Quota surprise for general students

Move over cut-offs, the second merit list has thrown some more surprises for students. Many general category students have been allotted seats in reserved categories like ex-servicemen, freedom fighters and OBC.

With the second round of admissions for FYJC underway, students are making a beeline for the guidance centres in the city as they were confused over the allocation of seats in reserved categories. The students are now worried that colleges might ask them for these certificates at the time of admission.

Sample this. Indrani Sardesai, a resident of Napaen Sea Road, scored 63% in her SSC exams. She secured a seat in Bhavan’s College, Grant Road in the second merit list. But she has been allotted a seat under the ‘ex-servicemen’ category, which is reserved for relatives of defence service personnel. 

“I had applied under the general category. But I do not understand how I have been allotted a seat in this ex-servicemen quota. I am not related to anybody who worked in the army or navy,” Indrani said.

Like her, several students complained that they were allotted seats in wrong categories. “When I went to pay my fees at Maharashtra College, they asked me to produce a caste certificate. I was surprised because I had applied through the general category and did not belong to the OBC category. I rushed to the guidance centre. The authorities sorted the issue,” said Jignesh Parmar, a student who scored 70% and wanted to pursue commerce.

A senior official from the education department said that in the second general merit list many open category students have been allotted vacant seats from reserved categories. “Since these seats were lying vacant with the colleges, we decided to allocate them to the students in the general category. They do not have to worry about submitting certificates and documents. We have instructed colleges not to ask such documents from them since they are general category students. Students do not need to panic,” the official said.

However, students alleged that some colleges turned them away for not having the necessary documents.

“Students complained to us that colleges were asking documents like caste certificate. We contacted such colleges, explained the rules and the students were able to secure provisional admission,” said a guidance centre in-charge from Anjuman I-Islam School in CST.