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Time of India

Mission Admission 2025: Students guided on career choices and exam preparations

1 2 Bengaluru: Hundreds thronged the JN Tata Auditorium on Friday for The Times of India's Mission Admission 2025 event which featured a panel of educationists, industry experts, and representatives from leading institutions. It revolved around the central theme of moving beyond the traditional herd mentality and focusing on individual strengths and skills. The crowd spilled over from the auditorium, and parents and students queued up to ask questions during sessions which covered various crucial aspects of higher education, including evolving engineering curricula, specialized counselling for competitive exams like CET and NEET , and exploration of unconventional career paths. Degree alone not enough: Official Inaugurating the event, Mohammed Mohsin, principal secretary, department of medical education, urged the students to leverage such unique opportunities that were unavailable to previous generations. He advised students and parents to conduct a SWOT analysis (strength, weakness, opportunity, threat) for career planning, focusing on individual aptitude rather than societal trends. He said, "Every child is unique, everybody is different. Nobody can match anybody else." He stressed that a degree alone is insufficient; practical skills are crucial. He encouraged the students to scrutinise the quality of teaching in institutions and to not hesitate in asking questions. Professor S Sadagopan, former director of the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore, stressed the relevance of artificial intelligence and data sciences. He described AI and data science as "two eyes" – inseparable and fundamental to any modern field, urging students to gain proficiency regardless of their chosen discipline. CET and NEET counselling by Manjunatha R, joint controller of examinations and PRO, KEA Manjunatha R laid out a comprehensive roadmap for the upcoming academic season, offering clarity on eligibility, procedures and new technological initiatives. "We are awaiting the final seat matrix approval from the state govt. KEA (Karnataka Examinations Authority) is ready to begin the seat allotment process immediately upon receiving the seat matrix," he said. "Allotment of seats will be conducted in three rounds for CET. We are awaiting a nod from the govt for conducting further rounds," he said. He also highlighted a coordinated approach with Comed-K to minimise overlap and prevent financial losses for students who might otherwise pay fees to multiple institutions without securing a seat. Comed-K, however, later said it will go ahead with its counselling, without waiting for CET. In the session on NEET that followed, Manjunatha provided a comprehensive overview of the current structure of medical college admissions, focusing particularly on the various categories of seats and the corresponding fee implications in both govt and private institutions. Unlocking winning formula for NEET by Pradeep Eshwar, founder, Parishrama NEET Academy "Why have Karnataka students never achieved the all-India rank 1 in NEET?" asked Pradeep. "It is because class 11 is neglected in the state, while students and teachers focus only on class 12. In CET physics, around 45 questions are from II PU. However, in NEET, a good portion of the questions come from class 11, which our students have not focused on," he explained. The sitting MLA from Chikkaballapur also emphasised the need to focus on NCERT textbooks. "There are six NCERT books, including practical lab manuals, that students have to focus on. However, in the state, students buy only two NCERT books. The practical lab manual used here is a small book, while the original book has 150 pages," he said. Pradeep urged students to let go of phones and TV and put in relentless effort and have an unshakeable belief in themselves. Comed-K by S Kumar, executive secretary, Comed-K Kumar detailed the features of Comed-K. "Why Comed-K? We have three salient features. There are no reservations of any category to meet constitutional requirements in Comed-K. Towards these obligations, all member colleges of Comed-K hand over a certain number of seats to the govt. Private professional education started in Karnataka in the 60s, leaving us with the oldest private institutions when compared to neighbouring states. The ecosystem we have is very supportive of technical education. You name the industry… there is ample opportunity. As long as a student wants to seek, it's all there," he said. Kumar also went on to explain ComedKares, an initiative Comed-K has taken up for upskilling engineering students. "Modern-day engineering needs newer dimensions to be added. So instead of each college investing, ComedKares has now set up a total of 10 centres all over Karnataka. They offer eight courses during the four-year engineering programme—machine learning, artificial intelligence, robotics, internet of things, planning, prototype design, among others," he said. — Prathikaa V Shastry Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !