SSC bonus could push cut-off scores up by 3%

City colleges might have to increase intake of students

MUMBAI: The state board’s largesse in doling out 30 grace marks to those appearing for the SSC exams has spurred an astonishing rise in the number of students securing over 90 per cent.

But this 30-mark windfall might have also triggered a nightmare situation for students. With high-scorers bagging most of the available seats, colleges fear it might trigger a steep rise of nearly three per cent as compared to last year in the 2007 cut-off percentage list.

“Most of the forms submitted have been from students who have scored above 90 per cent. So, we had to open a separate admission counter for these students,” said UC Mashelkar, principal of Patkar College. Moreover, college authorities feel that things might get worse with CBSE and ICSE board students applying for admissions to FYJC.

The augmented percentile level might also force the state government to compel educational institutions to increase their intake. “There is a possibility that they might ask us to increase the intake by 10 additional students per division,” said the principal of a renowned college. Besides, the sale of admission forms for FYJC reached record-breaking numbers in the first two days itself.