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Starting academic year 2025-26, admissions to First-Year Junior Colleges (FYJC) across Maharashtra will be conducted through the centralised online system. Until now, the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for FYJC was limited to Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune-Pimpri Chinchwad, Nagpur, Nashik and Amravati. However, it will now be extended to junior colleges across the entire state, aiming to make the admission process more transparent and accessible.
The announcement was made through a Government Resolution (GR) issued on Saturday. The state government’s goal is to provide a transparent, efficient and hassle-free admission process for students, regardless of their location. However, concerns have already been raised by parents and activists, who fear potential delays and the possibility of malpractices in the admission process. The lack of detailed guidelines on how the system will be implemented across the state has only added to their anxiety.
Under the new system, the online CAP will function similar to the current system in the five regions. However, the GR introduces a new feature called ‘Open-To-All’, after four rounds of admissions. “Under this, after the four regular rounds of admissions, vacant seats in colleges will be displayed online for students to apply immediately within a specified time frame. If more students apply than available seats, a merit-based allotment will be conducted. If fewer students apply, all applicants will be granted admission,” explained an official from the school education department while adding that a more detailed guide for FYJC admissions in the state will be released to address any ambiguity.
Parents are, however, sceptical about the changes and extension of the online process to the entire state. “Even in the five regions where the system has been in place for over a decade, there are always problems. Implementing it across the entire state at once could cause technical issues, leading to delays in the admission process,” a parent said.
Vaishali Bafana, chairperson of the Pune-based System Corrective Movement (SYSCOM), which has long advocated for reforms in the FYJC admission system, shared more concerns apart from potential delays.
Questioning the lack of clarity on how the government plans to prevent admission frauds and other issues, she said, “The GR mentions the ‘Open-to-All’ admission round after four rounds, but how will the government ensure that no fraudulent admissions occur during this phase?”
Bafana cited the example of Aurangabad, which was initially included in the online system of FYJC admissions but was allowed to exit after local colleges cited issues of vacancies. “If such an opt out option will continue, then what’s the point of extending it statewide,” she asked.
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