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.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
