Edu dept to revamp FYJC admissions after Somaiya scam

Non-state board students seeking admission to junior colleges in Maharashtra may have to get their documents verified by their respective school principals

Mumbai: The state education department is considering a proposal that would make it mandatory for non-state board students seeking admission to junior colleges in Maharashtra to get their documents verified by their respective school principals. The proposal is part of a wider set of measures that are being introduced to ensure transparency in first year junior college admissions in the wake of the admission scam at Somaiya College.

Edu dept to revamp FYJC admissions after Somaiya scam

“As of now, marks of state board students are directly integrated into the online admission application upon entering the seat number. But non-state board students need to enter their details manually and submit supporting documents,” said a senior official from the department. High-level discussions are ongoing, and final guidelines will be announced soon, he said.

The issue gained attention after the Somaiya Education Trust flagged 47 cases of students who secured admissions through fraudulent means. As reported by HT, several students who joined junior college in the first year in Somaiya College in 2023-24 and 2024-25 allegedly bribed intermediaries to forge documents and secure admission.

While online admission for class 11 students started 15 years ago and continues to encounter challenges every year, the scam at Somaiya College prompted the newly formed government to take the admission process more seriously, particularly for students coming from central boards, said sources in the education department.

One of the key proposals under consideration is involving principals of non-state board schools in the document verification process.

“This will enhance transparency and curb malpractices in the system,” said official quoted earlier. Plans are also afoot to integrate the admission process with APAAR ids of students for improved tracking and verification, the official added.

Sampat Suryavanshi, director of secondary education, confirmed that the department was working on revamping the admission process.

“We aim to refine the current process, but several details are yet to be finalised,” he said.