The performance of students in Class 12 and the Common Entrance Test (CET) in Maharashtra will be considered equally while declaring the merit list for undergraduate professional and technical courses from the next academic year, state Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant has said.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday in Pune, where he held meetings with officials of various educational institutes, the minister said the new system will be introduced from the next academic year, which is 2023-24, and not this year.?

Currently, admissions to courses like engineering, law and others are based on the CET marks. Samant said under the new system, only CET marks will?not be considered for admissions to professional courses.

"Under the present system, students are focusing only on the CET. But, after a discussion with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, it has been decided that now equal weightage will be given to the CET marks and Class 12 marks. This will help students in building a good base with Class 12 studies," Samant said.

Samant also said that like the JEE system, there will an option of a second CET for students to score better, if they are not satisfied with their performance in the first CET. "The exam (second test) may be held soon after the first CET's results," he said.

(With PTI inputs)