Online admission keeps students, principals on tenterhooks

The online admission issue has kept students and principals on tenterhooks.

Troubled by the plight of First Year Junior College aspirants during the online admission process this year, the education department announced in September that it would form a committee to review the online admissions.

The committee is yet to be finalised.

Barely two months left for board exams, students are unsure whether the admission process for 2012-13 will continue to be online or offline.

Sources from the education department claim that the committee is awaiting approval from the school education minister Rajendra Darda.

“The deputy director’s office has submitted the suggestions for the committee. We have recommended the names of committee members ranging from education experts to senior journalists. But the suggestions have not yet been finalised as they are waiting the nod from the school education minister,” said a senior education official.

The delay in the formation of the committee has got the students and principals worried.

Chairman of the Association of Non-Government Colleges and principal of KPB Hinduja College, Charni Road, TA Shiware, had raised the issue of the feasibility of online admissions. Shiware, along with Aditya Thackeray, Yuva Sena chief, met school education minister Rajendra Darda demanding that the government allow colleges to conduct offline admissions.

“The government had promised to form the committee. It’s been three months and still the government has not decided on the committee. There is very little time left since class 10 exams start in March. The committee should also get time to analyse the issue and look for solutions. Moreover, if the government has decided to go ahead with online admissions than we also need sufficient time to train the staff,’’ Shiware said. 

The expert committee was going to be formed to review the process and come up with a solution. Once formed, the committee is supposed to submit its report within 15 days. The education department will then study the report and implement the changes from the upcoming academic year.