Disgruntled CAT candidates to move Delhi HC

Students unhappy with their scores in the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2009 have decided to file an appeal before the Delhi High Court. The move comes at a time when over 150 B-schools, including the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), are preparing to close their admissions for the academic year 2010-12.

The appeal would be filed against the IIMs, the testing agency, Prometric and the ministry of human resource development, a student told Business Standard on condition of anonymity.

A similar plea demanding a stay on the CAT 2009 examinations was turned down by the High Court last week. Delhi-based law firm Desai and Diwanji is representing the students in the case.

 

“There were around 40,000 students who were affected by the way CAT 2009 was managed. But, only 10,000 students were allowed to re-appear for the exams,” the student said.

Although 241,000 registered for CAT 2009, 217,000 students could take the test. The examinations, slated from November 28 to December 7, were extended for a day. Later, 10,000 students, who could not take the test due to technical glitches, were allowed to sit for the exams on January 30-31, 2010.

The exam was conducted at 361 testing labs at 104 locations across 32 cities in India. To secure 17,000 computer facilities, the existing network of computers within the colleges selected, as testing centres were utilised.

“Our issue largely revolves around the lack of transparency in the markings and lack of access to details on the test papers. We did file right to information applications as well, but to no avail. Prometric has been giving everyone a standard computerised answer,” said another student.

The students have launched a website, www.protestagainstcat2009.org, to garner support from future CAT students and parents. “We are revamping the website and plan to have support from around 500 students, so that our case becomes stronger and we can represent it better,” he said.

Earlier, in January this year, a CAT candidate filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court, asking for the cancellation of online CAT 2009 and re-introduce the written format. The case is still pending in the Karnataka High Court.