CBSE students grab most top ranks in CET

Karnataka Common Entrance Test 2022-23 results were announced on Saturday. Of the 45 toppers across five streams, 35 are CBSE students

A majority of toppers in the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) 2022-23, the results of which were announced on Saturday, are Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board students. Of the list of 45 toppers across five streams Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) announced on Saturday, 35 are CBSE students.

KEA has announced the top nine rank holders in five streams - Engineering, Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences (BNYS), B.Sc (Agriculture), B.V.Sc (Veterinary Science) and B-Pharma (Pharmacy). They have withheld the name of the student who secured the 10th rank in all the five streams, an overseas student, for technical reasons.

Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan said both CBSE and State syllabus students were prescribed the same textbooks prepared by National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for Class XII and II Pre-University, respectively, and CBSE students did not have an edge over the State syllabus students. He said the trends in toppers often vary year to year and this year, topper’s lists were dominated by boys, unlike in previous years.

Boys won all the top nine ranks in Engineering, B.Sc (Agriculture), and B-Pharma (Pharmacy) streams and two girls made it to the toppers list in Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences and B.V.Sc (Veterinary Science) streams, put together. All nine toppers in the Engineering stream are from Bengaluru.

Due to the pandemic, Class XII and II PU exams were not held and everyone was passed. However, KEA conducted KCET-2021 successfully and considered only CET marks for the ranking. But, this year marks scored by students in both Class XII or II PU examination and CET examination were considered for the ranking. This year, KEA gave all students 7 grace marks, five for Mathematics and one each for Chemistry and Physics.

Verification of documents, of students appearing for CET counselling, will be done online for the first time from August 5. The KEA has made arrangements to obtain certificates of income, caste, education certificate, certificate of attendance in rural area, language minority certificate, etc., online from the concerned competent authorities. Apart from CBSE and ICSE, KEA will also get the marksheets of those who have done Class XII online and initiate the seat allotment process.

However, documents of only 10% of the students who fall under defense, NCC, sports, disabled quotas will be physically verified. CET counselling will start in the first week of September. After the result of the NEET, the admission process for medical, dental, ayurvedic and homeopathy courses will begin.