The stage is set for high drama as the state government and private engineering colleges on Tuesday failed to reach an agreement on seat-sharing and fee structure.
Even after five meetings, the two sides have not been able to arrive at a consensus on the Common Entrance Test (CET) 2014 and the consequent procedures.
On Tuesday, the government held a meeting with representatives of private college managements. Higher Education Minister R V Deshpande and Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil were present. But even after two hours of talks, there was no headway.
Managements Warned
An official source told Express that the government told the managements that it would issue an ordinance to amend the Karnataka Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admission and Determination of Fee) Act if they refuse to abide by last year’s fee structure.
“The High Court has directed the government to fix the fees before May 4. If the managements don’t come to an agreement before that, we will issue an ordinance,” a senior official said.
After the meeting, Deshpande told the media, “Everything will be resolved... the management representatives said they would speak to their members and get back to us.” He called upon students to not worry and assured them that their interests would be protected.
M K Panduranga Shetty, secretary of Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association (KUPECA), said, “We have placed our demands before the government. We will discuss the matter with our members and come back within 48 hours.”
CET 2014 will be held on May 1, 2 and 3.