Senior Maharashtra Congress leader and AICC secretary Sachin Sawant, on Tuesday, alleged that a scam similar to the NEET exam scandal appears to have taken place in the MH–CET examination as well. Students who barely scored 35–40 per cent marks in their SSC and HSC examinations have astonishingly secured 100 per cent in MH–CET. This is clearly suspicious and needs to be proved through a high-level inquiry, and strict punishment must be handed out to those responsible, said Sawant.
Speaking to the media at Tilak Bhavan regarding the alleged irregularities in the MH–CET examination, Sawant stated that the syllabus for this examination is based on Classes XI and XII, yet 22 students who had scored barely passing marks in Class X and XII examinations managed to secure 100 per cent in MH–CET. One student who scored only 37 per cent in Class X secured 99.971 per cent in MH–CET. Two students who scored only 51 per cent in Class XII obtained 100 per cent in MH–CET, while students with 45 per cent, 39 per cent, and even 35 marks in Class XII also secured 100 per cent.
Among students who scored a perfect 100 percentile in MHT-CET Mathematics and secured ranks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17 and 18, the average score in HSC Mathematics stood at just 64.3 per cent. Out of these ten top-ranked students in the state, six had scored even below this average — their HSC Mathematics marks being 60, 54, 53, 53, 40, and 35 respectively. Six students among the Top 20 CET rankers had scored below 60 per cent in the HSC board examination. Rank holders 1, 2, 5, 12, 15, and 18 — all of whom secured CET percentiles of 99.99 or above — had scored less than 60 per cent in HSC PCM subjects.
According to Sawant, one topper secured 100 percentile in CET Mathematics despite obtaining only 39 per cent aggregate marks in PCM in the board examination. Ten students in the Top 20 achieved a perfect 100 percentile in CET Mathematics, but their HSC Mathematics marks ranged from 35 to 97 — a staggering difference of 62 marks. One student secured 100 percentile in CET Mathematics while scoring only 35 marks in HSC Mathematics, indicating a gap of 65 marks. Another student with only 39 per cent in HSC PCM still found a place among the state’s Top 20 rankers.
The data of Rank 66 also raises serious concerns. This student had scored only 22 marks in Mathematics in Class X and 33 marks in Class XII — effectively failing in Mathematics — with an overall PCM percentage of 47.67 per cent, secured 99.971 percentile in CET. Despite obtaining exceptionally high percentile scores in CET, the corresponding performance in board examinations is completely inconsistent. Such examples clearly expose major discrepancies between the CET and HSC evaluation systems.
Sawant demanded that Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil must explain how such a “miracle” occurred. He must also clarify who exactly controls these examinations and what connection a person named Joshi has with the examination process, Sawant added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers lengthy speeches every year through “Pariksha Pe Charcha,” but during his tenure, examination scams like Vyapam have continued to flourish, which is extremely alarming. Most of these examination irregularities have surfaced in BJP-ruled states, and links between those involved in such scams and BJP leaders have repeatedly come to light.
Sawant had posted about the MH–CET irregularities on X, after which the examination cell claimed that the list circulated was unclear. The names of students in the list had been deliberately concealed to protect their identities. "I will once again submit a detailed list and letter to the MH–CET Commission, and they must provide a proper explanation. The same officials have reportedly been working in the MHCET examination cell for the last 8–10 years without transfers. Examinations such as NEET and MH–CET determine the future of students, and such scams must not be allowed to destroy the futures of lakhs of students, " Sawant said.
