MAH CET likely to restart, B schools blame CMAT for Vacant seats

There is a high possibility that B schools in Maharashtra may go for the Common Entrance Test MAH CET next year after the rural students were unable to take the online test, CMAT which was taken at the national level. Approx 39% students could not take their exams. The state also had witnessed 66% drop in number of applicants across various B schools in Maharashtra this year.

The Ministry of Technical education has sought legal opinion in the matter and a decision is expected next week.

While giving an interview to the news daily DNA, SK Mahajan Director of Technical Education (DTE), confirmed the development. We have sought the governments nod to restart the MAH CET and are hoping to get a reply by next week, he said. If accepted, the MAH CET would be conducted in February 2014. He also said that, Over 39% seats are vacant this year as against 25% in 2012. Only 20,500 CMAT qualified applicants came to us. Till 2012, we used to get over 60,000 applicants. Many rural students didnt get to know about CMAT. Besides, many didnt take it because it of the online mode it employed.

However the AICTE-CMAT coordinator Renu Bafna rejected the claims by saying that, The aspiring managers are supposed to have internet access and skills for online exam. The numbers would have dropped in Maharashtra as there is an overall recession in the management education across India.

In order to pave way for centres oneIndia one test concept the Common Entrance Test was discontinued last year only and replaced by CMAT. CMAT is an online test conducted twice in a year as compared to the offline CET. As per the governments announcement the scores of CMAT would be accepted to the MBA institutions across the whole country.

AICTEs review petition which it filed against Supreme Courts ruling early this year to keep MBA out of the AICTE ambit is yet to be heard. Meanwhile, AICTE has not issued any notification for the February CMAT. AICTE chairman SS Mantha told that the body will decide over the CMAT issue as per the Supreme Courts direction.

Last year leading B schools in Mumbai like JBIMS - University Of Mumbai; K J Somaiya Institute Of Management Studies & Research; Chetanas Institute of Management and Research (CIMR); Sydenham Institute of Management Studies and Research and Entrepreneurship Education, (SIMSREE); Institute for Technology and Management (ITM) Mumbai, etc accepted CMAT scores for admission 2013.