Hundreds of PhD holders boycotted the common entrance test for research fellowships in Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, alleging a question paper leak, which the Savitribai Phule Pune University denies. The research fellowships are awarded by BARTI, SARTHI, and MahaJyoti under the Maharashtra government. Students claim that unsealed question paper sets indicate a leak. They argue that PhD holders, already SET and NET qualified, shouldn't have to undergo CET for research fellowships. The SPPU refutes allegations, citing changes in printing format and adherence to security norms.