Days after online classes begin, college cancels admissions

Students and parents gathered at the N G Acharya and D K Marathe Junior College on Monday to speak to the administration

In A bizarre case at Chembur's N G Acharya and D K Marathe Junior College, around 65 Std XI students were told that their admission was cancelled after they attended online lectures for few days. Aggrieved students and their parents are crying foul. The college administration, however, is claiming mistakes by candidates in the online process of admission, due to which it was never confirmed.

Students and parents approached Lokjagruti Samajik Sanstha, an NGO, which complained to the Deputy Director of Education. Representation pic/istock

"I attended the online lectures. But suddenly last week, I was removed from the group. My admission was cancelled for not following one step in the online admission process," said a student, adding that she was unaware of the step. The parent of another student said, "It is really difficult to believe this, because if the admission was not confirmed, how could the college allow my son and others to attend online lectures? At least we would not have been under the wrong impression that the admission was confirmed." Confused students and their parents gathered at the college on Monday to seek clarity on the issue.

"If you begin attending classes that means your admission is confirmed. When parents along with their children gathered at the college to seek a resolution, they were further shocked as the administration asked them to instead fill private students forms for std XII and give that exam next year," said Swati Patil from Lokjagruti Samajik Sanstha, an NGO the students and parents approached with the issue. The organisation has written a complaint letter to the Deputy Director of Education (DyDE) regarding the issue.

Principal speak
At least 1,350 students got admission to std XI. College Principal Dr Vidyagauri Lele said the issue was nothing but a mistake by 65 other students in following the instructions of the online admission process. "After you are allotted a seat in a college you are supposed to give your consent with ‘proceed to the admission' tab on the system. These students failed to do so even after several reminders by us before the deadline. There are also some candidates who until recently were trying for admission to other colleges, and so never clicked the ‘proceed to admission' tab, and now when there is no better admission, they are again approaching us. But the deadline is over," she said. The college administration has written to the DyDE office for special permission to admit these children.

Official speak
The office of DyDE has received the complaint and is investigating the matter. "The problem differs by case. Which is why it is important to check each case. For example, if a student has not clicked on ‘Proceed to admission' after he/she was allotted a seat, then by rule that candidate does not have a right to claim the seat later. But in some cases fees were paid, and in some cases students had begun attending lectures. Hence it is important to check each applicant's case and we will do so and then take action," said Sandeep Sangave, Assistant Director at DyDE office.