Pune: A group of teachers has alleged that private consultancies are offering to manage Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT-CET) examination centres and secure admissions to reputed engineering institutes in exchange for large sums of money, after a sting operation recorded a Pune-based consultancy allegedly quoting Rs 23.5 lakh for admission to COEP or VJTI.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

According to the teachers, Professor Narayan Shingare conducted the sting on October 28 and 29, posing as the parent of a student seeking engineering admission, at Xpertise Education Private Limited in Kasarwadi, Pune. Shingare alleged that a woman at the consultancy, identified as Krisha, initially quoted Rs 25 lakh, negotiated it down to Rs 23.5 lakh, and sought an advance of Rs 2 lakh. He submitted a complaint to the Crime Branch on November 2. These are allegations made by the teachers; the consultancy's response was not reported.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

Professor Vivek Doke, who was part of the group, alleged that the consultancy also claimed admissions could be arranged at BITS Pilani for around Rs 35 lakh, and that such consultancies charged around Rs 15 lakh last year. Shingare estimated that around 1,750 admissions may have been managed through such consultancies in 2026, with alleged collections of around Rs 400 crore. Both figures are the teachers' estimates, not official findings.

The allegations widened on November 3, when NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged corruption of Rs 2,300 crore in the conduct of CET exams and centralised admissions, claimed that a private firm, EduSpark, and its sister concerns secured government contracts through rigged tendering, and demanded the resignations of Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil and CET Commissioner Dilip Sardesai, a judicial inquiry, a forensic audit of the contracts, and state protection for the teachers behind the sting. Pawar said no FIR had been registered despite documentary evidence submitted to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate.

Source: IANS via hi INDiA

Responding, CET Cell Commissioner Dilip Sardesai said a task force has been formed to examine the sting videos and claims, and that those holding recordings have been asked to submit them for verification. He said the CET Cell had submitted documentary evidence and a detailed written response on the tender-related allegations to Pawar in September and to the government, and confirmed that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is already in place to investigate broader allegations of MHT-CET score manipulation.

Source: Shiksha

Pawar also played an audio clip at his briefing which he alleged featured a ruling-party MLA referring to irregularities; the authenticity and context of the clip could not be independently established, Mumbai Mirror reported. What happens next depends on the task force's examination of the sting material, the SIT probe, and whether police register an FIR on the teachers' complaint.