Common Entrance Test (CET):

Consequent upon the Supreme Court of India, the State Governments are conducting Common Entrance Tests (CET), mandatory to seek admissions to the higher education degree courses in all health sciences, engineering and pharmacy. The idea behind the Supreme Court ruling was to give a level playing field to students coming from different parts of the state to seek admissions for degree courses in the institutions of higher education. In the State of Maharashtra alone, to site an example, in the year 2008, there were 71,691 engineering seats and 3,685 medical seats were available to the students. Large number of students appeared for the CET. However over the years it is seen that CET is not serving its purpose.

The Tamil Nadu Government has already passed an order scrapping the CET in that state, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court and is pending a ruling. The Karnataka government too has initiated steps to scrap the CET

It should be noted that a similar entrance test, namely All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE), is also conducted at the national level and the students in large number appear for examination also.