FYJC admns: All that went wrong

Mumbai: From introducing a ‘preference list’ to tweaking the procedure such that the students can’t secure admission in a college as a backup till they get admission in their preferred college, the first year junior college (FYJC) admissions have been an experiment dummy for the state education department this year.

Although on their part, they distributed a manual for the students to prepare for the online system and trained the teachers as well, little impact of it was seen on ground as the process unfolded. With the first two merit lists already out and two more in the pipeline, students still stand a chance to better their prospects by updating their preferences keeping in mind the cut-off percentages and the availability of seats.

The students mentioned on the third merit list, which would be released on July 29, will be able to take admission between July 31 and August 2. On August 6, the fourth merit list, which is the final one, would be released. The FYJC lectures are scheduled to begin on August 9.

After releasing each list, the School Education and Sports Department website displays the number of vacant and taken seats in every FYJC college in the city. Students can also check this information on the website of the college they wish to know about.

Despite the release of two merit lists, the students are still unsure about the pattern in which the process works. B.B. Chavan, deputy director of education, Mumbai region said, “Every round of admission is a new round. Some students think that the form filling process has to be done just once but it is a misconception.”

It is mandatory for the student to take admission if they are allotted a seat. Around 10,000 students in the Mumbai region misunderstood this step, which resulted in a blunder. However, these students will get another chance, as a special list will be declared after the fourth list to accommodate these students.