Delay in Ayush Dept. submitting seat matrix leaves aspirants jittery - The HinduPublished - September 08, 2026 11:07 pm IST - BengaluruThe Karnataka Examination Authority in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: File photoAs the Department of Ayush has not yet submitted the seat matrix of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) courses to Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), the counseling of these courses will be further delayed. This has left students and parents worried.The CET seat allocation process for admission to other professional courses including engineering has already reached the final stage, and it is learned that KEA has sent several reminders to the Department of Ayush to submit the seat matrix, but there has been no appropriate response so far.“Many students and parents have been visiting and calling KEA to inquire about the counselling for these courses,” said Prasanna, Executive Director of KEA.There were 121 AYUSH colleges across the State in the year 2025-26, with a total of 8,945 seats available. Out of these, 7,950 seats were filled through KEA, leaving 995 seats vacant.Third round completedThe seat allotment for the 3rd round of CET has already been completed for the year 2026-27, and the admission process for other professional courses including engineering is in progress. In addition, the NEET 2nd round seat allotment process has started from September 7, and the admission process will be completed by September 14.Meanwhile, as per the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) order, September 14 is the last date for admission to engineering courses and classes will officially begin.Many students enrolled in other professional courses, including Engineering, Dental Science are also aspirants for AYUSH courses. They have provisionally selected this seats during CET counseling and are waiting for AYUSH course counseling.KEA has allowed candidates to take admission in the seat allotted in different rounds of CET counseling and participate in the next seat allotment process for better seat or course. If the candidates get a better seat in a good college, they are allowed to get admission without any additional fee.Changing courseHowever, once the admissions for other courses including Engineering are completed and colleges are started, the colleges will not allow students to change their courses. If the students cancel their admission, the colleges will not refund the fees. Instead, they will be required to pay the entire course fee as a penalty.Therefore, candidates who have already enrolled in other courses and are expecting AYUSH seats are worried.“I had decided to do a homeopathy course. Due to the delay in the counseling process for the AYUSH course, I have temporarily enrolled in the civil engineering. However, when I inquired at the KEA, they said that the counselling will be delayed as the AYUSH seat matrix has not been received yet. The college will start from September 14, and a penalty will have to be paid to cancel the admission,” said a candidate.“Counseling for AYUSH courses is getting delayed every year, causing problems for students and parents. My daughter has decided to join Ayurvedic Medicine and we have been waiting for counselling for many months. But, it has not started yet. Due to this, classes, academic year and exams will also be delayed. The AYUSH department should release the seat matrix soon and help in starting the counselling process,” said Thyagaraj B.R., a parent from Bengaluru.Reason for delaySources in the Ayush Department said that there is a delay in submitting the seat matrix as the Union Ministry of AYUSH has not yet given permission for seat matrix, seat enhancement and other matters for AYUSH courses.Published - September 08, 2026 11:07 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }