In a bid to increase transparency and accountability in the admission process for professional courses, the state Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell on November 15 announced the formation of a dedicated sub-committee to address and resolve student grievances related to admissions.
According to CET Cell commissioner Dilip Sardesai, “Students, parents, or other stakeholders who face issues during the CET or the subsequent Centralised Admission Process (CAP) can now formally file complaints, which will be resolved within 15 days. This initiative is expected to bring faster redressal and reduce irregularities during admission season.”
Decision within 15 days
As per guidelines under the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fees) Act, 2015, the CET Cell and Admissions Regulatory Authority are responsible for handling complaints received during various stages of the admission process.
Section 9 (2) of the Act directs the establishment of a complaint redressal mechanism, while section 9 (5) mandates that any complaint submitted to the Admissions Regulatory Authority must be resolved within 15 days and strictly before the final date of admission.
The newly constituted sub-committee will function under the CET Cell and include the undersecretary, Admissions Regulatory Authority chairperson, representative from the relevant directorate, desk officer, and examination coordinator of the concerned department among others.
{{/usCountry}}The newly constituted sub-committee will function under the CET Cell and include the undersecretary, Admissions Regulatory Authority chairperson, representative from the relevant directorate, desk officer, and examination coordinator of the concerned department among others.
{{/usCountry}}The CET Cell coordinates entrance examinations and centralised admission procedures for various professional courses across Maharashtra. Each year, it receives numerous complaints regarding errors or irregularities in examination procedures, issues in applications or documents’ verification, grievances regarding merit lists and seat allotment, and alleged violations by colleges during the admission process. With the increasing number of complaints, the need for a formal mechanism became critical.
CET commissioner Sardesai clarified that the grievance redressal committee will strictly follow the procedures laid down under section 9 (2) and (1) and 9 (5) of the 2015 Act. All colleges carrying out admissions under the CAP have been instructed to comply with these regulations.
Sardesai said, “Students now have a direct, transparent system to file their complaints; a clear deadline of 15 days for decision-making; assurance that issues will be resolved before the admission deadline; and protection under a legally defined grievance redressal framework.”