Maharashtra government issues GR to restart admissions for professional UG courses

The state government issued a government resolution (GR) on Tuesday, restarting the admissions process for most professional undergraduate (UG) courses. As per the GR, admissions to undergraduate engineering, medical, law and architecture courses may be completed without reserving 12% for socially and economically backward classes (SEBC). The GR will remain in effect until the Supreme Court’s (SC) final order on the SEBC quota.

On September 9, SC stayed all admissions to educational institutes in Maharashtra under the SEBC quota for the 2020-21 academic year. The only exception was postgraduate medical admissions. On September 21, the Maharashtra government filed a petition in SC to vacate the stay on admissions.

The state government released a GR on November 24, directing all admissions to be conducted without the SEBC quota for the time being. Admissions completed before the SC’s order of September 9 will not be affected by the GR.

Earlier this month, admissions to UG medical and dental courses started without the SEBC quota. “Too much time had already been wasted waiting this year, first due to the lockdown and now for clarity on the SEBC quota so the state medical department allowed for MBBS and BDS admissions to commence without the quota,” said a senior official from the state department of higher and technical education.

Commissioner of Maharashtra’s common entrance test (CET) cell CD Joshi said admission schedules may be released by next week. “We are studying the new GR and have also sought clarity on some issues from the government, especially when it comes to admissions to professional courses,” said Joshi.

With no clear admission schedule in sight, many candidates have opted for admissions outside Maharashtra. Mumbai resident Meena S, 19, is awaiting her CET results for architecture, but on Monday, began online classes at a college in New Delhi. “I was hopeful of securing admissions in JJ School of Architecture or Rachna Sansad College of Architecture, both of which are close to home. However, I have already secured a seat in New Delhi and have begun classes,” said Meena, whose preference remains the colleges in Mumbai.

Engineering students are facing a similar dilemma, particularly those seeking direct admission to second-year engineering after completing diplomas. CET exams for admission to technical courses were held in October and results are expected on November 28. “The third semester for second-year students is at its end now. Even if I get admission, how will I cope with the semester? I am hoping colleges make special arrangements for lateral entry students,” said a diploma holder.

The uncertainty has meant the University of Mumbai (MU) was unable to prepare an academic calendar for professional courses. “We always follow MU’s academic calendar and accordingly plan syllabus, practicals, term test etc. We haven’t been able to do so this year, so there is no plan in place at all,” said Vaibhav Narwade, senate member of MU and a professor at an engineering college in Navi Mumbai.