Mumbai: A month after the results of the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board exam results were announced, the first merit list for the First Year Junior College (FYJC) admission is yet to be declared. Junior Colleges are irked, as the process, which was supposed to be over in the first week of August, has now been extended to mid August.
The students have been filling online forms (part 1 and 2) as Thursday was the last day for submissions. This extension has come as the state initiated a 16 per cent reservation of seats for the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC) and 10 per cent for the economically weaker section (EWS). Due to the extension, the process will end on August 14 after which the first come, first serve (FCFS) admission rounds will be conducted based on availability of seats.
Kanika Roya, a teacher, said, “When are we supposed to begin our academic classes if admissions go on till mid August? How will we complete our syllabus as first semester exams will be held before the Diwali.” Replying to this, the state education dept claimed colleges can begin their academic classes once 75 per cent seats are filled. A senior department officer said, “Colleges can start their academic classes once 70-75 per cent seats are filled. They don’t have to wait for the entire admission process to be completed. There will be no delay if colleges begin their classes on time.”
College authorities claim the extension will affect daily classes, as the students are being allotted seats continuously. The principal of a college at Vile Parle, said, “Even if we start our classes, the academic syllabus will be hampered, as students will be admitted throughout August. We cannot help students if they miss the syllabus due to late admission.”
Till now, around 1.85 lakh students have applied for the FYJC admission, of which, more than 1.68 lakh students are from the SSC board. This year, there are over 3.19 lakhs seats in junior colleges in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The first merit list will be declared at 6 pm on July 12.