Date:01/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/02/01/stories/2007020121870300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

No single entrance test for professional courses in State

Rasheed Kappan

IT IS back to square one for the undergraduate professional course admission process in the State. After the much-publicised talk of a Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) to handle the complex admission procedure, the Government has given the baton back to the Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell.

The Education Department has now gone ahead and notified that the CET Cell will be the agency to conduct admissions to government quota MBBS, BDS and BE seats this year. Out goes the KEA, out goes the proposal for a single entrance test for both Government and management quota seats, and out goes the semblance of an order.

The private college managements had rejected the KEA since it lacked the autonomy they proposed. The governing council proposed for the authority was packed with government officials, they said.

The informal committee set up to come up with a compromise formula also came a cropper. Now the worried students are keeping their fingers crossed, in the hope that after the postgraduate admission process, some formula might be worked out. But the contentious issues are many. The managements had gone to court last year over the fee structure and seat-sharing issues. This year, it was widely expected that a permanent arrangement would become a reality. So far, that has not happened.

Engineer '07

Engineering students from colleges across the country will converge at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka in Surathkal for a technical symposium, dubbed "Engineer '07."

Conceived three years ago, with the intention of unifying the various engineering disciplines, the event will showcase the talents of the participating students through innovative and exciting challenges. It seeks to bridge the industry-institute gap and provide students with an opportunity to get a glimpse of real-world engineering, technology and the corporate world that lies ahead of them.

The fest spans five days, starting from the March 7. This year's event will also feature lectures and video conferences with eminent personalitiesThis time, the event will span different disciplines such as rectify (debugging), fantasticity (urban planning) and simplicity (digital system design).

For information on the event, visit www.engine-er.org.in or contact convenor@engineer.org.in.