Pune: Former senate members of Savitribai Phule Pune University on Tuesday accused the state CET cell of awarding contracts worth Rs 699 crore between 2021 and 2025 to a cluster of interconnected IT firms, allegedly through a tender cartel. The state CET cell commissioner, however, dubbed the claims baseless, saying all contracts were awarded as per prescribed norms.Dhananjay Kulkarni and Shashank Mahajan, the former senate members, alleged that six firms belonging to the same group repeatedly secured crucial contracts related to CET exam operations, covering services like conducting exams, organising mock tests, setting up test centres, training manpower and managing the Centralised Admission Process (CAP).Kulkarni also alleged that firms from the same group were presented as rival bidders to create a false impression of competition, while tender eligibility criteria were allegedly framed to exclude other potential bidders. “This amounts to a tender cartel. All contracts awarded to these firms should be cancelled immediately and a detailed probe into transactions from 2021 to 2025 must be conducted. Criminal action should be taken against those responsible and the firms should be blacklisted,” he said.In an official statement, state CET cell commissioner Dilip Sardesai said, “A prescribed tender process was followed for conducting entrance examinations for professional courses, declaring results and carrying out the admission process. The work was awarded to firms selected through this process.”Kulkarni further stated that complaints had been raised earlier, including twice in 2023, but no action was taken. According to him, a fresh complaint supported by evidence has now been submitted to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.This year, the CET cell is conducting entrance examinations for 17 professional courses, scheduled between March 24 and May 16. Results will be declared on schedule, and admissions will be completed within the stipulated timelines, the statement stated.For certain courses, admission schedules are guided by national regulatory bodies like the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). Sardesai reiterated that admissions were conducted strictly as per their guidelines.
