The much-touted system allowing students to apply online for Common Entrance Test (CET) will not start this year. Instead, the science students have to apply manually for the test that ranks them for professional courses. Sources in the higher education department told Deccan Chronicle that the delay in issuing the CET notification, technical glitches and poor coordination between the Karnataka Examination Authority, which conducts the test, and the State Informatics Centre have stopped KEA from inviting applications online.

It was part of a KEA decision to overhaul the entire CET exam system. The online application was to be on the lines of AIEEE, CAT etc. Officials had justified the plan, saying it would ensure transparency and will help in distributing seats judiciously. As of now, CET applications are sent to colleges after receiving DDs from students, and the same system will prevail this year too.

“If the state government and KEA had finalised the exam dates and issued notification well in advance we could have opted for online module easily. If KEA opts for online pattern at this juncture, it may create havoc and may have a bad impact on students who are preparing for II PUC and various entrance exams. At many places, there are no facilities available to apply online, where you also have to attack a scanned photograph.

Even informatics center officials had objected to the scheme,” said a senior officer. The government delayed finalising the dates for the CET as confusion prevailed over single medical entrance exam,” he said.