MUMBAI, Sept. 3 -- The State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has introduced new measures to make institute-level admissions for technical education courses more transparent and prevent malpractices. For the first time ever, the admission process at select private colleges will be monitored by observers while important stages of the process will be recorded on video. The Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for technical education courses for 2026-27 is currently underway. Institute-level admission rounds will be conducted after the CAP rounds are completed. The CET Cell has directed colleges to follow the admission rules strictly while filling seats under the institutional quota and seats that remain vacant after the CAP rounds, emphasising that these seats, also called A-CAP seats, must be given to students strictly according to the merit list. Colleges will have to publish the admission rules, procedure and other important information on their websites. After receiving applications, colleges will have to prepare category-wise merit lists. These lists will be prepared using applications received directly from students and the list of candidates provided by the CET Cell. It is mandatory for the merit list to be displayed on the college notice board and website. The CET Cell has also ordered colleges to maintain daily records of students, parents and relatives present during the admission process, and send daily admission reports to the CET Cell or the Admission Regulating Authority. To increase monitoring, principals, directors or senior professors from nearby government colleges will be appointed as observers at select private colleges to oversee document verification, merit list preparation, fee payment and seat allotment. In addition, document verification and the room where seats are allotted must be covered by CCTV cameras. Colleges will have to preserve the video recordings and provide them if required for inspection, audit or to resolve complaints. Kalpesh Yadav, Joint Secretary, Yuva Sena (UBT), said the CET Cell's move was a welcome one. "This is following our representation regarding transparency in institutional-level and management quota admissions," he said. "However, merely issuing a circular means nothing; it is essential to verify whether it is being implemented." Yadav further stated that the directorate of technical education also needed to pay serious attention to this matter and conduct physical inspections of the colleges to verify whether information regarding available seats, fees, and the admission process was being made available to students....