Last day to register for Law CET today

MUMBAI: The state government plans to extend the final date of registration for the first-ever law common entrance test (CET) in the state. Aspirants can now register

MUMBAI: The state government plans to extend the final date of registration for the first-ever law common entrance test (CET) in the state. Aspirants can now register for the CET till Wednesday.

HT Image

While the deadline for law CET, which holds the key to three-year LLB and five-year BLS LLB programmes, set on Monday, the directorate of higher education (DHE) decided to postpone it till Wednesday as many aspirants, especially in rural areas, had not registered.

According to an official from the state CET cell, “We have been receiving numerous emails with queries from students. As the deadline approached, many aspirants in rural areas who had not registered for the CET panicked. A couple of members of legislative assembly also pressurised the government into extending the date.”

More than 30,000 aspirants have registered so far for the law CET this year. The demand is in line with the growing demand for law courses. Explaining the rising popularity for law in the state, Narayan Rajadhyaksha, principal, New Law College in Matunga, said, “From litigation to corporate sector, many new avenues have opened up for law professionals. Many students these days are opting for specialisation in different aspects of law, instead of ‘general practice’.”

However, the CET for BEd and MEd, the registration process which drew to a close on Monday, received a lukewarm response, with 23,838 students registering for BEd CET and 1,180 opting for MEd CET. The experts have blamed fewer employment opportunities in teaching for the low enrolment. “Across Maharashtra, the government has stopped hiring teachers, even as many positions in the state-run schools are vacant,” said Badr ul Islam, an Aurangabad-based educationist.

He said most of students who graduate from BEd colleges are unable to clear the teacher eligibility test. “The quality of education in the private BEd colleges has deteriorated, with many students failing to attend lectures. As a result, many who study here aren’t employable,” he said.