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Karnataka Round 3 Counselling Court Case – Judgment Explained in Simple Words

Nov 24, 2025

My Career My Future (MCMF) – Team of Expert MBBS Counsellors

Karnataka Round 3 Counselling Court Case – Judgment Explained in Simple Words

What the High Court Said About Karnataka NEET Round 3, and What It Means for Students

The Karnataka Round 3 counselling matter is still stuck in the middle.
Many parents and students are confused:

Is Round 3 valid or cancelled?
What did the High Court actually say?
Will there be a re-counselling?
What happens to students who already left their All India Quota seats?

In this blog, we explain the court judgment in very simple language—what the petitions were about, what KEA said, what the judges observed, and why the final decision is still not fully settled.

1. What Is the Karnataka Round 3 Issue?

There are 5 different writ petitions that were clubbed together and heard by the High Court.
All of them are related to Karnataka’s Round 3 counselling.
The students (petitioners) felt that Round 3 was unfair and against the rules, especially after 443 new seatswere added.

So the court had to decide:

Was Round 3 conducted fairly?
Should Round 3 be cancelled or not?
Should more students be allowed to participate in all seats, not just the 443 new ones?

2. What Did the Petitioners (Students) Demand?

The petitioners mainly wanted three things:

1️⃣ Treat Karnataka Like Other States in Round 3

They argued that:

In other states, Round 3 was open to more students.
In Karnataka, their participation was restricted, especially for students who had already joined a seat earlier.
They wanted Round 3 to be opened fully, similar to other states.

2️⃣ Cancel the Provisional Round 3 Result

They claimed that:

Many lower-rank students got seats ahead of higher-rank students.
This, they said, was because of a possible software glitch or incorrect allotment logic.
So they demanded that the Round 3 provisional list should be cancelled.

3️⃣ Allow Upgradation on All Seats, Not Just 443 New Seats

They said:

Only 443 newly added seats were opened for them in Round 3.
They wanted all seats (not just these 443) to be available for upgradation and allotment.
In simple words:

“If we are allowed to participate, let us participate for all seats, not just new ones.”

3. What Did KEA (Karnataka Examination Authority) Say?

KEA explained its side like this:

1️⃣ Rule Was Always Clear: Joined Candidates Cannot Join Round 3

KEA said:

Their rules clearly mention that:

Students who have joined seats in Round 1 or Round 2
cannot participate in Round 3.
This rule was not new. It was part of the original counselling framework.

2️⃣ Special Relaxation Only for 443 New Seats

They said:

When 443 new seats were added, KEA gave a special relaxation:
- Even students who had already joined in earlier rounds
- Were allowed to participate only for these 443 newly added seats.
This was given as a “fair play” opportunity so that they don’t miss out on new seats.

But:

KEA did not open all old seats for them, because that would break their own rules.

3️⃣ Why Didn’t KEA Open All Seats in Round 3?

KEA gave three main reasons:

It would cause massive seat shuffling across all rounds
It could disturb the final stages of counselling
It could create a large number of vacancies that would be difficult to manage

So KEA’s stand was:

“We followed our written rules, gave a fair chance on new seats, and clearly notified everything in advance.”

4. What Did the High Court Observe?

The judges made several key observations:

✅ 1. Rules Were Consistent

The rule that joined candidates from Round 1 & 2 cannot participate in Round 3 was already a framed rule, not something created later.
So it was not a surprise rule.

✅ 2. Special Relaxation on 443 New Seats Was Fair

The court noted that giving special permission for the 443 newly added seats was a reasonable and fair step.
It gave students one extra opportunity without changing the base rules.

✅ 3. Full Participation Would Create Chaos

The court agreed that:

If all seats were opened again in Round 3,
- It would cause huge reshuffling
- Could lead to counselling chaos
- And create unlimited vacancies

✅ 4. KEA Had Notified Everything Clearly

The court acknowledged that KEA had clearly notified its rules and conditions.
Students had accepted these conditions earlier and did not challenge them at that time.

✅ 5. Petitioners Challenged Too Late

The court raised a strong point:

When the original notification came, the petitioners did not challenge it.
They only challenged it after the allotment list was out.
Court said they should have raised objections earlier, at the notification stage.

✅ 6. No Software Glitch Found

The court also noted that no software glitch was found in the allotment system.
So the argument that results were wrong purely due to software was not accepted.

5. Split Verdict – What Did Each Judge Say?

There were two judges on the bench:

Justice Jayant Banerjee
Justice K.V. Aravind

And both had different opinions.

🧑‍⚖️ View of Justice Jayant Banerjee

Justice Banerjee felt:

The Round 3 provisional result should be cancelled (set aside).
KEA should conduct Round 3 again in two stages, as per the Supreme Court’s Bhavna Tiwari case.
The final allotment list for Round 3 should be published no later than 2 December.

In short:

He was in favour of redoing Round 3 and releasing a fresh final list.

🧑‍⚖️ View of Justice K.V. Aravind

Justice Aravind had a different view.

He said:

Cancelling Round 3 at this stage would harm many students who are not at fault.
Some students:
- Had an All India Quota (AIQ) seat
- Left that AIQ seat
- Chose to join a Karnataka Round 3 seat instead
Their AIQ seats have now gone to other students.
If Round 3 is now cancelled and they don’t get a seat again,
- They will have no seat at all
- Even though they did nothing wrong

So he felt:

It would be unfair to those students to cancel the entire round at this stage.
If there are issues in rules or process, they should be corrected for next year, not by disturbing the current counselling.

Therefore, Justice Aravind said:

KEA should complete Round 3 quickly as per law
KEA should finish all permissible rounds of counselling by 10 December 2025

6. So What Is the Final Status Now?

Because the two judges disagreed, this is called a “split decision”.

In such cases:

The matter can be sent to a larger bench (more judges) in the High Court
Or the matter can go to the Supreme Court

The video and the transcript mention that:

The matter has already moved to the next level,
and may go to a larger bench or Supreme Court.

So, as of now:

The situation is not fully final
Round 3 is not clearly declared invalid or fully re-done yet
Further orders are expected from higher judiciary

7. What Should Students & Parents Do Right Now?

Until a final clear order comes:

Keep following official KEA notifications regularly
Do not rely only on social media rumours
If you already have a confirmed seat (joined):
- Keep your documentation and reporting formalities clean
If you are waiting for Round 3 or beyond:
- Stay updated, and be prepared for both possibilities:
  - Round 3 stands as it is
  - Or some form of revised process is ordered

FAQ – Simple Answers to Common Doubts

Q1. Is Karnataka Round 3 cancelled?

Not completely.
One judge suggested cancelling and redoing it.
Another judge said do not cancel, just complete counselling by 10 December.
So the final position will now depend on higher-level decision.

Q2. What if I left my All India Quota seat for a Karnataka Round 3 seat?

This is exactly the category of students Justice Aravind was worried about.
Future orders will likely keep such students in mind, but you should follow updates closely.

Q3. Can the case go to the Supreme Court?

Yes.
The matter can go to a larger High Court bench or the Supreme Court.
As per the transcript, it has already moved to the next level.

Q4. Will rules change for future years?

The judge has mentioned that if rules need improvement, they should be changed for next year’s counselling, not by disturbing the current batch midway.