From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 25: Seven year education in Karnataka is mandatory for seeking admissions to professional courses through common entrance test (CET), Higher Education Minister C T Ravi announced in the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to Independent member Gulihatti D Shekar during the zero hour, the minister said a candidate has to complete seven years of education in the State to seek admission to professional courses through CET as per the CET rule.

Shekar said that Karnataka Examinations Authority had denied admission to Pushpa, student secured 11,869th rank in the CET.

The student is the daughter of Jevargin Naganna, owner and actor in the Vishwajyothi Panchakshara Drama Company, Jewargi. The student completed only six years of education in the State.

Pushpa joined the school under the Kooliyinda Shalege programme of the Government and directly secured admission to seventh standard as she was acting in plays staged by the company.

She completed her 7th standard, high school and PUC in Gulbarga. She secured 82 per cent marks in PU-II science examination.  She obtained 78 per cent marks in 10th standard.

Shekar urged the Government to facilitate admission to Pushpa to engineering course in the State through the CET since she secured highest marks in the entrance examination.

The Minister said it was difficult to relax rules to facilitate admission of one student through CET since the candidate had not met the required eligibility criteria.

However, Ravi assured that he would facilitate admission to the student in a private engineering college in the State.
 

No Forcible Recovery of Ashraya Loans
 
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Visveshwara Hegde Kageri said a private firm would be directed not to recover loans forcibly from households who had been allotted houses under the Ashraya shceme.

In a reply to Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, Kageri said the deadline for repayment of pending loan amount has been extended to till March 31, 2013.

Loans would not be forcibly recovered from beneficiaries of Ashraya Houses under Namma Mane programme, he said.

Siddaramaiah alleged that a private firm in Athani in Belgaum has been recovering loan amounts from beneficiaries forcibly and evicting families from houses if they declined to pay the amount.