Fight against Kasturirangan report: Ramanath Rai
Mangaluru, August 16: Former minister Ramanath Rai said that when he was the forest minister in the previous Congress government, he had written to the government demanding rejection of Dr Kasturirangan report.
Speaking to reporters at the party office here on Thursday, Rai said that the allegation of Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja was far from truth. Now, the central government is planning to implement the Kasturirangan report. Knowing this, the BJP leaders have been making baseless allegations against the Congress. If the Centre implemented the report, the Congress would fight against it. If the BJP leaders do not want the report to be implemented, let them join hands with the Congress in fighting against it, he challenged.
District Minister UT Khader, mayor Bhaskar Moily, leaders Ibrahim Kodijal, Vittal Shetty, Shashidhar Hegde and others were present.
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Karnataka Examinations Authority eases advance fee rule for high-fee medical seats in first round
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has relaxed its advance payment rule for candidates allotted high-fee medical, dental, and homeopathy seats in the first round of counselling.
KEA Executive Director H. Prasanna on Thursday announced that candidates allotted seats with course fees above ₹12 lakh and opting for Choice-2 will now be required to pay only ₹12,00,117 as an advance instead of the full course fee. SC/ST and Category-1 candidates will pay ₹2 lakh. The remaining amount must be paid after the announcement of the second-round allotment results.
Previously, Choice-2 medical candidates had to pay the entire fee upfront. The revised rule applies only to seats costing more than ₹12 lakh; those allotted ‘G’ category medical seats must continue to pay as per the earlier instructions.
Candidates securing seats under the All India Quota (AIQ) or in other states before the second-round results can cancel their KEA seat. In such cases, the advance amount will be transferred to the new college, or refunded in the case of SC/ST and Category-1 candidates. However, if they cancel without securing another seat through AIQ or other state counselling, the advance—₹12,00,117 or ₹2 lakh for reserved categories—will be forfeited.
Option entry for the first round closes on August 16. Choice-1 candidates must pay the fees by August 18, download the allotment order, and report to their respective colleges by August 19. Colleges have been instructed to remain open on all days, including public holidays such as Independence Day.
