The first day of the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET 22) was conducted smoothly at all centres across the state on Thursday, June 16, announced Karnataka Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan.

The exam is a gateway to becoming eligible for seeking admission into professional courses, such as engineering, veterinary, farm science, pharmacy, naturopathy and yoga, as stated in a report by PTI. The exams were conducted in a fair and transparent manner at all the 486 centres under the supervision of deputy commissioners of the respective districts, Ashwathnarayan, who holds the Higher Education portfolio, said in a statement.

Out of 2,16,559 registered candidates, a total of 1,75,305 (80.95 per cent) appeared for Biology and 2,08,032 (96.06 per cent) candidates appeared for Mathematics, according to the minister. He added that the exams for Physics and Chemistry papers will be conducted as per schedule on Friday, June 17. There were no reports of malpractices during the exam.

The members of the All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) had earlier demanded that the Government of Karnataka give sufficient time to the students so that they are able to catch up with their studies. They had also written to the executive director of the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), which is the nodal agency that is meant to conduct the CET, and requested them to provide students with sufficient time to prepare for the examination. However, the examination began on Thursday, June 16, at 486 centres in the state and will continue till Saturday, June 18.