Bombay HC asks non-SSC boards to respond to state proposal for FYJC’s common entrance test

The state government on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that the planned common entrance test (CET) for first-year junior college (FYJC) admissions will have seven papers of 25 marks each and students will have to opt for four papers.

The state government on Wednesday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that the planned common entrance test (CET) for first-year junior college (FYJC) admissions will have seven papers of 25 marks each and students will have to opt for four papers. The questions will be based on a mixed syllabus — from the SSC board as well as other boards — and the questions will be provided by the respective boards. The HC has now asked other boards to respond to the proposal by Friday.

The HC has now asked other boards to respond to the proposal by Friday. (HT)

The state government also informed HC that around 1 million SSC students and 5,000 students from other boards have registered for the CET. The government also informed the bench that as per the directions of the HC, a meeting with officials of CBSE, ISCE and other boards was held through video conferencing, wherein the CET format was discussed. The state submitted that the CBSE board said it had no problem with the format of CET, provided other boards agreed as well.

The division bench of justice RD Dhanuka and justice RI Chagla was hearing the petition filed by ICSE student Ananya Patki, seeking setting aside of the May 28 notification issued by the state government regarding the conduction of CET exam for admission to class 11. Advocate Yogesh Patki had argued that as the CET would be based on the SSC syllabus and would be held through the physical mode it would prejudice students from other boards and his daughter as well as she could not appear for the test physically.

The state through government pleader Poornima Kantharia had informed the court that the test was only for those students who wanted admission in top junior colleges and priority would be given to students who took the CET. She had submitted that registration for the August 21 test was started on July 21 and had been extended by three days on July 26.

The court had asked the state whether it could have separate papers for students based on the syllabus of their respective boards else withdraw the priority in admission status to students who took the CET. The court had then asked the state to discuss the issue with other boards and inform it on August 4.

On Wednesday, advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni informed the court that a meeting of different board officials was held and all of them had agreed that they could not interfere in the decisions of the state. Kumbhakoni submitted that the boards were asked to provide a bank of 200 questions to the state, which would be included with the state board syllabus questions after modification to avoid leakage of questions. Kumbhakoni submitted that the papers would be based on Social Science, Mathematics, English and Science syllabus and other three groups would be decided after the other boards submitted their question banks. He said that students would have the option to choose any four groups to attempt from the group of seven.

Kumbhakoni urged the court not to stay the August 21 test as any delay would have a cascading effect on admissions and eventually on the commencement of the academic year.

While Patki submitted that he wanted to argue on merits of the test, the court directed the other boards with the exception of CBSE board, which were not present, to submit their say by Thursday evening and be present for the hearing on Friday morning.