Parents’ association flags concerns over FYJC admission reforms

Maharashtra parents’ group calls for audits and reforms in FYJC admissions amid concerns over new online system and past malpractices.

MUMBAI: Two days after the state government announced that admissions to First-Year Junior Colleges (FYJC) across Maharashtra will be conducted through a centralised online system starting from the 2025-26 academic year, a parents’ association from Pune has raised serious concerns over potential malpractices in the revamped process.

Parents’ association flags concerns over FYJC admission reforms

In a letter to the school education commissioner, the association has called for a thorough audit of past admissions and the implementation of recommendations from a 2017 KPMG audit report, an independent auditor, which had highlighted significant lapses in the existing system. They insist that these measures be undertaken before finalising the new admission procedure.

The state government’s announcement on Saturday marked an expansion of the Centralised Admission Process (CAP), which was previously limited to Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune-Pimpri Chinchwad, Nagpur, Nashik, and Amravati. The move aims to streamline and enhance transparency in admissions across Maharashtra. However, the Pune-based organisation System Correcting Movement (SYSCOM), which has long advocated for reforms in the FYJC admission system, has raised objections to a clause in the government resolution dated February 27.

The clause states that after four rounds of centralised admissions, junior college classes should commence, followed by an open admission process based on merit. The divisional deputy director of education will be responsible for issuing orders to higher secondary schools and junior colleges for the subsequent admission rounds.

SYSCOM, in its letter, alleged that the education department has failed to comply with a 2016 Bombay High Court directive mandating an annual audit of the FYJC admission process. “In 2016-17 and 2017-18, no audit was conducted. Although an independent audit by KPMG was carried out in 2018-19, the process was subsequently neglected,” the letter stated.

The organisation further pointed out that KPMG’s findings had exposed multiple flaws in the admission process. “The audit report indicated that the merit-based admission system was not being effectively implemented. Additionally, there is a lack of transparency regarding funds collected from students, as the audit process was not conducted comprehensively,” the letter noted.

Vaishali Bafna, chairperson of SYSCOM, criticised the government for discontinuing third-party audits following an unfavourable review. “Instead of outsourcing the FYJC admission process, the government should take full responsibility and manage it through its own system,” she demanded.

The parents’ association has also urged the government to ensure a structured admission process until every student secures a seat. “Rather than leaving decisions to local officers after the fourth round, the government must establish a clear and transparent mechanism. If these demands are not addressed, we will be forced to seek legal recourse,” Bafna warned.

When contacted, Education Commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh said that although the government has taken a decision, all the guidelines have not been announced yet. Singh clarified that issues raised by parents association have been taken into consideration on merits in the guidelines.