Class 11 first merit list out, cut off drops compared to last year

Mumbai: Out of 2.28 lakh students who applied for admission to first-year junior college (FYJC), Class 11 in the city, 1,30,650 have been allotted seats in the first merit list declared on Thursday. Of these, 55,655 candidates have been allotted seats in their first preferred college, making it mandatory to confirm their admission; otherwise, they will be excluded from the next round.

As the office of the Deputy Director of Education (DyDE) declared the first merit list for FYJC admissions, some popular city colleges saw marginal variations in their cut-off scores compared to last year, indicating that competition for seats in these colleges remains tough. Variations in cut-off scores are seen in the arts and science streams, while the commerce stream has retained a similar range, indicating more demand for the stream.

Compared to last year’s first-merit list cut-off at Mithibai College, Vile Parle, the cut-off score for arts dropped to 86.8% from 87.8% last year, while the science cut-off increased from 88.6% last year to 89.4% this year. The commerce stream cut-off was retained at 91% .

At the coveted Matunga-based RA Podar College for Commerce and Economics, the cut-off increased to 94.4% from last year’s 93%. At ML Dahanukar College, Vile Parle, the commerce cut-off increased to 90.8% from 89.8% last year. At H R College, Churchgate, another sought-after college for commerce, the cut-off is retained at 93%.

At St Xavier’s College, popular for the arts stream, the cut-off dropped to 1.2 percentage points – from 94.6% last year to 93.4% this year. At Ramnivas Ruia Junior College, Matunga, the cut-off for arts has remained around 92%. At Jai Hind College, Churchgate, the cut-off for arts dropped considerably from 91.2% last year to 89.6% this year.

Vijay Dabholkar, principal, Jai Hind College, said, “This (the drop in cut-off) is expected as students are seeking to pursue education based on job opportunities, which are more in commerce. This is the one reason for the drop in cutoffs across various courses. Furthermore, the first merit list for FYJC is very dynamic and can change in the second merit list.”

Among the total allotments in the first merit list, the highest (69,060) are in the commerce stream, followed by the science stream (48,143) and arts stream (12,808). However, when it comes to allotments in first-preferred colleges, the science stream tops with 24,828 allotments, followed by allotments in the commerce stream (22,741), and the arts stream (7,483).

Madhav Rajwade, principal, Sathye College, Vile Parle, said, “Many students confirm their admission to the science stream in integrated colleges where the focus is on NEET/JEE preparation. Therefore, the cut-off in the science stream has seen a drop compared to last year.”

Of those allotted seats in FYJC’s first merit list, the highest (1,17,409 students) are affiliated to the Maharashtra state board. There are fewer than 8,000 candidates from all other boards. “For students who have been allotted seats in their first-preferred colleges, it is mandatory to confirm admissions. All others can wait for betterment in the next round if they want to take that chance,” states the circular issued by the office of DyDE declaring the first merit list.