Fake EWS seats, missing records: Maharashtra colleges pulled up over MHT CET admissions

Maharashtra’s engineering and technical colleges are facing closer scrutiny after the State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell found several irregularities in admissions conducted against seats left vacant after the main Centralised Admission Process (CAP) rounds.

A scrutiny of institute-level admissions found that less than half of the colleges examined had followed the prescribed norms. The violations ranged from incomplete admission records and questionable EWS claims to colleges allegedly failing to act on applications received through the CET Cell’s portal.

In some cases, the number of applications received by a college was found to be almost exactly the same as the number of seats available. Such patterns have raised concerns over whether admissions were being conducted strictly on merit, as required under the institute-level counselling process.

The CET Cell also found instances where students were admitted under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota without valid EWS certificates. In other cases, colleges had failed to maintain proper records of the admission process. At least three colleges reportedly did not respond to applications submitted through the CET Cell portal.

With the 2026-27 admission cycle approaching, the CET Cell has decided to introduce additional monitoring measures to prevent such irregularities.

Colleges conducting institute-level admissions for vacant seats will now be expected to follow the rules specified in the admission brochure strictly. Admissions can begin only after all CAP rounds have concluded, and vacant seats must be allotted to eligible candidates according to merit.

The process will also come under the watch of observers from nearby government colleges. Principals or senior faculty members may be assigned to monitor key stages, including document verification, preparation of merit lists, fee collection and seat allotment. These observers will be required to submit daily compliance reports.

The CET Cell has also mandated CCTV coverage of document verification and seat allotment. Colleges will have to preserve the recordings so they can be examined during audits, inspections or investigations following student complaints.

To make the process more transparent, colleges must publish their admission rules and procedures on their websites. Merit lists must also be displayed on the notice board and website rather than being kept solely within institutional records.

Students can apply directly to a college or submit an institution-level option form through their CAP login. Colleges are required to consider both categories together while preparing the final merit list.

Institutions must additionally maintain daily records of students and accompanying parents or others who visit for admission, along with details of candidates who are ultimately admitted. The information must be shared with the CET Cell or Admissions Regulating Authority (ARA) as required. Once a seat is confirmed, it must also be updated on the CAP portal immediately.

The CET Cell has cautioned students and parents against approaching agents or private “counsellors” promising admissions before CAP rounds are completed. Candidates have been advised to rely only on official CET Cell communication and avoid unverified social media posts and forwarded links.

For colleges, the message is equally clear: violations of admission rules could invite administrative as well as legal action. The new system of observers, CCTV monitoring, daily records and mandatory merit-based admissions is aimed at closing loopholes and making the final stage of MHT CET admissions more transparent.