Bombay HC Upholds Cancellation of BTech Admission in Pune Over Tampered Scorecard
The Bombay High Court has refused to grant relief to a student whose provisional admission to a B.Tech course at MHT-World Peace University in Pune was cancelled after authorities discovered discrepancies in his entrance exam scorecard.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Riyaz Chagla and Justice Farhan Dubash dismissed the petition filed by Shubham Vijay Mangire against the State of Maharashtra and the Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test Cell.
The court observed that the mark sheet submitted by the student to the university in Pune displayed a significantly higher percentile than the scorecard available on the official MHT-CET portal. Following the discovery, the Bench directed the MHT-CET Cell to conduct an inquiry and submit a detailed report.
According to the MHT-CET Cell's report, the scorecards submitted by the student were not generated by the examination authority and appeared to have been tampered with or fabricated. The documents provided by the student showed scores of 78.874707 and 73.5482364 across two attempts, whereas the actual records maintained by the CET Cell showed marks of 7.8474707 and 13.5482364.
The Bench highlighted that entrance examinations aimed at determining merit and allocating educational opportunities rely entirely on the integrity of the testing process and the authenticity of documents submitted by candidates. The court noted that any attempt to manipulate marks or percentiles undermines the core foundation of the admission system.
The judges observed that while competition for admission to professional courses can be intense and student anxiety understandable, the adoption of impermissible means cannot be countenanced under any circumstances, stating that no admission can justify manipulating an examination record.
The Bench clarified that its observations were strictly confined to assessing the authenticity of the scorecards and deciding the petitioner's eligibility for relief. The court added that its order should not be treated as a finding that the student had committed a criminal offence, nor should it preclude any criminal proceedings against him.
Stating that such practices in professional course admissions cannot be left unchecked, the court upheld the university's decision and dismissed the petition. Advocate Sandeep Pathak appeared for the petitioner, Advocates Sameer Khedekar and Mayuri Andhale represented the MHT-CET, and Assistant Government Pleader Savina Crasto appeared for the State.
