Quota worry for general category students in Maharashtra

Two new quotas — for Marathas and the economically backward sections — are coming into effect from the next academic session.

With high cut-off marks in the top colleges, coupled with the huge demand for seats, the competition will be fierce.

Non-minority junior colleges in Maharashtra now reserve 52 per cent seats for SC, ST and Nomadic Tribes while 5 per cent more are reserved for the management quota. Colleges that have schools attached, also reserve 10 per cent for students from the school. Add to that another 16 per cent for Marathas and 10 per cent for poor students and you have a whopping 83 per cent of seats reserved.

Minority colleges already reserve between 55 and 65 per cent of their seats. Add the new quotas to that and you're left with very less seats for general students.

The state government's education department, however, said there would be enough seats available for general students even after the quotas.

“We looked at the number of students who applied for admissions in the past, and found there are enough seats vacant after the various quotas,” Hindustan Times quoted an official from the state education department. The official did not want to be named.

“The education department should ensure all quotas are filled before seats are opened for online admissions. This way, students would get a clear idea about how many seats are vacant,” the report quoted the principal of a Maharashtra college as saying.

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