Confusion ensues after KEA releases NEET-PG Counselling Round 2 Provisional Result  

The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) released the provisional results of Round 2 of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test for Postgraduate (NEET-PG) admissions State Counselling today, October 5. 

However, aspirants of the exam are not satisfied with the result. They allege that the authorities did not do a “proper job“ in calculating the results, and published them in a hasty manner. 

Aspirants claim that about 25% of the candidates on the KEA Round 2 provisional list have already been allotted seats in the All India Counselling rounds. While these candidates have the option of resigning their current seats for state-level seats. However, the reverse is not possible. 

Dr Ruthvik SN, a student from Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), who has secured a seat in the second round of state counselling, but is aspiring for an all-India seat says that students securing seats in AIR as well as state counselling rounds leads to blocking of the seats. 

"These seats are released after the publication of the results and are made available for the Mop-Up round. However, due to the possibility of an overlap, meritorious students are losing their chance at securing a seat, and there is a lot of confusion,” Ruthvik says. 

Further, students are also questioning the basis on which the provisional list has been drawn up. Another aspirant, Sindhu Shivanagowda, says that a few among the 25% of the candidates have not even appeared for the NEET PG state-level Counselling rounds. 

“Without submitting your documents, you are not allotted seats, so there is confusion among students as to how these allotments were made in the first place,” she says. 

When the students reached out to the KEA for clarity on the situation, they were reportedly assured that KEA was working on rectifying the overlap and that it would be reflected in the final list which will be released at 7 pm. However, Sindhu says that this assurance was only verbal, and no official notice has been released. 

Approximately 500 seats remain blocked due to this overlap. 

Demand for a Round 3 of state counselling

It should be noted that, unlike other states, Karnataka has only two rounds of NEET PG state-level counselling. 

Due to this overlap, NEET PG aspirants, supported by the All India Democratic Students' Association (AIDSO) also met Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, Minister of Medical Education on October 2 to bring it to the government’s attention. 

Hanamantu HS, State Vice-President of AIDSO, who led this delegation, requested that either the state counselling should be conducted after the allotment of central seats, or another round (Round 3) of counselling should be conducted after the current state counselling round.

Despite the minister assuring the delegation that the issue would be looked into, there has been no update so far. 

Meanwhile, the students have also approached the Supreme Court with a plea regarding the matter, which will be heard by the apex court tomorrow, October 6.