Jun 07, 2025 07:04 AM IST

Maharashtra higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil on Friday directed education authorities to conduct a second Common Entrance Test (CET) to address concerns over low student turnout and stringent admission criteria that have discouraged applicants from enrolling in undergraduate programmes for the academic year 2025-26.

Patil held a meeting in this regard attended by medical education minister Hasan Mushrif and representatives of Shivaji University Development Front and college principals’ associations to assess the impact of rigid conditions placed on the admission process for BBA and BCA courses. It was pointed out that many students had missed the first CET and were at the risk of losing out on admissions entirely. In light of these issues, Patil instructed the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education to organise a second CET to ensure that no eligible students are denied the opportunity to apply. A formal notification for the second CET is expected to be issued in the next two days.

Addressing broader structural concerns, Patil assured the attendees that the state government would recommend to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) a reduction in affiliation fees and security deposits required for these programmes. These financial burdens, according to many college representatives, are creating barriers to entry for both students and institutions.

“Our aim is to ensure that no student loses a chance at higher education due to technicalities or financial obstacles. We have taken serious note of the issues raised about the BBA and BCA admission process. Therefore, I have instructed officials to conduct another round of CET so that all willing students can apply. Furthermore, we will be recommending to the AICTE that the affiliation fees and caution deposit norms be relaxed to make education more accessible and affordable,” said Patil.

Among those present at the meeting were Shivaji University Development Front vice-president Bhaiyya Mane, principal D R More, advocate Dhairyashil Patil, principal Dr V M Patil, higher education secretary Venugopal Reddy, director Shailendra Deolankar, technical education director Vinod Mohitkar, and joint director Prakash Bachhav. Their collective appeal underscored the urgent need for reforms to support aspiring students across Maharashtra.

Prajakta Jadhav, an aspiring student from Pune, said, “I had planned to pursue a BCA degree this year, but I missed the earlier CET because the schedule was unclear and I couldn’t gather all the required documents in time due to financial issues. The strict conditions and lack of proper communication left many of us feeling helpless. I was really worried I would lose an entire academic year. Now that the government has announced a second CET, it feels like a second chance. I hope they also reduce the fees and make the process easier, especially for students like me from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.”