Students with 95% seek management quota seats for junior college

Secured above 90% marks, and yet they fell insecure. Wary of extremely high cut-off marks, students with very high scores, too, are making a beeline for management quota seats in the city’s top-rung junior colleges. Some colleges are saying that they may have to turn down many such applications.

The best-five policy and an additional 25 marks for sports have pushed up scores at all levels by 4-5%. It is giving even high scorers the jitters. Many of them have rushed to the college managements with applications in order to be guaranteed of quota seats.

Kavita Rege, principal of Sathaye College, Vile Parle, said, “Since many students have scored above 90% marks this year, there is a growing insecurity among students. We have around 66 seats — 44 for science and 22 for Arts and Commerce — under the college management quota, and have already received more than 50 applications. The highest scorer from the applicants is a student with 94% marks.”

Applications are pouring in, but there are limited seats under the management quota. Many colleges are saying that they will have to turn down a lot of applications. Pradeep Kulkarni, principal of DG Ruparel College, Matunga, said, “We have only 15 seats in the management quota, and have already received applications a lot more than that. We will have to say no to many students. It is a pity to see so many students feeling insecure in spite of their high scores.”

Kirti Narain, principal of Jai Hind College, Churchgate, which is affiliated to the Hyderabad (Sind) National Collegiate Board said, “Earlier, students with scores of 60-70% used to approach us for admissions. This year, we have received applications from students with scores as high as 93-95% requesting us for seats.”

Jai Hind, KC and HR Colleges, Churchgate, RD National College, Bandra, and CHM College, Ulhasnagar, are the other colleges which come under the HNCB Board.

The trend of high scorers applying for management quota seats has grown steadily over the past few years. This year it has reached a frenzied peak with the state government introducing the best-five policy.

Last year, owing to the percentile system, several high scorers did not get admission in colleges of their choice, and college authorities had to make amends by merging management quota seats with the merit ones.