Students irked with Kʼtaka government's decision to increase nursing seats after counselling: Report
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government’s decision to increase nursing course intake and grant recognition to new colleges after the third round of counselling has drawn criticism from students aspiring for nursing seats, who claim they were forced to opt for other courses this year.
The Department of Medical Education approved over 1,500 additional seats across at least 90 nursing colleges, along with recognition for seven new institutions, after the completion of the third round of seat allotment by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA).
Following the approvals, KEA conducted an extended mop-up round to allocate the newly added seats. However, only 350 students were able to attend the extended round seat allotment, as reported by Deccan Herald on Sunday.
“The seats left vacant after the extended round of seat allotment will be automatically converted into management,” DH quoted a KEA official as saying.
Several students expressed frustration over the government’s delayed decision. One student shared they had initially wanted to pursue nursing but were compelled to enroll in another course due to the lack of government-quota seats at their preferred college. "Now, the government has added a few more seats to that college," said the student.
Another student pointed out that many aspirants were unaware of the extended round, leaving them unable to switch courses. “There was no information about the extended round. Hence, many of us were forced to take up other courses as there were no seats available at quality nursing colleges. Now, we cannot withdraw admissions as we will not get the refund,” DH quoted one student as saying.
Meanwhile, department officials stated that seat approvals are based on recommendations from the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS).
Furthermore, KEA authorities acknowledged that similar issues occurred in the previous year’s counselling process. “This was a similar issue even during last year’s seat allotment. Nursing seats were added even after the completion of all the rounds. We were forced to conduct another round, but of no use for students as they had already taken admissions to other courses,” the KEA official said.
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Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa laid to rest with full state honours
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa was laid to rest with full state honours on Monday.
The 94-year-old former minister, who passed away at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday, was cremated at the Kalleshwara Mill premises, following Veerashaiva-Lingayat traditions.
Earlier in the day, Shivashankarappa's mortal remains were brought to his native Davanagere, where they were kept at the high school grounds for the public, his followers, and well-wishers to pay their last respects.
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Expressing deep sorrow over his demise, the Karnataka government ordered that his last rites be performed with full state honours.
Both the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council also mourned his passing, adjourning their sessions for the day after paying tributes.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, several ministers, opposition leaders, legislators, and political figures paid their respects.
A number of seers from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community also attended the last rites.
Shivashankarappa represented the Davanagere South Assembly constituency. He had been undergoing treatment at the hospital for some time before succumbing to age-related ailments.
The senior-most legislator in Karnataka, Shivashankarappa, was also one of the longest-serving lawmakers in the country, sources said.
He is survived by three sons, including S S Mallikarjun, the Karnataka Minister for Mines, Geology, and Horticulture, and four daughters. His daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, is the Member of Parliament from Davanagere.
A six-time MLA, Shivashankarappa also served as a minister and an MP.
He was a prominent educationist, establishing several educational institutions, and was an industrialist.
Additionally, he served as the treasurer of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for decades and was the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of the influential Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
