Aaditya rebukes govt over irregularities in MH-CET exam results

Referring to 54 errors in question papers identified by students, he questioned the competence of those responsible for the conduct of the exam

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and member of legislative assembly Aaditya Thackeray on Friday sharply criticised the state government regarding discrepancies in results of the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) exam. Referring to 54 errors in question papers identified by students, he questioned the competence of those responsible for the conduct of the exam and demanded a temporary stay on the admission process till the issue is resolved to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. Thackeray also demanded an inquiry into irregularities in the exam and suspension of the commissioner of the CET cell.

Aaditya rebukes govt over irregularities in MH-CET exam results

“There were many complaints about marks and percentile from students. CET cells should declare the formula to calculate the percentile,” said Thackeray. He also wondered why tests for one subject were conducted in 24 different batches and said that once the Maharashtra Vikas Agahadi was voted to power, they would change the test pattern and conduct it in one batch.

The CET is divided into two groups: PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) and PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology). The exam is for 200 marks, and percentiles are calculated based on the highest scorer in each batch. For instance, if the top performer scores 155 marks, they receive a 100 percentile, and the percentile decreases as the score goes down.

Approximately 6.75 lakh students who appeared for the CET this year have been gripped by confusion and uncertainty due to discrepancies between their scores and corresponding percentiles, more so because the percentiles are crucial for securing admissions to engineering and medical colleges. Many distressed students and their parents have also visited the state common entrance examination cell in Mumbai seeking clarity on the matter, but without any success.

Adi Nagvekar, a candidate who appeared for the CET this year, said the discrepancies were leading to much confusion and frustration. “The CET board had posted the answer keys online for three days, allowing us to check our answers. I expected a higher percentile based on my marks, but I received only 60 percentile. The CET chamber’s responses have been unsatisfactory,” he said.

Nagvekar and many other students had approached former senate member Pradeep Sawant and Rajan Kolambekar, who flagged the issue before Thackeray, prompting his statement. They also wrote a letter to the commissioner of the CET cell and the higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, requesting their intervention.

The state government has consistently denied all allegations of mismanagement of the exam, clarifying that the results were declared using a percentile method without any grace marks being awarded. The government has also emphasised that objections to the results could be registered online, and all registered objections were reviewed by subject experts prior to the declaration of final results along with revised answer sheets on the CET cell’s website.

Additional CET for BBA, BMS courses

The state government has approved additional Common Entrance Tests (CET) for admission to BBA, BCA, BMS, and BBM courses for the academic year 2024-25. An entrance test for these courses was conducted on May 29, but a significant number of students missed the exam, prompting widespread calls for an additional test. The decision will also help also address the situation of nearly 60,000 seats remaining vacant, as many students were unable to appear for the initial CET examination.