Three prominent engineering colleges in Bengaluru — BMS Engineering College, Akash Institute of Engineering & Technology, and New Horizon College of Engineering — have been booked in the scandal.
Published Nov 21, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 23, 2024 | 6:43 PM
In 2016, the college had allowed male students to apply for only postgraduate courses. (Mount Carmel College official website)
The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has filed a police complaint in connection with a major seat-blocking scam that allegedly manipulated the final round of the 2024 engineering colleges’ admission process.
Three prominent engineering colleges in Bengaluru — BMS Engineering College, Akash Institute of Engineering & Technology, and New Horizon College of Engineering — have been booked in the scandal.
The KEA’s complaint to the Malleswaram Police alleges that these institutions, in collusion with middlemen and certain students, were involved in misusing login credentials to block seats in high-demand courses during the second extended round of seat allotment.
The fraudulent activity is believed to have deprived eligible candidates of opportunities for admission, raising serious concerns over the integrity of the seat allocation process.
The process of KCET-2024 counselling for seat allotment was held between 25 August and 8 October. Over 2.70 lakh students were eligible for admission to engineering colleges.
KEA Executive Director H Prasanna has submitted a preliminary report, which South First accessed.
The report highlights the seat blocking scam involving three private engineering colleges of Bengaluru, and was submitted to the state Higher Education Department.
According to the preliminary report by KEA Executive Director H Prasanna, 2,625 students, allocated seats in the second extended counselling round, failed to join their respective colleges.
This raised concerns of malpractice, with evidence pointing to the misuse of the students’ login credentials and possible collusion between middlemen and certain institutions to manipulate seat allocation in high-demand courses.
The preliminary report states that KEA allocated engineering seats for the year 2024 through a systematic option entry process conducted in the first round, second round, and second extended rounds.
These seats were allotted to students who appeared for the Common Entrance Test (CET) 2024.
Before opening the option entry portal for the second and second extended rounds, KEA issued clear instructions through various publications that students were to discuss with their families and carefully select their preferred colleges during the option entry process, as accepting a seat would mean admission to the allotted college, and changes could not be made afterwards.
Despite these directives, a total of 2,625 students who secured seats in the second extended round failed to join their respective colleges.
This resulted in eligible and interested candidates being denied the opportunity to obtain these seats.
The Consensual Agreement governing the seat allocation process outlines provisions for managing seats that remain vacant after the admission deadline set by KEA for students allotted seats in the second extended round.
It mandates that professional institutions must admit all candidates allotted by KEA without exception.
Following the casual round of counselling, which occurs after the second extended round, KEA is required to provide a branch-wise list of vacant seats to the respective colleges.
During the reconciliation and approval process, these colleges are obligated to furnish the vacancy list issued by KEA, ensuring transparency about vacant seats.
However, under this agreement, the remaining government quota seats are handed over to the colleges, to fill at their discretion.
Some college management boards reportedly allocate these seats to lower-ranked students in exchange for higher fees.
It is for this purpose that some people have complained to the KEA that some colleges collude with students, who do not need a seat, to get a seat in the last round and ensure that these students do not actually enroll for the course.
South First attempted to contact Minister for Higher Education Dr MC Sudhakar for a comment in this matter, but he was not available.
A total of 2,625 students who were allotted seats in the second extended round but failed to join their respective colleges have been issued show-cause notices by the KEA.
According to KEA’s preliminary report, approximately 920 of these students have submitted written replies, which have been verified.
Students who cited “less demand for colleges and courses” as their reason for not joining may have their explanations accepted, with penalties imposed as per the applicable rules.
However, the responses from students who did not join the most sought-after colleges and courses have been subject to detailed scrutiny, revealing significant findings.
Some students who appeared for both KCET-2024 and JEE-2024 secured admission to reputed institutions through JEE-2024. These students stated that they did not participate in the Option Entry process to secure a seat through KEA.
Others, who appeared for both KCET-2024 and NEET-2024, obtained medical seats under the AIQ quota and similarly reported that they did not use the Option Entry process for KEA seats.
A few students claimed that they opted for other courses in institutions outside Karnataka, which is why they did not participate in the Option Entry process.
Among the students who provided these reasons, 54 were found to have been allotted seats in some of the most prestigious engineering colleges in the state. These colleges include BMS Engineering College (Unaided) and, BMS Engineering College, (Aided) in Basavanagudi, Akash Institute of Engineering & Technology in Bangalore Rural, and New Horizon College of Engineering in Bangalore.
The KEA suspects misuse of the Option Entry process during the second extended round of seat allotment for KCET-2024.
Despite safeguards requiring unique login credentials issued to candidates, the investigation revealed that middlemen allegedly stole or obtained these credentials from high-ranking students and used them to manipulate seat allocation.
The preliminary report of KEA noted that the login credentials, including passwords and secret keys required for the Option Entry process, were issued exclusively to KCET-2024 candidates.
Without these credentials, participation in the Option Entry process was not possible.
Despite this safeguard, the investigation uncovered instances where the Option Entry process was carried out by several candidates from a limited number of IP addresses.
Middlemen reportedly obtained or stole login credentials from high-ranking candidates and used them to secure seats in high-demand courses at top colleges during the final round.
These seats, as stipulated in the Consensual Agreement, were subsequently handed over to the respective colleges, ultimately benefiting the institutions.
This raises serious concern about the misuse of the Option Entry process, the involvement of middlemen, and the possible collusion between students, institutions, and intermediaries to manipulate seat allocation for financial gain.
KEA suspects that the seat-blocking scam uncovered during the KCET-2024 admission process may not be an isolated incident. Similar irregularities were noted last year too during the final round of seat allocation.
The KEA preliminary report states that a similar incident may have occurred last year, when students allotted seats in the final round did not join the college they chose earlier. Some of these students had requested admission this year.
Out of these, five students and their parents approached KEA, claiming they were allotted seats even though they never participated in the option entry process!
These five students submitted affidavits stating that they were unaware that they had gained admission, and requested that they be admitted this year.
Their affidavits mentioned that they would accept whatever action was taken if it was found during a probe that the admission process was riddled with irregularities.
Whoever colluded with certain colleges or exploited the students by stealing their login credentials, passwords, and secret keys to make option entries on their behalf must now be identified and held accountable.
The preliminary report of the KEA recommends that the state Higher Education Department take legal action and register a police complaint in this matter.
KEA officials refused to comment on this matter, citing the complaint registered with Bengaluru City Police, who are gathering data to begin their probe.
KEA has registered a police complaint before the Malleswaram Police Station on 13 November.
Malleswaram Police have registered an FIR based on the complaint against BMS Engineering College, Akash Institute of Engineering & Technology, and New Horizon College of Engineering, all based in Bengaluru.
The three colleges have been booked under section 3(5) – criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, 316(2) – criminal breach of trust, and 318(4) – cheating — of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 66(C) – identity theft, and 66 (D) — cheating by personation by using computer resource — of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
In the FIR, KEA officer Islauddin Gadayal stated: “A total number of 2,625 candidates who have been allotted seats have not taken admission in to the respective colleges. After the second extended round seat selection process, the vacant government quota seats are allotted to the colleges. So, there are chances that management board of some colleges gave these seats to the lower rankers by charging higher fees.”
“With this purpose some colleges colluded with some candidates, who don’t need the seats, to get the seat allotment in the last round and also ensure that these students not take admission in the allotted college. Some people have verbally informed the KEA about this scam.”
“Some colleges have colluded with the students to get their login and other credentials unlawfully in order to book seats in their respective college. Thus, the other eligible candidates are deprived of seats,” the KEA officer wrote, demanding action against the three colleges and middlemen involved.
Stating that they are yet to begin the probe, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Saidulu Adavath told South First: “We have requested the KEA to provide data. They are also preparing the data that is required for the investigation.”
“We need to ascertain which students’ login credentials were abused. We need to ascertain the modus operandi, including the IP address used for the option entry. We expect KEA to provide the required data by Wednesday,” DCP Adavath said, indicating that the probe could begin on Thursday.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas).
