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Delayed II PU evaluation takes its toll

It is the worst of times for II PU students. The Common Entrance Test (CET), earlier scheduled for May 3 and 4, will now be held almost three weeks later, on May 21 and 22.

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) announced here on Tuesday that a change in the schedule of the examination was inevitable because of the four-day boycott of evaluation of answer scripts by PU lecturers.

The boycott was lifted only on Monday and the protesting lecturers resumed evaluation on Tuesday. Still, not all the lecturers reported for work. According to Rashmi V Mahesh, Commissioner, Pre-University Education, 10-20 per cent of evaluators are yet to resume evaluation as they had returned to their hometowns because of the strike. The evaluation is likely to resume at a full-fledged scale only on Wednesday.

The boycott cost the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE) about a week. Another week was already lost after examinations were rescheduled following a series of question paper leaks in March. The DPUE had planned to declare the II PU results by April 26, but the leaks forced it to change its mind.

The conduct of the CET is linked to the II PU exams and evaluation of answer scripts. A delay in the exams and the evaluation has a ripple effect on the CET. The PU evaluators carry out CET-related work such as receiving the hall tickets, etc., too. Besides, the CET will be held at colleges which, at present, have doubled up as evaluation centres.

Their engagement in evaluation will mean non-availability for CET.  S P Kulkarni, Administrative Officer, KEA, admitted that it was “very difficult for us” to change the CET exam centres.

The reason for the delay in the CET, however, is the fact that the first phase of the evaluation will require more than two weeks. Mahesh said the evaluation of major subjects would be over only by May 4. Another fortnight will be required for tabulation, collation and other related works. That means, the PU results will be declared only by the third week of May.

Although Mahesh, who is also the Executive Director of KEA, refused to specify the likely date for the declaration of the II PU result, a well-placed source said that it was likely to be May 20. Mahesh, however, did not rule out the declaration of II PU results after the conduct of the CET.

Mahesh insisted that a change in the CET would not affect the calendar of events. The counselling for admission to undergraduate professional courses, based on CET ranks, would begin on July 10, as scheduled, she said. “There will be no other change. The online counselling is the saviour. We would complete it in 40 days as against the 90-120 days gobbled up by the offline counselling,” Mahesh pointed out, saying the classes for professional courses would commence as scheduled.

The postponement in the CET dates has left many students, who will appear for other entrance exams. The new CET dates clash with the AIEEE online exam to be held from May 7 to 26 and the BITSAT scheduled between May 10 and June 9. Students are clueless about dealing with the new problem.

A Class 12 student from National Public School, Bangalore says she scheduled her BITSAT exam for May 21. This clashes with the rescheduled CET dates. While the CET mathematics paper will be held till 3:50 pm on May 21, her BITSAT exam is scheduled at 4:30 pm.