In a bid to streamline admissions to postgraduate medical courses, the State government is drafting a proposal to bring the Postgraduate Entrance Test (PGET) within the ambit of the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA).
This means that the test, now being conducted by the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, may be conducted by the KEA from the coming academic year. Also, the test will be conducted online.
If the proposal is implemented, the responsibility of conducting the entrance tests and counselling for all professional courses will come to the KEA, an official said.
The KEA is in charge of conducting the entrance exam and counselling for undergraduate medical, dental and engineering courses as well as postgraduate management courses and diploma courses. In 2013, undergraduate farm science courses were also added to this list.
A source in the Medical Education Department said the move was to bring in more transparency in the conduct of the exam and counselling procedures of postgraduate medical admissions.
Amendments
Amendments to the Karnataka Conduct of Entrance Test for Selection and Admissions to PG Medical and Dental Degree Courses Rules, 2006 are already being discussed.
According to sources, major changes being proposed include making it mandatory for applicants to have studied in Karnataka for seven years (instead of the earlier five) and have a counselling procedure similar to that of the undergraduate CET.
Committees
The entire process may be finalised in two months, Medical Education Department officials said, and added that the first step would be to set up two committees to oversee the admissions and fix the fees. “These will be headed by retired High Court judges and the same committees will oversee PG and UG medical admissions. The only difference will be that the Principal Secretary, Higher Education, will be in the committee of the UG admissions while the Secretary of the Medical Education Department will be in the PG admissions committee,” the source added.
But, the PGET may not be the only entrance test for admission to PG medical courses as the 2006 Act provides for private colleges to have their own test, the official said.
