With the completion of the final round for First Year Junior College (FYJC) online admission, junior colleges have demanded the state school education department to provide direction regarding the start of the academic year 2020-21 and the conduct of semester examinations. Junior colleges said the academic year for FYJC which was supposed to begin in August-September 2020 has been delayed and has not yet started completely.
The final round on first-come, first-served (FCFS) basis for admission to FYJC was completed on March 26, 2021. This was the last chance for students to secure admission who were yet to confirm admissions for FYJC.
Junior colleges said the delay in the academic cycle will adversely affect both students and teachers. Usha Soni, a junior college teacher said, "We generally begin classes for FYJC from September and end the academic year by March. But this year, it is already March and the FYJC admission process is still going on. When are we supposed to complete the syllabus?"
The FYJC online admission process was delayed because of the reservation matter for the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) or the Maratha quota being heard in the court. Also, restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic added to the delay.
Shubhankar Jagtap, a senior teacher said, "The entire academic year has been wasted because of the adamant attitude of the state government to enforce a Maratha quota reservation in FYJC admission. The FYJC admission process was suspended for almost three months as the matter was being dragged in court finally, to no avail."