India, Oct. 16 -- Admissions to undergraduate professional courses such as Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) and Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) in Maharashtra have been badly delayed this year, leaving a staggering 68,249 seats vacant - around 65% in the state, including 52% in Mumbai. Of the total 1,05,061 seats in the state, only 36,812 students have registered so far - nearly eight months after the Class 12 results were announced.

According to education experts, the delay was mainly due to a decision taken by the state higher and technical education department to conduct the Common Entrance Test (CET) for these courses twice this year. Although aimed at accommodating students' dem...