Several students who were allotted seats for professional courses in private colleges have reported that managements asked them for their login IDs and passwords to the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) portal and offered to submit the joining report to the authority on their behalf. Every year, engineering and medical students have to submit a college joining report, which includes details on fees charged, etc. This helps the KEA ensure that private colleges are not charging students excess fees. However, by filling the joining report themselves, managements are subverting the system, students allege. A guardian whose ward had secured a seat in an engineering college said, “The student was asked to give her login details and enter her password. The college itself filled and submitted the college joining report.” A student from another private engineering college in Bengaluru reported a similar experience. “I was asked to pay ?45,000 in addition to the fees paid by the KEA. The management said this additional charge fell under subheads such as laboratory fees, excursion fees, etc. However, I could not fill all this in my joining report as the college management itself submitted my report online,” she said. When she questioned the management about this, she was told that it was part of their ‘protocol’ to confirm admissions. ‘Do not share details’ In the wake of these incidents, KEA authorities reiterated that students should not share login details with colleges. “The login and password should be used only by students. We have sought details such as fees paid to KEA and colleges to make sure that students are not exploited. We want students or their parents itself to fill up these particulars,” a KEA official said. No formal complaints The admission overseeing committee has received only two complaints against engineering colleges for allegedly charging excess fees. “Although students are orally telling us that many colleges are charging extra fees, they refuse to submit written complaints as they are scared that they may lose their seat,” a KEA official said.

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