Mumbai: A day after BJP Minister Nitesh Rane demanded a ban on the burqa in schools during exams, Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator Rais Shaikh on Thursday wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, urging them not to entertain such regressive demands, which target only the Muslim community and could deprive Muslim students of their education.

In his letter to Fadnavis, Shinde, Pawar and Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, Shaikh stated that for Muslims, wearing the burqa or headscarf is an act of worship. “The Preamble to the Constitution guarantees an individual’s liberty of faith and worship. Article 15 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion,” said Rais Shaikh, SP MLA.

Shaikh further argued that the demand to ban the burqa or headscarf in schools under the guise of exam regulations is nothing but an interference with religion. “This demand is unconstitutional and will not withstand any legal scrutiny. It targets the Muslim community at large, aiming to deprive minority students of their education. Entertaining such demands would only increase polarisation in the education sector,” Shaikh added.

Highlighting the government’s initiatives such as Ladki Bahin, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and women empowerment, Shaikh said, “While the government launches multiple initiatives to empower women, it now needs to walk the talk and not bow down to such hate-filled demands. This is an attempt to create an atmosphere of hate and fear.”

Shaikh further urged students and their parents not to panic and to focus on their studies for the upcoming exams. “This government will be responsible for jeopardising the careers of millions of students if it gives credence to such hate-filled demands,” he added.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Law Common Entrance Test (LLB CET) 2025 marking structure has undergone an important change. The total marks have now been reduced from 150 to 120 marks for both 3-year and 5-year law courses by the CET Cell, effective for the 2025-26 academic session, as part of the government amendment to the policy of State Common Entrance Examination.

Direct Link of the notice

The total marks for the exam are adjusted; the test time still remains 120 minutes. Nothing has been done to alter the syllabus and topic weightage. The same examination is taken online in English and Marathi languages.

3-year LLB CET 2025

For the 3-year LLB CET 2025, the examination pattern is divided into four major sections. Legal Aptitude and Legal Reasoning consist of 24 questions, and General Knowledge with Current Affairs carries 32 questions. The section of Logical and Analytical Reasoning consists of 24 questions, and that of English is 40. Each question has one mark; therefore, a total of 120 marks carry this examination pattern.

5-year LLB CET 2025

This 5-year LLB CET 2025 has a different distribution over five sections. It comprises 32 questions in Legal Aptitude and Legal Reasoning, 24 questions in General Knowledge with Current Affairs, and 32 questions in Logical and Analytical Reasoning.  The English section comprises 24 questions, while there is an additional Basic Mathematics section of 8 questions. Like the 3-year program, every question carries one mark, adding up to 120 marks.

Both modes have multiple-choice questions with options to choose between four. Negative marking is absent for wrong attempts. The length of the exam remains two hours, and this is an online test.

For this, students should change their strategy of preparing. For up-to-date details and notifications from the examination centre, candidates may log on regularly to the website of CET.

Mumbai, January 21: The Minority Research and Training Institute (MARTI), established for the social, economic and educational upliftment of the minority community, has not yet got a director even after six months. The process of creation of the post is pending due to the absence of a high-level committee meeting, and the institute’s fund of Rs 6.25 crore has been lying unused for the last five months.

Samajwadi Party MLA Raees Sheikh has written a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Minority Minister Dattatreya Bharane on January 20, demanding immediate intervention in the matter.

Establishment and status of MARTI Institute

Marti Institute was established in August 2024 with the aim of studying the backwardness of the minority community and providing free training to students for examinations like UPSC, MPSC, JEE and NEET. 10 posts were created for this institute, established on the lines of institutions like BARTI, Amrit, Mahajyoti and Sarathi.

However, the sanctioned fund of Rs 6.25 crore has not been utilised yet as the director of the institute has not been appointed. It was proposed to give the charge of director to the District Collector of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, but the Chief Secretary rejected the proposal citing elections.

MLA Raees Sheikh’s displeasure

Expressing displeasure over this, MLA Raees Sheikh said, “It has been six months since the establishment of the institute, but its functioning is completely stalled. Other autonomous bodies have started their training programs for exams like UPSC, MPSC, JEE and NEET, but the Marti Institute is still inactive.”

Students are suffering losses

MLA Shaikh said that most of the students from the minority community come from ordinary families and cannot afford expensive private coaching classes. In such a situation, due to the stalling of the institute’s functioning, the students are suffering academic and career related losses.

Immediate demands raised

MLA Raees Sheikh has made the following demands in his letter:

1. The functioning of the Marti Institute should be given immediate administrative impetus.
2. The creation of the sanctioned 10 posts should be approved and the process should be completed.
3. An IAS officer should be immediately appointed to the post of director of the institute.
4. Additional funds of at least Rs 15 crore should be sanctioned for the training programs of students.

MLA Sheikh warned that if the process of the institute is not improved soon, there could be massive loss of students.