MUMBAI: Many degree college aspirants from CBSE and ISC boards are settling for colleges which are not their first choice. This, despite scoring higher marks than the colleges’ last cut-offs.
Admissions for these students commenced last week after their results were announced. Since many city colleges followed Mumbai University’s admission schedule and filled the majority of their seats, very few are left for students from the national boards, forcing them to secure whatever is available. While the university has allowed colleges to seek additional seats, not all are willing to increase their intake capacity. A few leading autonomous colleges either waited for the results or set aside seats for these students.
Navi Mumbai resident S Sreekumar, whose son scored 86.8% in CBSE, tried three colleges of his choice for commerce, but with no success. “In a leading Navi Mumbai college, only three open category seats were available for CBSE/ISC students in the first list. The college’s cut-off in the third list last month was around 77%. Another college refused to even give forms for self-financed courses such as BAF,” he said, adding that they will be forced to secure admission in a college which is not their choice. “Some colleges have told us that they are unwilling to increase their seats, as they do not have the infrastructure to accommodate more students.” Students are also in the dark about the number of seats available at colleges.
Only one city college offers the bachelor’s course in forensic science, but all seats were filled before the CBSE and ISC results were out, said the parent of a CBSE student who scored 92%. The cut-off was 86% in the first phase. “The college told us that it will consider spot admissions against cancellation. But what if there are no cancellations?” he asked. “We are trying to secure a seat in an Aurangabad college, but it is unfair that my daughter will have to move to another city because the university started the process early.”
The principal of a leading city college said they had limited seats in certain subject combinations. “We did not get a lot of applications, but we managed to accommodate as many students as possible. But there are a few sought-after subject combinations where we could not take more stud-ents,” he said. Another principal said as fewer seats are available, the cut-offs are much hi-gher than students expected.
While some colleges are unwilling to increase the intake capacity, others are seeking more seats to accommodate these students. RD National College, which had closed admissions after filling 100% seats in the first phase, will open its portal again from Wednesday. “We got the university’s approval for additional 20% seats in most courses,” said principal Neha Jagtiani.
University’s in-charge registrar, Vinod Patil, said many colleges still have vacant seats. Also, colleges, where the seats are full, can seek additional seats as per rules and they will be approved, he added.
