Rohit Pawar seeks forensic audit of MH-CET results, cites contract irregularities
NCP (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar on Tuesday, August 4, demanded a forensic audit of the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) 2026 results, alleging irregularities in the awarding of exam-related contracts and seeking disclosure of the formula used to calculate percentile scores.
Only 43 of the top 100 candidates in MH-CET 2026 had secured more than 85 per cent in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) in their Class 12 board examination, Pawar claimed at a press conference here.
He questioned the State CET Cell's method of calculating percentile scores, alleging that the formula remained undisclosed even under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. "We demand that the CET Cell make the percentile calculation formula public," Pawar said.
He said corruption in the examination system was adversely affecting lakhs of students and their families, who invest heavily in coaching and education in the hope of securing admission to professional courses.
Citing an analysis of CET results from 2020 to 2026, Pawar claimed there had been a decline in the number of top-ranked students who had scored above 85 per cent in PCM in the Class 12 board examination.
On the contracts issue, Pawar alleged that a company was awarded a government contract for conducting exams in 2011 despite another firm emerging as the lowest bidder in three rounds of the tender process. He charged that the tender conditions were modified thrice to make the company eligible.
He further alleged that the company had subcontracted the examination work to another firm, which he claimed had been blacklisted by the Jammu and Kashmir government and the Bureau of Indian Standards over examination-related irregularities.
According to Pawar, the company secured contracts across seven Maharashtra government departments through a cartel of related companies. He demanded an investigation into the tendering process.
The NCP (SP) leader called for a forensic audit of the MH-CET 2026 results and an academic correlation analysis of CET results from 2023 onwards.
He also sought a probe into the alleged role of coaching institutes, agents and intermediaries in manipulating admissions.
Pawar demanded that the CET be conducted offline using the OMR (Optical Mark Recognition)-based system, as was done earlier, alleging that several examination and recruitment processes had been marred by irregularities.
He also alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, including those conducted by the excise department and the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), and claimed that exam-related scams had taken place during the BJP's tenure.
(With inputs from PTI)
