Class 11 CAP expanded statewide

MUMBAI: The state government has announced that the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) for first-year junior college (FYJC) or Class 11 will be expanded to cover entire Maharashtra. Until now, the system was limited to five urban regions: Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune-Pimpri Chinchwad, Amravati, Nagpur and Nashik.

The government has also decided that after completing the regular four rounds of admission, junior college classes should commence. Following this, open admission will be available to all students at the junior college level, with admissions being granted based on merit. The divisional deputy director of education will be responsible for issuing the necessary orders to higher secondary schools and junior colleges.

The decision has drawn criticism from activists, who argue that allowing colleges to handle open admissions independently could lead to corruption in the FYJC admission process. The CAP system was first introduced in MMR in 2009-10 and later extended to Pune-Pimpri Chinchwad in 2014-15, aiming to streamline the admission process through a common online counselling mechanism.

With the latest expansion, students from all districts across the state will now have access to a uniform, transparent and efficient admission system. The move is intended to simplify the process, reduce delays, and ensure fairness, particularly benefiting students from rural areas.

Under the revised system, junior college admissions will take place through four regular rounds, after which any remaining vacant seats will be converted to the open category. This change has sparked concerns among education activists.

Vaishali Bafna, chairperson of System Corrective Movement (SYSCOM), a Pune-based organisation working in the education sector, welcomed the government’s decision to convert vacant seats to the general category but expressed concerns over allowing colleges to handle admissions independently. She warned that this could lead to increased corruption and unregulated donation-based admissions.

Bafna added that her organisation would write to the government, urging it to oversee the entire admission process until the last seat is filled. She also highlighted the presence of unresolved technical glitches in the current system, citing a third-party IT audit conducted in 2016 that identified several issues yet to be addressed.

Mukund Andhalkar, president of the Junior Colleges Teachers Association, also criticised the decision, arguing that a fully online admission process across the state was unnecessary. He warned that this would delay Class 11 admissions until September each year, resulting in significant academic losses for students.

However, a senior official from the education department defended the move, stating that the transition to a fully online system would enhance efficiency, eliminate the need for physical visits to college campuses, and reduce paperwork.

Andhalkar dismissed these claims, stating that the online admission system for Class 11 has failed since its inception. He said, “By the end of the admission cycle, the government allows colleges to fill vacant seats independently, merely requiring them to report these admissions in the online system. As a result, many parents wait until the last minute to secure admission in their preferred colleges, defeating the purpose of a centralised online admission system.”