With Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) for business schools to be held on February 27, students with domicile certificates have better prospects getting into the best colleges. Confusion and chaos makes getting this certificate a harrowing experience

It is that time of the year when business school (also known as B-school) aspirants will be giving it their best shot to get into their dream colleges.


Students preparing for CET exams

In most cases, the coveted seats can assure them a job and a bright future. But only hard work and burning the midnight oil is not enough to get them into reputed colleges.

From this year, students in Maharashtra, armed with a domicile certificate, will stand a better chance of getting into various B-schools in the state.

The MH-CET, conducted by the Department of Technical Education (DTE) is an entrance examination to get admission into various B-schools in the state.

The test will be held on February 27 at various centres in the state. Last year, the DTE had made it compulsory for students of Maharashtra to submit their domicile certificates for preference at admission time.

This mandate by the DTE had caused inconvenience to many students. Students complained that they did not have enough time to get domicile certificates made. Finally, the DTE gave in to their demand.

But this year domicile certificates are a must. "Last year, in December we had declared that domicile certificates would be compulsory for admission. Students had complained that they had very little time to arrange for the certificates.

We withdrew our decision, but this year we have given them enough time to arrange for their certificates," says Dr SK Mahajan, Director, DTE. "This year we will consider certificates issued only by the tehsildars (revenue administrative officers) valid. Hence it is their job to thoroughly check the documents," says Mahajan.
Complaints

Like many B-school aspirants, Pranoti Manikeri is determined to get 99.9 percentile at the MH-CET examinations. But exams are not the only thing on her mind right now; Manikeri is also worried about her domicile certificate. Manikeri (21), a final year pharmacy student, was born and raised in Mumbai.

And yet she was refused a domicile certificate, as her father did not have one. Says Manikeri, "When I went to submit the form, I was first asked to get my father's domicile certificate. My father doesn't have one.

So through our family lawyer, my dad will first get a domicile certificate and then only I will be eligible for it." Obtaining a domicile certificate is not easy.

Confusion prevails in tehsildars' offices. That's why Namrata Patil (21) has decided to apply for the certificate through her lawyer.
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"Since there are so many documents, I will get the domicile certificate done through my family lawyer." Students complain that there is no clarity over domicile rules, even amongst government officials.
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Anupa Nadkarni (22) who will also be writing the MH-CET says, "I have heard that people are made to run around a lot. So I will get it done through a lawyer."u00a0 "I was told that rules for those who were born and brought up in the state are different from those who migrated to the state.

And these rules are not clear," says Rina Vinayak Joglekar, a working professional. Joglekar , who studied in Mumbai, finally abandoned the idea of getting a domicile certificate as she says, "the process is too cumbersome and confusing."

Hiren Agola (20), a final year B.Com student and Rohan Kumar Salekar, a B-school aspirant, have run out of patience.

They say they have given up on it now. "I was told that the forms are not available. First I was told to come after three days, then I was told to come after five days, then 10 days and now I have been asked to come after 15 days.
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I have been going to the tehsildar's office at Borivli for weeks now," says Agola, who will be writing the MH-CET exams this year.

Middlemen

Many who find the whole procedure a Herculean task, resort to taking help from middlemen. Says Dinesh Kumar Singh, who was born in Uttar Pradesh but has been living in the city since 1993, "I was harassed so much by the officials that I approached a dalal (tout) to get my domicile certificate.

He demanded Rs 1,500." Singh didn't use his services as he considered getting a domicile certificate his 'right'. "I had applied for the domicile certificate last September.

I finally got it in December. It took me more than three months to obtain it. Every week, I would go and ask the officers to consider my request. I had all my documents too but they wouldn't accept it because I was born some where else."

Singh who needed the certificate to apply for the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) flats would go to the tehsildar's office in Borivli thrice every week to submit his form along with the documents.

Laments Singh, "They would ask me to go from one counter to another. I was even asked to pay Rs 200-Rs 300 to the officials to get the certificate, which I did not."

Singh says that he is so traumatised by this experience that he doesn't want to go anywhere near the tehsildar's office in Borivli. "I prefer to take a different route. I get depressed even when I think of passing by the tehsildar's office," he says.