For MBA Admissions CMAT is Now An Option And Not Compulsion

The B-schools and management colleges need not compulsorily  adopt the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) for selecting eligible candidates to their college for MBA courses, as ordered by Delhi High court. Earlier, the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) mandated adoption of CMAT entrance exam in most B-schools. This ruling was given out by a Division Bench of Justice N.V. Ramana and Justice Manmohan of Delhi High court, while hearing an appeal aligned with the Single Bench order by the Federation of Association of Management of Unaided Professional Educational Institutions in India (FAMUEI).

The Bench also stated that MBA education is not considered as a technical education, which is why, the AICTE neither can take charge in MBA admissions nor monitor the process.

However, the Single Bench considering the same about MBA made the adoption of the CMAT exam optional for the State Governments run universities or other colleges, for allotting seats to eligible candidates for the course MBA.

Plaintiff, Romy Chacko, had disputed the Single Bench decision of making the CMAT entrance exam optional, saying in the judgement the Supreme Court in a judgment had firmly stated of MBA education not falling under technical education, thus, therefore, AICTE cannot hold its charge in MBA admissions and process.

Mr. Chacko argued and supported his side by drawing attention of the Bench to the requirement of putting a regulation for conducting entrance examination for admissions to the course before the Parliament, which in the case of CMAT was not done thereby CMAT have no legal value.

Upon hearing this argument of Mr. Chacko’s the Bench keeping aside the Single Bench order came upon the decision of AICTE having no authority to issue the impugned regulation as well as  the consequential notification.