College seats are solely based on marks and cut-offs: Meena Shendkar

The admissions were halted due to the Maratha reservation case being heard by the Supreme Court, before it resumed from November 26

With the admission process for First Year Junior College (FYJC) or Class 11 going on in the state, 1,07,030 seats are available for the academic year at 304 junior colleges spread across Pune division, including Pune and Pimpri- Chinchwad. The admissions were halted due to the Maratha reservation case being heard by the Supreme Court, before it resumed from November 26.

Post three rounds of admissions, a special round started from December 20 (HT PHOTO)

Post three rounds of admissions, a special round started from December 20. Meena Shendkar, assistant director of education, Pune and incharge of admission process, gives details about the process this year.

How is the FYJC admission process being conducted in Pune division during the unprecedented Covid period?

We are following the safety precautions as per the guidelines given by the state and central governments for the admission process. We completed the first round and had to stop on September 9 because of Maratha reservation issue. Admissions resumed from November 26 and the second and third rounds were conducted smoothly despite the Covid-19 pandemic. The admission percentage will increase when the students’ marks and college cut-off lists will match. Students are waiting to get into prominent colleges, but their marks are less than cut-offs. As students are waiting to take the final step, we have to wait and watch.

The main reason behind low admission numbers even after the third round is because though seats are available students are waiting for their preferred colleges. I have requested parents to look at your child’s marks, cut-offs and distance from house before confirming admission. There is a need to maintain balance between students’ marks and college cut-off to confirm admission.

What will be the next step for students who have not yet completed their admissions even after all the rounds?

Students have been given choice of colleges as per marks and cut-offs during the three rounds of admission. Going forward, in the first special round, only those non-admitted students who have given their “consent” for special round will be allowed to process their admission. Those who have not given consent in the earlier rounds will be given chance only in the next special rounds. The first special round of admission process will start on December 20. Parents need to understand that most of the prominent colleges in Pune and Pimpri- Chinchwad have already surrendered their management quota seats to us. So, those admissions will also happen from the centralised admission process only. Hence, parents should not waste time in waiting for prominent college admission seats.

Challenges faced this year because of the Covid outbreak.

The entire admission process, from registration of colleges to student admission, was online, unlike the pre-Covid situation. I made it clear to colleges and students that in-person meet posed spread of infection, so a dedicated email was sent to students to highlight the issue. We started an online grievance address cell. I have replied to more than 5,000 emails of students and parents regarding admission related queries. Earlier, there were 46 guidance centres to help students in the admission process. We verified all Secondary School Certificate (SSC) board students at the school level itself, a process earlier done by guidance centres. I took eight online webinars for around 1,100 school principals in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas. This step helped to speed up the admission process through online mode.