The fate of Maharashtra Health and Technology Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET) remains uncertain as the three-month deadline given to the study panel ended in May and they are yet to arrive at a conclusion. The state government had formed a committee in February to explore the possibility of doing away with MHT-CET.

"We have not decided anything on the fate of MHT-CET as the committee is still exploring the possibility of doing away with the entrance test," said Vasudeo Tayde, director of Medical Education and Research who is also a member of the committee.

Other than submitting the viability report, the panel that also includes chairperson of Maharashtra state board for secondary and higher secondary education, representative of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences and secretary to the state department for law, has been asked to suggest an alternative for CET.

The government's reasoning behind appointing the panel is the declining importance of class XII, spurt in private coaching classes for CET and burden on students with extra examination. However, the government is facing legal hurdles considering that the CET is being held as per the Supreme Court ruling and doing away with it will mean contempt of court.

Students, school and college principals had unanimously welcomed this move and suggested that the government must rather improve the HSC standards by having a stricter evaluation system.

While the Tamil Nadu government has already passed an order scrapping the CET in that state, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court, Karnataka government too has initiated steps to do the same.