The seat matrix of the Common Entrance Test (CET) is giving tense moments for rank holders applying under the sports and NCC quotas as the number of seats allotted to them has been reduced.
This is at a time when the Tamil Nadu government has announced an increase in the number of seats under sports quota for engineering courses.
Rashmi V., Executive Director, Karnataka Examinations Authority, said that the Higher Education Department decided to take an average of the number of seats filled under the sports quota in the last three years to determine the number of seats this year. As for the NCC quota, Siddaiah, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, said the decision to reduce the number of seats was taken in view of the lack of demand for them in 2011. “Last year, of the 2,600 seats under NCC quota, only about 600 were filled. That’s why we decided to reduce the number this year,” he said.
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Another official from the department reasoned that if there were no takers for seats under these quotas, general merit candidates should not be deprived of seats. Rishikesh Joshi from Bidar, who is among the three shortlisted for the sports quota for architecture, said the issue was about getting a seat in a top college. With a decent rank, he will now easily get a seat at the Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur. However, Rishikesh was aiming to study in RV College of Engineering, Bangalore.
“A special quota is created to help sportsmen get admission in a top college. This year, many top colleges have not reserved seats under sports quota. To get the seat is not a problem, but to get it in a top college is the issue,” said Madhav Joshi, Rishikesh’s father.