Committee to decide on Class 12 weightage for engg admissions

The state higher education department will constitute an eight-member committee to decide on the weightage that will be given to Class 12 scores during admissions to engineering courses.

The state higher education department will constitute an eight-member committee to decide on the weightage that will be given to Class 12 scores during admissions to engineering courses.

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Rajesh Tope, state higher education minister, announced this in the legislative council on Monday. “The eight-member committee will be constituted shortly and will submit its report within two months,” he said.

Currently, students are admitted to engineering courses based on the state Common Entrance Test (MH-CET). They only require 45% in their Class 12 to be eligible for the MH-CET. From the academic year of 2013-14, the MH-CET is will be replaced by the Indian Science Engineering Eligibility Test (ISEET). The nation-wide ISSET has been recommended by the Centre. But the Centre has left it up to the states to decide the ratio of weightage that will be given to the ISEET scores and Class 12 exams. The state government favours granting 40% weightage to Class 12 results.

The issue was raised by Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant, who accused the state of taking the issue lightly. “There is great confusion about the new system,” he said. Sawant also wanted students to be able to take the ISEET in Marathi. Tope assured the council that he would write to the central government seeking permission for this.