State top scores dip in management CET
top scores in Maharashtra’s Common Entrance Test (CET) for business management courses have dropped this year, with the topper scoring 145, 20 marks fewer than last year’s topper.
Mumbai boy Tigran Wadia is the only student who scored 145 this year, the next best is 140 from 200, scored by Rahul Rodge. There are only two girls in the top 11--Ria Mehta with 139 (fourth rank overall), and Medha Pandit with 136 score (11th rank).
Over 51% of candidates scored between zero and 50, and 49 scored a zero in the test. Experts blamed the poor performance on the tough question paper. “The paper was tough when compared to the previous year’s, especially the logic section. Many students had fumbled this time and that is showing in the results,” said Patrick D’souza, one of the 11 candidates who managed to score 99.99 percentile this year.
The number of applicants who registered for the Master in Business Administration (MBA) and Master in Management Studies (MMS) had reached over 94,000, for just 36,900 seats in 360 institutes across the state. Of these, 88,226 candidates had appeared for CET held across the country on March 4 and 5. The results ensure that except for the 49 students who scored a zero in the CET, everybody else is eligible for a management seat this year. While this is good news for applicants, experts in this field are not impressed.
“Students with 99.99 percentile have scored between 145 to 136. Last year, it was above 160 for the people with the top percentile,” said an official from a management institute.
For most students in the higher bracket, the fact that Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS) will conduct common admissions, means a direct entry to one of the most sought after management institute in the state. “I’m glad I’ve scored enough to make it to JBIMS,” said Gurudatta Kakde , 23, a resident of Nagpur.
Admissions to all management institutes will be conducted through a common process. Students can log on to www.dtemaharashtra.gov.in.