MUMBAI: Saturday morning was one of panic and anxiety for medical aspirants across Maharashtra after thousands of them found that they were not eligible to apply for MBBS admission this year.
In a major faux pas, the CET Cell had declared the age deadline for medical aspirants queuing up for admission as those born before December 2006. However, the actual year should be 2007, thus allowing 17-year-olds to apply too.Thousands of students who took the NEET-UG and had made the cut were suddenly disqualified because they did not meet the age criteria set by Maharashtra. Students were in a tizzy over this until the CET Cell corrected the situation by the afternoon.
“When I reached my niece’s house, she was so upset. She was lying on the floor and crying incessantly. Her score of 613 had come to naught as she did not meet the age criterion,” said Rafique Nasroddin Shaikh, a science teacher.
“The NEET controversy had already put aspirants through so much stress. This carelessness from the CET Cell once again put students through so much trauma. What if some student had committed suicide? We contacted higher authorities in the ministry and tweeted the CMO. Following this, there was uproar from many others, and the CET Cell corrected the situation later,” he added.
Counsellors said the CET Cell repeats this error every year and sets the system based on an older version of the brochure. “This happens every year. Last year, the deadline for the date of birth was first set at December 2005, while it should have been December 2006. After students wrote fervently to the CET Cell, officials there realised their error and set the situation right,” said Sachin Bangad, a counsellor.
Officials from the CET Cell said the error took place on Saturday because the brochure had mentioned the age criteria as December 2006 and the same was incorporated into the system. “So everyone who was born after December 31, 2006, was being disqualified. But after students contacted us, we set the system right from the backend. The registration is now on in full swing,” said an official.
In a major faux pas, the CET Cell had declared the age deadline for medical aspirants queuing up for admission as those born before December 2006. However, the actual year should be 2007, thus allowing 17-year-olds to apply too.Thousands of students who took the NEET-UG and had made the cut were suddenly disqualified because they did not meet the age criteria set by Maharashtra. Students were in a tizzy over this until the CET Cell corrected the situation by the afternoon.
“When I reached my niece’s house, she was so upset. She was lying on the floor and crying incessantly. Her score of 613 had come to naught as she did not meet the age criterion,” said Rafique Nasroddin Shaikh, a science teacher.
“The NEET controversy had already put aspirants through so much stress. This carelessness from the CET Cell once again put students through so much trauma. What if some student had committed suicide? We contacted higher authorities in the ministry and tweeted the CMO. Following this, there was uproar from many others, and the CET Cell corrected the situation later,” he added.
Counsellors said the CET Cell repeats this error every year and sets the system based on an older version of the brochure. “This happens every year. Last year, the deadline for the date of birth was first set at December 2005, while it should have been December 2006. After students wrote fervently to the CET Cell, officials there realised their error and set the situation right,” said Sachin Bangad, a counsellor.
Officials from the CET Cell said the error took place on Saturday because the brochure had mentioned the age criteria as December 2006 and the same was incorporated into the system. “So everyone who was born after December 31, 2006, was being disqualified. But after students contacted us, we set the system right from the backend. The registration is now on in full swing,” said an official.
