ORDER

1. HAVING HEARD THE LEARNED COUNSEL FOR THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA (RESPONDENT 1), DIRECTORATE OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION (RESPONDENT 2), ALL-INDIA COUNCIL FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION (AICTE) (RESPONDENT 3) AND ASSOCIATION OF MANAGEMENT OF UNAIDED PRIVATE ENGINEERING COLLEGES OF MAHARASHTRA AND ON PERUSAL OF THE RECORDS, INCLUDING THE AFFIDAVIT FILED ON 4-1-2005 ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA, WE PERMIT THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA TO CONDUCT THE COMMON ENTRANCE TEST (CET) IN RESPECT OF DEGREE ENGINEERING COURSES FOR THREE SUBJECTS I.E. MATHEMATICS (100 MARKS), PHYSICS (50 MARKS) AND CHEMISTRY (50 MARKS), TOTALLING 200 MARKS. WE ALSO PERMIT THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE FOR ELIGIBILITY TO THE AFORESAID COURSES ON SECURING AT LEAST FIFTY PER CENT AGGREGATE MARKS FOR THE GENERAL CATEGORY AND FORTY-FIVE PER CENT AGGREGATE MARKS FOR THE RESERVED CATEGORY IN THE AFORESAID THREE SUBJECTS.

2. THE THIRD RESPONDENT AICTE, BY PUBLIC NOTICE DATED 16-2-2004, AMENDED THE EXISTING NORMS FOR ADMISSION TO VARIOUS COURSES, INCLUDING THE DEGREE ENGINEERING COURSE, WITH WHICH WE ARE CONCERNED. THE SAID PUBLIC NOTICE, INTER ALIA, PROVIDES, AS MINIMUM QUALIFICATION, THAT A CANDIDATE SHOULD HAVE PASSED 1