Maharashtra: Management quota tab on FYJC portal confuses students

MUMBAI: An option given to students to fill their choice of seats under the management quota on the first-year junior college (FYJC) admissions' portal this year has stumped colleges, especially where demand exceeds supply.
Filling the 5% seats under the quota has always been the prerogative of college managements. While colleges used to fill these seats and upload students' data later, the process seems to have been reversed this year. An additional tab has been given to students, right at the time of filling forms, allowing them to choose a seat under this quota, in addition to inhouse (10%) and minority (50%) quotas.
This has led to confusion among students and principals. To top this, a circular issued by Mahesh Palkar, director of school education, Pune, enlisting the rules for FYJC admissions, states seats under all quotas need to be filled as per merit. Quota admissions are underway and the first merit list will be displayed by colleges on Thursday.
"If this circular is read in toto, the department is literally asking us to fill all the seats in all quotas as per merit. While seats under the minority quota are always based on merit, one can't follow the same for management quota," said a suburban college principal.
A principal of a top-rung college said because the portal allows students to choose a seat under the management quota, many are going for it. "But not all students can be accommodated and eventually managements will follow their choice. And many students of managements' choice have not filled that option. The additional tab in the online form is creating confusion for most students. They will have to be denied admission. But there is a possibility students will cite the circular and demand seats on merit. Some can even file an RTI to ensure all seats are filled on merit," said the principal.
Palkar, though, insisted the process has not changed and filling quota seats will still be done at individual college level. "It is to help students to apply for quota seats online. Admissions will continue to be done at the college level. Till last year, students were first approaching colleges, who were then registering the students online," said Palkar.
Principals are not convinced. "If nothing has changed, then the department should withdraw the circular and disable the 'management choice form' tab under the quota choices. The additional tab and the circular together will create confusion once colleges start denying seats under quota," he said, adding under the management quota tab, a long list of colleges are available to choose from.