KEA Seeks Extension of Engineering Admission Deadline Amid Delay in Medical Seat Allotment
Delayed medical seat allocation and counselling schedules have prompted KEA and COMEDK to request an extension of engineering admission deadlines ensuring deserving students do not lose valuable opportunities this year
The Karnataka Examinations Authority has urged the All India Council for Technical Education to extend the final deadline for engineering admissions after delays in the medical counselling process disrupted the academic admission schedule. COMEDK has also submitted a similar request, highlighting concerns that students may face unnecessary difficulties if the existing timeline remains unchanged.
The request comes after the National Medical Commission released the medical counselling schedule later than expected. In addition, the state government has not yet finalized the medical seat matrix, leading to a delay in counselling for medical courses. As a result, authorities believe that the current engineering admission deadline does not align with the actual admission process.
According to the AICTE schedule, engineering admissions are expected to conclude by August 14, while first year classes are scheduled to begin on August 1. However, officials say this timeline has become difficult to follow because many students are waiting for medical counselling before making their final academic decision.
KEA officials explained that a significant number of candidates initially secure engineering seats as a backup option while awaiting medical admissions. Once they receive medical seats through counselling, they surrender their engineering seats. These vacant seats must then be added back into the engineering counselling process, making it impossible to estimate seat availability before the first round of medical counselling is completed.
The recent announcement of the NEET re examination results has added another layer of complexity to the admission process. Since many candidates are still awaiting medical seat allotment, KEA says it cannot accurately determine how many engineering seats will eventually become available for redistribution.
Officials also pointed out that the delayed release of the medical seat matrix by the state government has slowed the entire counselling exercise. Completing every round of engineering counselling within the existing AICTE deadline is therefore becoming increasingly challenging.
Engineering college administrators have also questioned the practicality of the current admission calendar. Some principals argue that while the schedule may have been prepared in line with Supreme Court directions, many states announced Class 12 examination results much later. Without a uniform national timeline for higher secondary results, they believe maintaining a rigid admission deadline creates unnecessary complications.
KEA maintains that extending the engineering admission deadline would protect the interests of deserving students and ensure that no available seats remain vacant because of delays in the medical admission process. The authority believes that a revised schedule would allow counselling to proceed more efficiently while giving students enough time to make informed decisions between engineering and medical courses.
