Colleges too get more time to give up seats

MUMBAI: Colleges were also given the option of an extended deadline to surrender vacant seats under various quotas after the education department decided to extend the deadline for students to fill online admissions forms by a day.
By Friday afternoon, colleges in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) had surrendered 27,622 seats under various quotas, for online admissions.However, all minority seats in top colleges have been taken in some cases, and several students have been left disappointed
"All our seats have been taken this year and cut-offs were quite high. Students were disappointed about not making it to the course of their choice under quotas in our college," said Marie Fernandes, principal, St Andrew's College in Bandra. Many city colleges saw a similar trend. All 560 seats under the minority quota at Narsee Monjee College in Vile Parle too got taken offline itself and they had no seats left to surrender. Colleges like St Xavier's at Dhobi Talao have a waiting list for students.
Education officials have been assuring students that they will make it to a college of their choice if they have filled their options according to marks they have scored. "Besides, after every merit list is announced, more more students who have confirmed their admissions under minority and other quotas will withdraw their admissions to confirm a seat in another college of their choice. More seats will come our way soon," said a senior official from the office of the deputy director of education. He added that the number of seats in colleges in the MMR was exceeding the number of students who have applied.
College heads, however, feel students will not easily withdraw admissions this year. "Everybody is scared about losing a seat in a good college, so the course of choice is taking a back seat this time. Students are grabbing whatever opportunity they get for a seat in a good college," said a principal of a suburban college.