The Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has appointed 40 district liaison officers to support applicants and registered students across the state, the authority said. The move seeks to decentralise student services and reduce the need for applicants to travel to the CET Cell office in Mumbai to resolve routine queries.
The CET Cell emphasised that student helplines remain operational, but many pupils from rural districts and smaller towns have made long journeys to the New Excelsior Theatre office at Fort to seek assistance. The newly appointed officers will handle local, manageable concerns and provide faster responses on the ground.
MH-CET district liaison officers to operate in districts
Each district liaison officer will be responsible for answering questions about the syllabus, the application process and exam timetables. They will also provide guidance during the centralised admission process (CAP), helping students with technical issues such as fee payments, option registration and seat allotments.
Officials said the district network will also direct students to scholarships, counselling services and alternative programmes where relevant. By resolving queries locally, the CET Cell expects to reduce pressure on the Mumbai office and shorten resolution times for routine matters.
The push for district-level support follows a year in which a number of students travelled to the Mumbai-based CET Cell to raise concerns about alleged financial irregularities while enrolling in colleges. The CET Cell has tasked district officers with recording, tracking and storing such complaints so they can be examined and addressed without students having to travel long distances.
“While our student helpline is active, many pupils still make the long trip to the CET Cell office in Mumbai,” an official said. “The presence of these district liaison officers will help resolve manageable student concerns locally and swiftly.” The officers will serve as the first point of contact for local authorities, institutions and students during the admissions cycle.
The district officers are expected to liaise closely with college administrations and local education officials. That cooperation should make information about seat availability, document verification and counselling schedules more accessible at the district level, officials added.
For many applicants, particularly those from rural backgrounds, the costs and time involved in travelling to Mumbai can be a significant barrier. The CET Cell’s decision aims to improve equity in access to admissions support by bringing guidance and technical assistance closer to students’ homes.
Officials stressed that complex or escalated issues will still be referred to the central CET Cell in Mumbai, but routine queries and administrative tasks should now be resolvable within students’ own districts. The state authority plans to monitor the effectiveness of the district liaison officers and adjust the programme where necessary ahead of key admission rounds.
Parents and applicants are advised to contact their local district liaison officer for queries related to the MH-CET application, CAP process, fee transactions and scholarship information. The CET Cell said details of the officers and their contact points will be published on its official portal and circulated through local education desks.
By shifting routine support closer to applicants, the MH-CET Cell aims to streamline admissions, reduce unnecessary travel and improve the overall student experience during a critical stage of higher education entry in Maharashtra.
Key Takeaways:
- MH-CET district liaison officers will provide local support on applications, schedules and CAP processes.
- Officers aim to reduce long journeys to Mumbai by resolving routine queries and tracking complaints locally.
- Technical help with fee payments, option registration and scholarship information will be available across 40 districts.
