Low cut-offs, but students with 90% yet to find a seat

Aggrieved aspirants and their parents began a signature campaign on Wednesday demanding that two chances instead of one be given for students to acquire a better seat.

Students scoring above 90% in Class 10 complained that they were not allotted seats in colleges of their choice, even though the third merit list of first year junior colleges (FYJC) — released on Tuesday — closed below 90%.Students complained that the seats were not allotted on a merit basis.

Students scoring above 90% in Class 10 complained that they were not allotted seats in colleges of their choice, even though the third merit list of first year junior colleges (FYJC) — released on Tuesday — closed below 90%. (HT File Photo)

Aggrieved aspirants and their parents began a signature campaign on Wednesday demanding that two chances instead of one be given for students to acquire a better seat.

This year, following the instructions of the Bombay high court, admissions to FYJC in the general category were only done online. Previously, students were allowed to seek admission to the college of their choice offline, once the online round ended.

Jinali Mehta, a Byculla resident scored 90% and got a seat in KPB Hinduja College for commerce in the first list. Later, she received a seat in KC, Churchgate but was not allotted a seat in Jai Hind, Churchgate, — her first preference — even though its third list cut-off was 87.83%.

“It is unfair that students who scored less than me were allotted a seat in Jai Hind and I wasn’t. Offline admissions, done at the college level, were better,” said Jinali.

Some complained that guidance centre authorities misguided them when they were filling the admission forms. “My daughter was allotted Elphinstone College, which doesn’t offer information technology. No one told us this when we were applying,” said Munaf Shaikh, a parent from Colaba.

College principals too puzzled over the system of allotments.

Education officials said allotments are done according to the rules. “Students are allotted a seat in a particular round depending on that round’s cut-offs. The cut-offs change if allotted students cancel their admissions and take admissions elsewhere,” said BB Chavan, deputy director of education, Mumbai region.