the current batch,” said an official from the Karnataka H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n Department.

The candidates feel that just taking results of an objective based examination like the CET as a criterion is not scientific. Meanwhile, KEA Executive Director Ramya S said that regular rules will be followed for CET along with the previous government order that will be taken into consideration. “However, based on the peculiar circumstances of last year’s pandemic crisis, only CET marks were considered as exams were not conducted. Since there were no exams conducted last year, the rank list will be based on merit of CET scores.

This year candidates who have not appeared for the qualifying exams will come under the government rule of the previous year and this will hold good. For the fresh candidates, we will take 50 per cent of their qualifying marks and the other 50 per cent of CET scores. For the repeaters last year’s rule will apply strictly.” The demand of the protestors is to adopt one uniform evaluation process for both the repeaters and freshers, so that the results are not discriminatory. However, the officials are scrutinising the matter and they will study the protesters’ demand. “We have told the protestors to give their representations and a decision will be taken as per law. A few representations have already been given and we are examining it,” Ramya added.