Bangalore: The Common Entrance Test (CET) cell, which would resume counselling of students for admission to professional courses from August 28, was expected to complete the exercise by the first week of October, Karnataka minister for higher education, Dr G Parameshwara, said on August 26.

The CET would hasten counselling, by increasing the number of students to be called for selection, from the existing 1,000 to 1,500 per day, he told reporters.

He said the law department had been asked to communicate to the Supreme Court, the mutual agreement between private college managements and the government on sharing the seats in the ratio of 75:25 this year, to avoid delay in admissions.

The government did not foresee any problems in implementing this seat sharing formula as the managements, who are the aggrieved party, had themselves accepted it, keeping in mind the interests of the students, he said.

Though the government had issued essential certificates to start 10 private medical colleges in 2002, the Medical Council of India had not granted affiliation to five of them. This has resulted in the state losing about 500 to 600 seats, he said.

While the free structure fixed by the High Court would hold good in 2003, the government would set up two committees, as directed by the Supreme Court, to regulate admissions and fix fees in 2004, he added.

PTI