Keypoints:
- Criteria for college admissions for non-professional courses will be decided only after HSC results are announced in Maharashtra.
- Preliminary meeting was held between vice-chancellors of state universities and the department of higher and technical education in which many agreed if the evaluation model is fair and comprehensive.
- An official said that students should not be put through any hardships.
- Department officials and vice chancellors discussed various case scenarios which could arise this year due to cancellation of 12th board exams.
The criteria for college admissions will be decided only after HSC results are declared in the state. A preliminary meeting was held on Monday between the vice-chancellors of state universities and the department of higher and technical education in which many agreed if the evaluation model is fair and comprehensive, an official also said that the students should not be put through any hardships. He also added that discussions on common entrance test (CET) for admissions to traditional non-professional courses – if necessary – will only be considered after the results.
Department officials and vice chancellors discussed various case scenarios which could arise this year due to cancellation of 12th board exams.
A vice-chancellor said that, “Some are expecting the success rate to go up. There may be several students scoring similar marks. Even if we get to know the evaluation method, it will be difficult to predict how the results will turn out. There is no point in framing an admission policy without understanding how the results will be.”
All the officials have unanimously agreed to wait till the results are announced. An official said that a meeting can be held the very next day and a policy can be drawn.
Officials have also agreed that college admissions in the top-run degree colleges could be challenging; those for more than 80% of the colleges in Maharashtra can be conducted smoothly based on Class 11 scores. State board results are awaited by the college’s too.
“While autonomous colleges can decide their syllabi and other academic-related matters, admissions to aided courses are bound by state government rules,” said the principal of a suburban college. Mumbai University alone has 42 autonomous colleges. “If colleges conduct their own screening process, there will be clashes in schedules. Parents and students may oppose it too. For traditional arts, science and commerce courses, the majority of seats will go to in-house students but for self-financed courses, we will need some process,” said the principal.
Principal of KC College, Hemlata Bagla, who is also the senior dean of HSNC University, has said that colleges can hold interviews and can look at overall performance of students in academics and co-curricular activities for three years. This can be done for the colleges with more demand.
Like last year, for professional courses, the state’s CET cell can conduct online entrance tests. An official has said that application process is likely to start soon and test dates will be scheduled once the Covid situation stabilises across districts.
