SC notice to Maharashtra govt on common law entrance test

New Delhi, Aug 29 (PTI) A plea challenging a Bombay HighCourt order backing the recently introduced common lawentrance test in Maharashtra led the Supreme Court to seek aresponse from the state government today. A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and R K Agrawalissued notice to the Devendra Fadnavis government and otherswhile seeking its reply within a week. The apex court was hearing a petition filed by a lawstudent, Kedar Warad, challenging July 5 order of Bombay HighCourt which said that "state was well within its powers toconduct a common entrance test for admissions to all lawcolleges, whether private, aided or unaided." While dismissing the plea filed by the student, the HighCourt had said the "manner in which the state government hadconducted the exams, left much to be desired", but this didnot mean the entire process leading up to the exam wasillegal. "The court would have been happier had the state notifiedthe students about the exam pattern, syllabus etc. well inadvance and thus granted them more time to prepare. But merelybecause the exam was not conducted in a manner suggested bythe petitioner, we can’t declare the common entrance test andthe entire process around it illegal, invalid, orunconstitutional," the High Court had said in its order. Maharashtra government had said that the common test hadbeen introduced through a notification under the MaharashtraUniversities Act and extended to both government and privateinstitutes through an "executive order". PTI MNL PKS SJK RKSARC