‘FYJC admissions delayed to give chance to non-state board students’: Maharashtra Education director

Why was the FYJC centralised admissions process delayed this year?

Even as the centralised online admissions for the First Year Junior College (FYJC ) is still on, junior colleges (Classes 11 & 12) in Maharashtra have been told that they can start teaching students as majority of the seats have already been allotted. The delayed admission cycle this year (on account delayed Board results) have left thousands of students anxious about when their college life will finally begin.

Director of Education (Secondary and Higher Secondary) Mahesh Palkar, whose office conducts FYJC admissions, talks to Pallavi Smart on the delay, increase in the number of applicants this year and the overall process.

Many state universities, including Mumbai University, began degree admissions without waiting for the non-state board Class 12 results. Then why was the FYJC admission process kept on wait?

In all five cities – Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik and Amravati – where the centralised online admission process is conducted, the candidates from non-state boards applying for FYJC seats amount to 9-10 per cent of the total applications. Out of this, five per cent are from CBSE board. This is a considerable number of students. In order to offer an equal opportunity to all students, it was imperative to wait for the Class 10 results of non-state boards. Moreover, it cannot be compared with the degree-admissions as non-state board schools offering Class 12 are fewer in number than those offering Class 10. This leads to a greater number of non-state board students seeking admission to FYJC than those in degree courses. All the cities having the centralised online system for FYJC admissions form most part of urban Maharashtra having highest number of non-state board schools.

How many students have applied for FYJC this year and is there any change when compared to the number of applications in the last couple of years?

This year, a total of 4,52,121 candidates have confirmed their admission applications for the centralised online admission for FYJC in all five cities combined. This may increase finally as along with admission rounds, the application process is to continue. There is certainly a sharp increase in the number of applications from the past two years. Last year, a total of 4,10,853 candidates applied for the centralised online admission for FYJC, this was 4,27,264, a year before that.

What could be the reason for this increase in the number of FYJC applications for cities?

Past two years amid the pandemic, the admission preferences changed for most students and their parents. With academics going online, most preferred to take admission to junior colleges closer to their residences. This led to a reduction in the number of students applying for FYJC in cities, unlike old times when many aspiring candidates from peripheral and outskirt areas from these five cities would want to take a chance of learning in city colleges. Now with life mostly returning to normalcy, students from other parts of Maharashtra and their parents are willing to take this chance again.

When is junior college going to start?

The first round of the centralised online admission process, which includes the highest number of seat allotments, is already over in all five cities. Ideally, junior colleges can begin academics now. However, colleges have the liberty to decide on their preferred dates depending on the status of confirmed admissions recorded by them.