CET cell warns of cancelling college admissions as mgmt quota comes under scanner
State CET cell has launched probe into allegations that over 1,000 seats from 15 engineering colleges in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were illegally transferred to management quota and filled through unauthorised admissions
Pune: The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) cell has launched a probe into allegations that over 1,000 seats from 15 engineering colleges in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were illegally transferred to the management quota and filled through unauthorised admissions. Earlier this month, notices were served to these colleges for irregularities in admission process.
According to sources, several prominent engineering colleges in Pune allegedly shifted significant number of CET seats under the management quota, bypassing the regular admission process.
The cell had sent notices to 12 engineering colleges on September 8 for granting admissions at the institutional level before the completion of the official Centralised Admission Process (CAP).
The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) is conducting an inquiry into the alleged misconduct with its report expected to be submitted to the state CET cell soon.
“After issuing notices to the colleges involved, we instructed our officials and the state technical education department to investigate the allegations. We expect the inquiry report within the next eight days. We are also awaiting responses from the colleges. So far, no such issues have been reported elsewhere in the state and the complaints are specific to 12 engineering colleges in Pune,” said Dilip Sardesai, chairperson, state CET cell.
Sardesai said that strict action will be taken against institutions found violating the rules.
The CET cell oversees the admission process in Maharashtra’s engineering colleges and the third round of admissions concluded on September 9. According to admission rules, vacant seats can only be filled at the institutional level after the third CAP round. However, several engineering colleges reportedly began admitting students before the CAP round ended, violating CET cell norms.
“We had filed a complaint with the CET cell regarding over 1,000 illegal admissions in several colleges in Pune. As a result, notices were sent to 12 colleges in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Many students eligible for admissions under the CAP round were turned away by these colleges even as 33,000 engineering seats are vacant across the state,” said Kalpesh Yadav, joint secretary, Yuva Sena.