Nagpur: As junior college admission season begins for state board-affiliated colleges in Maharashtra, this academic season may see fewer admissions of students coming from CBSE board. As of June 18, only 980 CBSE students had registered for the Centralized Admission Process (CAP) as compared to over 10,000 from SSC (state board). A college principal said, “Our SSC results are out and the second phase of admission process will start soon. While filling the online registration form is the first phase, the real action is in the second half when you choose your preferred colleges and opt for streams.” CBSE students can’t do that, said another principal, “because their results have not been declared yet”. The principal added, “By the time these results are declared, our SSC students would have already taken the best pickings. It’s a lost cause for them (CBSE students), frankly.”
A few more academics from the state board, who said they were “pleased” that a unique disparity has arisen this year regarding results date. “State board junior colleges should always give preference to our SSC students. But CBSE students, due to their liberal marking scheme, score much more and usually grab seats in all important colleges and streams,” said a principal. She added, “Thankfully, this year our state government conducted exams on schedule and declared results on time. So our kids are ready to complete admission formalities and may even start classes before CBSE results are out.”
CBSE students shifting to state board in Nagpur is not uncommon. The thriving competitive exam coaching industry in Nagpur relies heavily on junior colleges giving leeway to their students when it comes to physical attendance in class. A principal said, “The term ‘tie-up’ is used when a coaching class and a junior college reach an agreement. The most obvious part of the agreement is ensuring that either all, or majority of their students will take admission in that college. So that’s guaranteed fees coming without any heavy lifting. The second part is that fake attendance of students is marked in that college, while they sit in coaching institutes.”
But now, with the delayed results, CBSE students, their coaching institutes and ‘tie-up’ junior colleges will have to rethink their strategy. Another principal said, “Now even CBSE schools have become lenient while marking attendance as money from coaching institutes rolls in. So that trend plus this year’s admission problem may see CBSE students staying put at their own institutes.”
