KEAM: Merit students may not worry

With the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations (CEE) remaining tightlipped about the details of the fourth phase of KEAM-2010 allotment, even after announcing the results of the third allotment, hundreds of students are left in the lurch with no clues about their future.

The most affected lot are the students who hope to get a Government BDS seat and those aspiring for a seat in private medical colleges as well as BAMS, BHMS, BSMS, B.V.Sc & AH, B.Sc Agriculture, Bachelor of Fisheries Science and B.Sc Forestry in Government/Aided/KAU Colleges and Government Supported/Private Self-financing Colleges.

However, lending a ray of hope for those who have already been allotted an engineering seat but expects a medical stream seat, an official in the office of the Health Minister P.K.Sreemathy told Mathrubhumi Education that those who are admitted to an engineering merit seat in a government/Govt SF or private self-financing college won't have to worry at all. If they are allotted a seat in the medical allotment, they can migrate to that course by paying the difference in fees, if any. They will not be bound by the July 17 deadline for cancellation of admission. He said this was clear from the prospectus as well.

However the most intriguing part of this scenario is that the competent authority who should make an annoucement to clear the air - the CEE - has refused to declare anything on his website, leaving students to confusion. The most important aspect is that this kind of scenario has emerged for the first time in the admission process and the authorities - be it the CEE or someone else - should have taken steps to guide the students properly.

In the latest instance the CEE has not published the last ranks of the Third Allotment, giving no clues about the rank fluctuations. Moreover breaking free from the past practices the CEE has also not published the notification for the fourth phase while publishing the Third Allotment on Sunday. When contacted by Mathrubhumi Education on Saturday he said that he hadn't received any orders on including the newly recognised 15 SF colleges and the private medical colleges in the allotment process.

Another pertinent question now remaining is that if a good number of students go from engineering to medical courses in the fourth or subsequent allotments, will the seats falling vacant in the self-financing colleges be filled by merit candidates behind the row on the basis of their options registered? It is highly unlikely.

The CEE has set July 17 as the last date for cancelling admission to private self-financing engineering colleges. The CEE has emphasised that the fourth allotment will be the final allotment to the private self-financing colleges. Which means the higher order options of students wanting entry to these colleges are unlikely to be considered after the fourth allotment. The managements may convert these seats into the management category and will have a sell out.

If a number of students go from government engineering colleges to course like BDS, BAMS, BHMS and others, the higher order options of those who have taken admission to government self-financing colleges to these government colleges will be considered. So even now they can hope for a change. It depends on how many number of vacancies arise.