Even as Monday marked the first day of lectures for fresh students of five-year and three-year law courses in most city law colleges, the latter say the first-ever centralised admission process (CAP), carried out this year, has not only caused delay of several months in starting the academic year but has also created a host of problems for them. While admission figures have dropped by at least 25-30 per cent, the delay has also forced colleges to cancel leaves of faculty members and other staff in order to complete the syllabus in time. Law colleges complain there was little advance for the CAP and the schedule of admissions. “Every year, we see 100 per cent admissions to our 160 available seats. This year, until the end of Round 3, we have come close to only 110-115. It is shocking as our college is amongst the top law colleges and our seats are always in demand. The situation is similar for other law colleges in the city. The main reason for this, I believe, is delay in admissions,” said Sunita Adhav, principal of Modern Law College. Blaming the delay for fewer admissions in her college, principal Shubhada Gholap of Yeshwantrao Chavan Law College said that of their 300 seats which are filled every year, at least 50 are vacant this time. “There was a gap of six months between when Std 12th students got their results and appeared for law CET and the time when admissions took place. During this period, while students who were serious about law must have waited, those who were not so sure or wanted law only as an option decided to take admissions in other streams. For how many months will the students be able to handle the uncertainty? Besides, parents are also there to consider. We hope that next year, the admission calendar begins much sooner,” Adhav said. AT DES Law College too, principal Rohini Honap said only 65-70 per cent of their seats were filled after three CAP rounds. Her bigger worry now is completing the syllabus on time. “On one hand, we have fewer students. On the other hand, we have to force our faculty to work extra hours. We have decided to teach on Sundays as well to complete the 90-day academic calendar so we can hold first-semester exams in January. Usually, the first semester is held in October. As soon as this gets over, we will have to start classes to complete syllabus for exams in April. Not just students, but faculty too will have to go without leaves, but the situation cannot be helped,” said Honap.
