KEA Withholds Karnataka Medical Counselling Round 3 Results After HC Petition: What It Means for Students

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has once again found itself at the center of controversy over medical and dental admissions. On October 28, 2025, the authority decided to withhold the third-round counselling results for MBBS and BDS seats after a group of parents and students moved the Karnataka High Court. The results were originally scheduled for release on Monday, following the publication of provisional results on October 24.

The delay has left thousands of medical aspirants and parents anxious as the state’s medical admission process enters its final phase, with the next counselling round scheduled in early November.

Background: What Triggered the Petition

The issue stems from the addition of nearly 450 new medical seats during the ongoing counselling process. These seats were sanctioned by the National Medical Commission (NMC) after the completion of the second round of counselling.

While additional seats are typically welcomed by students, the timing of this approval raised eyebrows. According to the petitioners, the KEA allowed candidates who had already secured seats in the first and second rounds to compete for these newly sanctioned seats.

This decision, they argued, caused a reshuffling of existing seat allocations, as students who opted for the new seats vacated their earlier ones. These vacant seats then became available to candidates with lower NEET ranks, giving rise to allegations of unfairness and lack of transparency.

Why Students and Parents Are Protesting

The core concern among petitioners is the disruption of merit order caused by the mid-counselling addition of seats.

Here’s how it unfolded:

• Candidates already admitted in earlier rounds were allowed to “upgrade” to newly added seats.
• Their previously allotted seats then became vacant.
• These vacancies were subsequently offered to other candidates with lower NEET ranks who had not been allotted seats earlier.

This sequence, petitioners argue, distorts the merit-based process that is fundamental to NEET counselling. They maintain that once a candidate is admitted in earlier rounds, they should not be allowed to participate in subsequent ones unless explicitly stated beforehand.

A parent representing the petitioners reportedly stated that “such reallocation affects students who followed the original rules and accepted earlier seats in good faith.”

The petitioners also pointed out that a similar issue had arisen in previous years, and the Karnataka High Court had not permitted such reshuffling then either.

KEA’s Response and Next Steps

KEA’s Executive Director H. Prasanna acknowledged the issue and confirmed that the authority has paused the announcement of Round 3 results until the High Court delivers its order.

He clarified that the newly added seats came from NMC approvals post the second round, and that KEA was working within the timelines set by national and state-level medical admission authorities.

“Around 450 seats came from the NMC after the second round of counselling. We have time till November 3 for clarity before the next round starts. We will wait for the High Court’s directive,”
said Prasanna.

Despite the ongoing legal uncertainty, classes for medical courses began on September 22, even as the counselling rounds were still underway. This has further complicated matters for both institutions and students awaiting final seat confirmations.

The Bigger Picture: Counselling Timeline and Implications

The National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) oversee the all-India quota counselling, while KEA handles the state quota admissions.

Following the pause in Round 3 results, the upcoming schedule stands as follows:

• All-India Stray Vacancy Round: November 4
• State Stray Vacancy Round: November 7
• Last Date for Admission/Joining: November 20

KEA officials stated that they have until November 3 to resolve the legal impasse before the next round begins. However, if the High Court’s directive delays further action, it could disrupt the entire admission calendar, affecting both students’ academic timelines and college schedules.

Data Snapshot: Seats and Candidates

According to KEA’s official data, the current seat matrix and participation figures are as follows:

This data reveals that a significant number of previously allotted candidates (248) were among those competing again in Round 3 — reinforcing the petitioners’ claim that the process allowed already admitted students to re-enter the race for the newly added seats.

Legal Precedent and Historical Context

KEA’s Executive Director highlighted that the same issue has surfaced in past admission cycles, with courts previously ruling against allowing already admitted candidates to participate again after new seats were introduced.

Legal experts believe the High Court’s forthcoming judgment could set an important precedent, influencing how state authorities handle mid-counselling seat additions in the future.

If the court bars KEA from reallocating seats to already-admitted students, the newly sanctioned seats might have to be reserved exclusively for fresh candidates, potentially requiring KEA to revise the entire third-round process.

Impact on Students and Medical Colleges

For students, the uncertainty has created both stress and confusion. Thousands of NEET-qualified candidates are anxiously waiting for clarity on whether their provisional allotments will hold.

Medical colleges, meanwhile, are struggling to maintain class schedules while admissions remain incomplete. The academic year officially began in late September, but with unfilled seats and pending admissions, many institutions are unable to finalize batches or clinical rotations.

A senior academic from a Bengaluru medical college remarked that “the delay affects not just admissions but academic planning and hospital training schedules, which are tightly linked to student intake.”

Conclusion

The Karnataka High Court’s decision in this case will be crucial for maintaining fairness and transparency in the medical admission process. While the addition of 450 new seats is undeniably beneficial for aspirants, the way these seats are integrated into the counselling process must ensure that merit is upheld and procedural integrity maintained.