'Efforts are on to improve CET courses in K'taka'

Hubli, Jan 19: Karnataka Higher Education Minister D H Shankarmurthy said today that efforts were on to improve further, in the common entrance test (CET) for professional courses in the state.

Talking to newsmen here, he said last year CET was conducted as per the calendar announced without any scope for problems to students and as well as the parents. This time the government was committed to further increase the number of free seats and reduction in fee structure.

Mr Shankarmurthy said the subsidy announced for payments seats for 2006-07 batch of Engineering, Medical and Dental courses at the rate of Rs 25,000, Rs 90,000 and Rs 80,000 respectively and amounting to a total Rs 24 crore would be paid to the students shortly.

"Subsidy is applicable only for this batch of students", he clarified.

The Minister said this year CET would be conducted on May Nine and the procession for the same was on. It was also proposed to hold only one CET this year unlike last year. "We are in touch with Comed-K and things might improve further, considering the ground reality based on the Supreme Court directions", he said.

Replying to a question, Mr Shankarmurthy said 90 government degree colleges would be opened this year at a cost of Rs 1.20 crore each at Taluk centres where there was no government college. An amount Rs 36 lakh each would also be provided to improve the facilities in the existing government colleges such as library, ladies toilet and laboratory.

On considering PUC marks along with CET marks for selection of students for medical and dental courses, Mr Shankarmurthy said for the time being the present system of adopting only CET marks would continue as per the high court orders.

UNI