Mumbai, June 6 -- In a major reform aimed at making engineering education more accessible and transparent, the Maharashtra government on Thursday announced the addition of a fourth round to the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for engineering degree courses, starting from the upcoming academic year. The move is expected to reduce the pressure on students to opt for costly private or management quota seats due to limited CAP rounds in the past. With this additional round, students will now have a greater opportunity to secure seats through the government's centralised system, which also makes them eligible for scholarship benefits. Announcing the changes, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said on Thursday, "Just like in the polytechnic admission process, we aim to bring 70-80% of engineering admissions under CAP. This ensures greater equity and access to government-backed benefits for students." Vinod Mohitkar, director of the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), explained the revised guidelines for CAP seat acceptance. "If a student receives a seat in their first-preference college in Round 1, they must confirm it immediately. In Round 2, admission is mandatory if allotted a seat within the top three preferences. Similarly, in Round 3, a seat from any of the top six choices must be accepted. These rules are designed to prevent high-ranking students from blocking multiple seats and to ensure a more efficient and streamlined allocation process," he said. In addition to the CAP reform, the state government is set to permit colleges to charge significantly higher fees for non-CAP admissions. Management quota seats may cost up to three times the standard tuition, while NRI quota seats can command up to five times the regular fee. "We are also working on stricter enforcement of NRI quota regulations under the Income Tax Act and the Guardians and Wards Act to ensure only genuine candidates benefit," Patil added. The government will now require colleges to conduct institutional quota and leftover seat admissions entirely online. Colleges must publish the list of eligible candidates, merit rankings, and detailed admission schedules on their websites. This measure is expected to enhance transparency and enable students to make more informed decisions. Moreover, Patil said that the Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has been directed to allow students to opt for management quota seats during the form-filling process itself. These applications will then be forwarded to the respective college administrations, who must make decisions based strictly on merit....