Following the state government’s decision to not implement the 12% Maratha quota for this academic year, the school education department will restart the stalled first-year junior college (FYJC) admissions from Thursday. The second merit list, which was scheduled to be announced on September 10, will now be released on December 5. Late on Tuesday night, the state’s general administration department issued a government resolution stating that admissions in the state must restart with immediate effect in line with the Supreme Court’s interim order dated September 9, which had stayed the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) quota. FYJC admissions had been put on hold for nearly two and a half months.
School education department officials said they had reworked the seat matrix to add SEBC seats in the open category and will display a list of vacancies at 11am on Thursday. By evening, the portal will also open for students to make changes in their admission forms.
Students who have applied under the SEBC and not taken admission can choose a different category. According to the government resolution, while admissions completed before September 9 won’t be affected, students who applied under the quota but were not admitted as of that day will be given a seat under the open category. In Mumbai Metropolitan Region, of the 3,267 students who applied for FYJC under the quota, 57% have confirmed admissions.
As admissions were delayed, the education department is also allowing students who had cancelled admissions or rejected a seat in the college listed as their first preference to participate in the second merit list. Usually, these students must wait for the special merit list.
Parents and students were relieved as admissions are to resume. “While other students were studying online, it was difficult to get Class X passouts to study when they didn’t know what college they would be enrolled in. We hope the process is now completed smoothly,” said Nayan Doshi, a parent. A total of 2.1 lakh students have applied for FYJC through the centralised online admission process.
Junior colleges, though, are worried about the loss of academic time. A junior college head said, “At least two or more merit lists will be announced, which could take time. Students have already lost several months to the delay. We may begin classes after the second merit list admissions but it would be unfair to the other students.” Colleges are allowed to start classes after 75% of the seats are taken.
Courtesy: TOI
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