The Admission Regulating Authority (ARA), Mumbai, has issued an important notification dated 15 April, 2026 regarding the verification and submission of caste validity and reservation certificates for students admitted to professional undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the academic year 2025–26.
This notice applies to students belonging to the SEBC, OBC, SC, VJ, NT, and SBC categories, whose admissions are currently under scrutiny at the directorate level.
Caste Certificate Verification Mandatory for Reserved Category Admissions
As per the Government Resolution dated 26 August, 2025 and the corrigendum issued by the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department on 5 September 2025, students belonging to reserved categories were granted a six-month period from the date of application submission to submit their caste validity certificates.
This provision was introduced for students taking admission in the first year of professional degree and postgraduate degree courses.
Categories Covered Under the Notice
The circular specifically mentions the following categories:
- Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC)
- Other Backward Classes (OBC)
- Scheduled Castes (SC)
- Vimukta Jati (VJ)
- Nomadic Tribes (NT)
- Special Backward Class (SBC)
Admissions Kept Pending Due to Non-Upload of Certificates
The authority has stated that the directorate-level verification process is currently in progress.
However, it has been observed that in several cases, students have submitted the required certificates to their colleges, but the same have not been uploaded on the online portal by either the student or the institution.
Pending Admission Approval
Due to this, the approval and recognition of such admissions have been kept pending. The ARA has directed colleges and students to immediately upload all pending certificates on the official online portal.
All necessary action must be completed within the next 10 days.
Colleges Must Submit List of Students with Missing Certificates
The notice further instructs all colleges to prepare and submit a list of students whose certificates are still not received.
The list must be submitted category-wise and course-wise to the authority via email at: [email protected]
Final Word
This notice is highly important for colleges offering professional courses across Maharashtra, as failure to upload documents within the prescribed period may lead to further delays in admission confirmation and approval.
Students are advised to remain in touch with their respective college administration and ensure that all documents are uploaded without delay.
Source
Official notice by CET Cell, 15 April, 2026: click here to read.
Kindly note that any and all information is subject to change as per the CET Cell, Education Ministry, and Government of India.
