With the completion of the special merit round-1 for First Year Junior College (FYJC) admission, junior colleges said seats are filled and they are ready to start the academic year with regular online lectures. Around 59,322 students were allotted seats in the special round-1 in comparison to 45,402 students who were allotted seats in the third general merit round in the Mumbai region.
The number of students who were allotted seats increased because students under the Maratha quota or Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category were allowed to apply for 10% seat reservation under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category. In addition, new students could submit their application forms in this round along with those who were left behind in the admission process without any seat allotment.
A senior officer of the state School Education Department said, "We witnessed a large number of applications because many students withdrew their admission under the general category and applied under the EWS category in a college of their preference. This shift in securing admission has led to seats getting filled in some junior colleges while creating a vacancy of seats in other colleges."
Junior colleges said seats are almost full and less than 5% seats are vacant. Neha Jagtiani, in-charge principal of RD National College, Bandra (West), said, "We have few seats left in FYJC Science stream. We have been witnessing the shift in choices made by students in the past few years. Also, we have less than five per cent vacant seats in FYJC Arts and Commerce stream."
Further, junior colleges are waiting to begin the academic year by starting regular online lectures. Neena Kothiyan, a teacher at a South Mumbai junior college said, "Some students confirmed their admissions in the first general merit list four months ago in September. Since then, students have been waiting for the start of the academic year. Now that less than 5% seats are yet to be filled, we can begin regular online lectures and start the academic year."
