Finally Maharashtra Government has released 3rd Merit List on Monday for Admission to junior colleges. Around 75,000 students were allotted seats in the third merit list. However, there are still over 7,000 students yet to be allotted a college.

Hundreds of students and parents gathered outside grievances centres in various zones in the city to complain mostly about seats not having been allotted in preferred colleges and streams. Students who are still to be allotted a seat also thronged to the grievances centres.

Ashok Jain did not find the name of his son Aditya, who scored 85%, even on the third list. He was one of the parents gathered outside the office to register a complaint. "Now that all the lists are over, where and how will they place my son? He scored high marks, but all that he may now get is only a mediocre college," Jain said in exasperation.

Officials at the deputy director’s office confirmed that around 7,000 students are still to get admissions. Deputy director, school education, Mumbai region, VK Wankhede said, "All these students could not be allotted any college because they had opted for multiple streams." This had resulted in confusion while tallying seats that were allotted and that were vacant, he said. "Once the third-round of admissions is over, we will compile data of vacant seats. Based on the data, students without admission will be allotted seats as per their merit. This will be done offline like the previous years."

Source: DNA Newspaper, Mumbai, 04th August 2009, Pg. no: 3

Image credit: DNA Mumbai, India