Mumbai: Coming as a major relief for students aspiring to take admission in the first year of engineering, pharmacy, architecture, hotel management and catering courses, the Supreme Court has directed the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) to extend the admission date up to August 31. Following the court’s order the DTE, Maharashtra extended the cut-off date till August 31.

The admission process for the above courses was to end by August 10 but the applicant pleaded that as HSC re-exam results were to be declared on August 22, the students passing the same should have an opportunity to seek admission in the above courses, thus saving a year.

Speaking about the miscellaneous applications filed in the SC, a DTE official said that while the entire admission process for the four streams was to end by August 10, it had received numerous representations from the students and their parents to accommodate them and safeguard their interests too. These were students who had attempted the HSC supplementary exams held in July and August and were expecting a favourable result.

“As the dates for completing admission process had been announced previously, DTE needed permission to extend the dates and hence the application was filed in the apex court,” said the DTE official. The division bench of Supreme Court headed by Justice S.A. Bobde heard the application.