Maharashtra CET Cell forms social media task force, warns of legal action over fake exam news

The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has formed a social media monitoring task force and issued a circular on October 19, 2026, warning of legal action against individuals and accounts disseminating false or misleading information regarding entrance examinations and admission procedures. This initiative aims to curb confusion among students and parents, as well as protect the institution’s reputation, which has been affected by the circulation of inaccurate details on various social media platforms.

The newly established task force will specifically target misleading information concerning entrance exams, examination schedules, results, and the MHT CET Centralized Admission Process (CAP). This move comes amidst previous challenges faced by the Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) Cell, including cases of mark sheet tampering by medical aspirants in past years.

Monitoring and Enforcement Measures

The State CET Cell’s independent task force is mandated to monitor social media posts across major platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp. The monitoring efforts will focus on identifying fake exam news, misleading posts, and unauthorized claims. These unauthorized claims reportedly include services such as altering examination centers, increasing percentile scores, and providing other examination-related benefits.

The circular, published on October 19, 2026, explicitly states that legal action may be initiated against those found to be spreading false or misleading information. Students who encounter such claims are encouraged to report them to socialmedia.complaints@mahacet.org. Complaints must include supporting evidence, such as links to the concerned posts and screenshots, to support verification by the CET Cell before any further action is decided.

Action Against Specific False Claims

In a direct application of its new policy, the CET Cell has already issued a legal notice to the YouTube channel ‘Digital Master’ over a podcast that reportedly shared MHT CET 2027 exam dates, registration dates, and result dates. The CET Cell clarified that the MHT CET 2027 exam dates have not yet been officially announced. The YouTube channel has been directed to remove the video, issue a clarification, and submit a written explanation with supporting evidence. A copy of this notice was also sent to Google India’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai.

Previous Challenges and Legal Precedents

The Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test (MH-CET) Cell has previously encountered issues such as mark sheet tampering. Within two months of the NEET UG results in June 2025, at least five possible cases of mark sheet tampering were identified. Three of these cases involved mark sheets showing different results, with students claiming duplication. One notable instance involved a 19-year-old student from Beed district who claimed to have received two distinct mark sheets for NEET-UG, with scores of 502 and 30 out of 720. The National Testing Agency (NTA) confirmed that the student had scored low and the second mark sheet was doctored, rendering the student ineligible for MBBS and BDS admissions.

This development by the CET Cell also follows a significant legal precedent set by the Bombay High Court on September 20, 2024. The High Court declared the amended Information Technology (IT) Rules, which aimed to identify and control fake content on social media about the government, as unconstitutional and struck them down. Justice A S Chandurkar concluded that the impugned rules violated Articles 14 (right to equality), 19 (freedom of speech and expression), and 19(1)(g) (freedom and right to profession) of the Constitution. Justice Chandurkar specifically criticized the vagueness of terms like ‘fake, false and misleading’ used in the IT Amendment Rules, 2023, which were introduced in April 2023 to establish Fact-Check Units (FCUs).

Further reading

• MHT CET 2027 dates not announced yet, CET Cell warns against misleading social media posts
• NEET UG 2026: MCC warns against fake notice claiming percentile reduction
• Maharashtra drought: exam fees waived for over 82,000 Class 10, 12 students in Latur

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →