Eight rounds later, 800 still left without seats

MUMBAI: The last round of the first year junior college (FYJC) admissions that was concluded on September 29 may not be the end of the junior college admissions for the academic year 2018-19. After conducting eight rounds of admissions, close to 800 students have still been left without a seat in the colleges. Colleges on the other hand have to hold their semester examinations as every day, there are new admissions showing up.

Sources close to the state education department said that they might conduct one more round, as there are plenty of seats in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) colleges. For the last round, which was first-come, first-serve (FCFS) 3, approximately 60,000 seats were available for the students. According to department officials, nearly 40,000 to 55,000 seats are lying vacant in the MMR colleges. “We can go for another round any time because there are plenty of seats in the colleges which the students can take up if they haven’t got seats yet,” said a senior official.

However, there is no official confirmation from the department and they are said to announce it by the end of this week.

This year, apart from the four general rounds, the department conducted one special round and three rounds on a FCFS basis for the students. In addition to the open category and minority students, in the last round, the supplementary or ATKT students, too, were added in the admission process for them to secure a seat in the junior colleges.

Colleges, on the other hand, are holding their semester examinations, which should technically be conducted at the end of August and in October. “If we delay it any further, the examinations might clash with the Diwali vacations which are expected to begin in the first week of November. But we are helpless as almost every week, some student shows up and we have to give him or her extra lectures,” said a principal who did not wish to be named.