Maharashtra CET Cell To Kick Off Delayed Pharmacy Admissions from Sept 24

The Centralised Admission Process (CAP) will be conducted in four rounds with new rules introduced this year. Candidates will have two options — Freeze, if satisfied with the allotted seat, or Betterment, if aiming for a higher preference in subsequent rounds. Additionally, the auto-freeze mechanism has been brought in: in Round 1, if a student is allotted their first preference, the seat is automatically frozen; in Round 2, auto-freeze applies if the allotment is within the top three preferences; and in Round 3, it extends to the top six preferences.

The delay in admissions has once again sparked concern among educators. Manjiri Gharat, Principal of K.M. Kundnani Pharmacy Polytechnic, Ulhasnagar, pointed out that repeated postponements over the past four years have forced both teachers and students to rush through the syllabus, adding to academic stress. Last year too, of the 48,051 pharmacy seats available in the state, only 31,827 were filled, leaving over 16,000 seats vacant.

According to a recent media report in the Hindustan Times, experts warn that such delays and vacancies could drive students to explore other fields, posing a long-term challenge for pharmacy education in Maharashtra.