Bhubaneswar: Orissa Private Engineering Colleges' Association (OPECA) on Sunday conducted the Common Entrance Test (CET) as per schedule.

A total of 464 students out of 1200 who had earlier applied for the CET, sat for the exam to seek admissions into various engineering and MCA seats in the state today. Though, state government had declared the CET as 'invalid', OPECA claims to have conducted the test following the interim verdict of the honourable High Court. However, the students who appeared for the test and their guardians have said that the CET will be helpful for the students who failed to secure seat in the JEE.

On the other hand, the government since day one has been opposing the decision of OPECA to conduct the CET, which the former claims to be in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling in 2007 and Technical Educational policy.

The government has informed that all the seats in private and other technical institutes shall only be filled via JEE conducted by the policy planning body of the state industry department. However, OPECA maintains that it has got permission from the High Court on September 14 and October 15 to conduct the test.

As per an estimate, nearly 9,000 engineering and 2,000 MCA seats are lying vacant in mainly new private colleges.

Uncertainty still looms large over the fate of 464 students who appeared for the CET, as the government had earlier warned that neither BPUT nor the government would be responsible for the admissions sought on the basis of the OPECA test.