K-CET 2020: Karnataka exempts outstation students from quarantine for 96 hours

Despite requests pouring in from students and parents on social media not to go ahead with the K-CET 2020 examinations on July 30 and July 31, deputy chief minister and minister for higher education, Dr Ashwathnarayan C.N has given a go ahead to conduct the exams.

1,94,356 students have registered for K-CET. The exams will be conducted in a total of 497 test centres at 127 locations.

While the minister has assured that the "centres will be sanitised two days in advance and all preemptive measures will be taken, students have expressed their apprehension about their safety."

"Kannada language test will be conducted on August 1 for the 'Gadinadu' and 'Horanadu' Kannadiga students. Students & parents arriving from other states & countries will have a 96-hr quarantine exemption. Students who are from containment zones or are Covid19 +ve, will be allowed to appear for KCET in separate rooms. SOPs & guidelines issued by the state health department will be strictly followed," Dr Ashwathnarayan said.

However, the minister has stated that in view of the final examinations being delayed, the PG-CET examinations scheduled on August 8 & 9, and the Diploma-CET examinations scheduled on August 9 have been postponed until further notice.

Shashiprasad Hegde will take up the K-CET exam on July 30 and July 31. "The precautions were not adequate during our English PUC examination. Our parents are scared and they have disallowed us from taking up the exam. When PG-CET exams can be postponed this should also be delayed," he said.

The state secratary of All India Democratic Students Association (AIDSO), Ajay Kamath said,"While the pandemic is rising in bounds and leaps, the uniform demand of the students, teachers and parents was to postpone the Karnataka CET. But the government has acted exactly opposite to it. The government has taken the decision in the interest of private lobby."