3,500 more seats for FYJC, but officials fear fewer takers

Securing admission to First Year Junior College (FYJC) through the online system may become easier this academic year. With 36 self-financed colleges and new divisions being added, the number of available seats has increased by nearly 3,500.

Securing admission to First Year Junior College (FYJC) through the online system may become easier this academic year. With 36 self-financed colleges and new divisions being added, the number of available seats has increased by nearly 3,500.

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This means that the number of seats available through the online admission process has increased to 1.63 lakh this year from 1.60 lakh in the previous year.

Of the 3,500 seats, the maximum number of seats – 1,500 – has been added to the commerce stream, followed by 1,060 in the arts stream and 940 seats in the science stream.

These new colleges and additional divisions have been started under the Maharashtra Self-Financed Schools and Establishments Act, 2012, which came into effect on January 4, 2014.

Based on the Act, which stipulates the setting up of new educational institutions on a permanently unaided basis, new colleges have been set up in areas such as Dadar, Vile Parle, Jogeshwari, Malad, Kandivli, Borivli, Bhandup, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan.
Some of the existing colleges have also started self-financed divisions, thereby increasing the number of seats available to students. But the fees for these colleges and divisions are higher than those aided by the government.

Most of the ‘sought-after’ colleges have not increased their student intake. “Our intake for FYJC will be the same as last year. We do not have space to increase any more seats,” said Jyoti Thakur, executive co-ordinator, Jai Hind College, Churchgate.