In Karnataka, students pursuing professional courses are caught in a perplexing situation. During the second round of the Common Entrance Test (CET) counseling for courses such as Engineering, Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT), and B. Sc Nursing, some colleges listed by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) turned out to be non-existent at their given addresses.
Sneha, a student allocated a seat at Hosmat College of Physiotherapy, was stunned to find the college missing at the specified location. Instead, she found Hosmat Hospital. The staff informed her that the BPT college had closed two years ago. Similarly, a parent discovered that Masood College of Physiotherapy in Mangaluru was listed at a nursing college's address, with the actual location being remote and poorly accessible by transport.
More complaints came from candidates assigned to Sushrutha Nursing College and Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in Bengaluru, where no college was found at the listed address. Students assigned to the Chettinad Institute of Nursing Education and Research encountered inadequate infrastructure. Those who chose B. W. Lions Super Speciality Eye Hospital for Allied Health Science courses found it closed.
In another twist, students who opted for M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences Engineering College were redirected to a different campus, the Ramaiah Technology Campus in Peenya, rather than the expected New BEL Road location.
This confusion led Sneha to contact the KEA, which promised her a seat allocation in the third round of counseling. But she remains uncertain, having already paid the fee and downloaded the confirmation slip for the second round.
Ganesh Prasad, a frustrated parent, criticized the oversight, noting that most health-related professional courses are offered by colleges affiliated with Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). He questioned how the seat matrix could be approved without proper inspections by RGUHS and the medical education departments.
B. C. Bhagwan, Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS, acknowledged that some colleges have moved under new regulations. He suggested that delays in government approvals or document transfers to the KEA might have led to notifications being issued with outdated addresses. Bhagwan assured that the issue would be investigated and resolved quickly.
To address the students' grievances, the Executive Director of the KEA has contacted the Director of the Department of Medical Education and the Principal Secretary of the Department of Higher Education. The letter emphasized the urgency of resolving the confusion for candidates.
