CET eligibility norms relaxed

MUMBAI, June 1: Every student taking the Higher Secondary Certificate HSC examination will be eligible to take the Common Entrance Test C...

MUMBAI, June 1: Every student taking the Higher Secondary Certificate HSC examination will be eligible to take the Common Entrance Test CET for admission to medical and dental degree courses in Maharashtra, with the State Government abolishing the criterion stipulating a minimum 50 per cent aggregate in the board examination.

The Government has further relaxed the eligibility criteria for the estimated 30,000 aspirants by excluding marks secured in English in the CET from the merit list of candidates eligible to apply for the MBBS and BDS courses.

However, both decisions are applicable only to the forthcoming academic year, the first time the CET will be applied to Maharashtra.

The Government had earlier stipulated that applicants would have to secure a minimum 50 per cent in the CET8217;s English paper while applicants in the reserved categories would have to acquire 40 per cent marks in the same.

However, a high-ranking State Government official told The Indian Express on Monday that markssecured in Physics, Chemistry and Biology PCB alone would count while preparing the merit list, clarifying that students would have to take the English paper all the same. Students who fail in English, however, will not be eligible for admission. Once the merit list is announced, students who qualify will have to take an interview which will be conducted only in Mumbai.

The officer said the Government has made provisions to circumvent problems which may arise when two or more students secure the same CET ranking. In such an eventuality, weightage will be given to marks in the PCB group in the HSC exam; the candidate with higher marks will be given priority. If this does not help, the marks secured in English will also be considered.

If this does not help either, the aggregate marks in the HSC will be considered. If this still fails to work, the marks in Secondary School Certificate examination will be considered. The last resort will be the students8217; respective ages the older student will make it tothe final merit list, the officer explained. Apart from the merit list, waiting lists will also be prepared to account for students who drop out after securing admission.

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Students seeking admission to the BAMS and BHMS courses will not have to take the CET and the only criteria is the marks secured in the HSC exam.

Application forms, which will cost Rs 500 Rs 250 for students in the reserved category will be available at the district collector8217;s office as well as the 11 government colleges in the state. They will be available a month after the HSC results are announced, which is usually in the first week of June. The CET itself will be conducted within a month after the HSC results.