Karnataka to Proceed With CET Counselling First Due to NEET 2026 Issue

 

The Common Entrance Test (CET) counselling for engineering and other related courses is expected to commence soon without waiting for NEET 2026 results. The NEET 2026 re exam is scheduled to be conducted on June 21st, 2026. The decision to commence CET counselling for engineering and other related courses without waiting for NEET 2026 results comes after delays caused by the NEET paper leak controversy and confirmation of re-examination. The decision by the Karnataka government has brought relief to thousands of KCET candidates.

 

Karnataka to Proceed with CET Counselling due to NEET 2026 Issue

The Karnataka government decided not to wait for NEET results as the entire NEET admission process is likely to take more time than expected. The NEET 2026 controversy has affected the counselling schedule across the country.

 

Higher Education Minister M.C. Sudhakar stated that CET counselling for engineering and other courses will continue separately. The state government does not want students applying for engineering seats to wait because of delays in medical admissions.

 

Usually, CET counselling and NEET counselling happen around the same period. This helps students who write both exams to decide between engineering and medical courses. But this year, the situation is different due to the NEET 2026 paper leak controversy and rescheduling of the NEET 2026 exam. 

 

 

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What is the NEET 2026 Exam Controversy?

The NEET 2026 exam was initially held on May 3rd, 2026. Over 22 lakh candidates across India participated in the highly-competitive exam. However, a few days after the NEET 2026 exam, there were serious allegations related to paper leaks and irregularities. After investigations conducted by the central agencies, there was evidence of paper leaks in various states across India. The NTA later posted on its official X handle that the NEET 2026 exam, held on May 3rd, 2026, was cancelled. The news of the cancellation of the NEET 2026 exam deeply disturbed the aspirants across the country who spent countless hours preparing for it.

 

Later on, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced that the NEET 2026 re exam will be conducted on June 21st, 2026. The Karnataka government has strongly criticised the situation and said that students should not suffer because of problems in the national examination process. Karnataka ministers also demanded better transparency in entrance examinations.

 

Why the Karnataka Government Took This Decision?

According to the Karnataka government, delaying CET counselling would affect lakhs of engineering aspirants in Karnataka. If counselling is postponed for too long, colleges may not be able to start classes on time.

 

Officials also said that engineering seat allotment can happen independently without affecting NEET-based medical admissions. This will help students secure seats early and continue with the admission process smoothly.

 

What Students Should Know About KCET Counselling

Students who appeared for KCET 2026 should now focus on the upcoming counselling process. Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is expected to begin counselling after announcing the CET results. The counselling process will include seat allotment for engineering, architecture, agriculture, and other professional courses. Medical admissions based on NEET scores will happen separately later.

 

Engineering admissions are expected to continue normally even if NEET counselling gets delayed. Students interested only in engineering courses do not have to wait for medical counselling updates. This is especially helpful for students who want faster admission confirmation and earlier college joining dates.

 

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Engineering Seats can be Vacated after Seats Obtained Through NEET Counselling 

The Karnataka government explained that some students may initially enrol in engineering colleges and later transfer to medical colleges after NEET counselling begins. In such cases, engineering seats that become vacant will be added again during the second round of CET counselling. Students will get another opportunity to participate in seat selection. This system is expected to reduce confusion and help fill vacant seats properly.

 

• More Chances for Seat Upgrade: Dr. Sudhakar told The Hindu that earlier, when CET and NEET were conducted simultaneously, candidates were allowed to upgrade seats till round 2. However, this year, candidates will be able to upgrade till the third round of counselling for all the streams (Medical, Dental, Ayush, and Engineering). 
  
  
• Refunds for Students Switching from Engineering to Medical: The state government also discussed the issue with private colleges. According to reports, colleges have agreed to refund fees to students who later leave engineering seats for medical admissions. This decision may reduce stress for students who are waiting for both KCET and NEET counselling processes.

Karnataka’s decision to continue CET counselling without waiting for NEET 2026 results is an important step for engineering and professional course aspirants. The move is expected to prevent delays in admissions and help students begin their academic year on time. While NEET-related issues continue at the national level, Karnataka has decided to separate engineering counselling from medical admissions to reduce confusion for students. Candidates should now focus on KCET counselling updates, prepare their documents, and stay alert for official announcements from KEA.

 

 

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