Rural girls forced to compromise in FYJC admissions as 8 lakh seats remain vacant

The new Centralised Admission Process for FYJC is disadvantaging rural girls in Maharashtra, forcing many to opt for less-preferred local courses.

The newly introduced Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for First Year Junior College (FYJC) admissions has created unintended challenges for rural students, especially girls. While the state government envisioned a streamlined, merit-based system, the reality in villages is quite different.

Many girls from rural areas have been allotted seats in colleges located far from their homes. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

Many girls from rural areas have been allotted seats in colleges located far from their homes. Due to safety concerns, unreliable transport, and financial constraints, parents are unwilling to send their daughters on long commutes. For families with limited incomes, hostel facilities and private transport are simply unaffordable.

As a result, several rural girls are either skipping admissions altogether or settling for less-preferred courses closer to home. “My daughter was allotted a college in Jalgaon, which is about 60 km from our home. We can’t afford a hostel, and it’s unsafe for her to travel daily,” said a parent from Parola.

“I wanted to study commerce, but the CAP system allocated me to a college in Jalgaon city. I can’t afford transport or hostel fees, so I’m considering joining an ITI in my village instead,” said Shreya More, a student from Amalner.

Education activist Sandip Deore warns that this trend could significantly impact girls’ participation in higher education in rural Maharashtra.

“The policy looks good on paper, but it doesn’t account for the socio-economic realities. Rural girls, despite having merit, are being forced out of the system.”

Monika Bhausaheb Deore, a student from Dondwad, shared, “I wanted to take admission in the science stream for Class 11, and I did get a seat, but the college was far from my village. Given my family’s financial situation, staying away from home isn’t possible. So, despite scoring 76 per cent, I had to give up my science seat and opt for arts in a nearby college.”

“I have scored 82% and wanted admission in the science stream. After all the CAP rounds, I didn’t get a seat. The process was very confusing. Now, I don’t know whether I should wait for a science seat or go for arts or commerce,” said Bhageshree Dhok from Desaiganj, Gadchiroli.

Official data highlights the concern: even after multiple CAP rounds, over 8 lakh FYJC seats remain vacant across Maharashtra. In some districts, vacancy rates are as high as 40–50%.

Across Maharashtra, 8.47 lakh FYJC seats remain vacant out of a total of 21.59 lakh. The deadline for completing admissions has now been extended to September 2.

Mahendra Ganpule, former head of the Maharashtra School Principals’ Association, told Hindustan Times, “The old admission process for FYJC was much easier and more student-friendly. The current system, introduced by the education department, has caused unnecessary frustration for students and parents, particularly in rural areas. This has had a disproportionate impact on girls.”

However, Mahesh Palkar, director of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, defended the new system, saying, “In this new CAP process, rural students now have a golden opportunity to get admission in good colleges. Previously, students had to travel between cities, but now they can complete the entire process from home with just one click, eliminating much of the previous hassle.”