Maharashtra has formed an expert committee to examine whether HSC marks should be considered alongside MHT CET percentile scores for admissions to undergraduate engineering and pharmacy courses, a move that could change how merit lists are prepared for these professional programmes.
The committee was constituted by the Higher and Technical Education Department on Thursday, September 17, and has been instructed to submit a detailed report within 15 days. Its brief includes recommending the appropriate weightage for Class 12 examination marks and MHT CET performance.
The proposed review follows a September 2 proposal submitted to the state government by the commissioner of the State Common Entrance Test Cell. The proposal sought changes to the method used to prepare merit lists for pharmacy admissions and has now led to the formation of the expert panel.
Under the system being examined, both a candidate’s MHT CET percentile and percentage in the HSC examination could be used to determine admission merit. The report said the government is considering the change because some students secure strong MHT CET percentiles while obtaining only the marks required to meet the eligibility criteria in Class 12.
According to the report, this situation has created confusion among students and reduced the perceived importance of the HSC examination. The committee will study the scoring method used in the admission process and recommend a proportion between HSC marks and MHT CET percentile scores.
The stated objective is to balance performance in the two examinations and make the merit list more transparent, objective and equitable for all candidates. The committee’s recommendations will determine whether the state changes the existing admission criteria and how any revised formula would be applied.
