To streamline and regulate admissions in professional courses, the government has made common entrance test (CET) mandatory for all institutions in the state from the ensuing academic session.
As per the notification issued in this regard, the state-level Common Entrance Examination for 2013-14 session for admissions to MTech, MCA, MBA, MPharma and BPharmacy course will be conducted by Himachal Pradesh Technical University. However, from the 2014-15 academic session national-level entrance tests like GATE, CPAT and CMAT will be adopted for admissions. Admissions to engineering and medical courses are already being carried out on the basis of CETs. With this decision, now all private universities in the state will have to abide by the new guidelines.
Under the Himachal Pradesh Private Technical and Vocational Educational Institutions (Regulation of Admissions and Fixation of Fee) Act, 2008, CET is mandatory for admissions, but it was not enforced by the previous government. Some private universities were conducting their own tests. However, irregularities were found in the admission procedure and to streamline admissions and ensure academic standards, the State Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission ensuring strict regulations in admission process.
