Pune: More than four months after the Secondary School Certificate (SSC, Std X) results, the centralised online admission process for First Year Junior College (FYJC) in Maharashtra is still underway, with 8,84,888 seats remaining vacant across the state.The figure is higher than the roughly eight lakh seats that remained unfilled at a comparable stage last year, raising questions about why a large number of junior college seats continue to go vacant despite repeated admission rounds.Experts attribute the vacancies partly to the availability of seats in junior colleges significantly exceeding the number of students seeking admission through the centralised system. Students are also increasingly exploring alternatives such as diploma courses, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and paramedical programmes after SSC, further affecting demand for traditional junior college courses.According to the latest admission data for 2026 provided by the State CAP Committee, as many as 13.63 lakh students have confirmed their admissions against a total intake of 22.48 lakh seats across 9,717 junior colleges. This means nearly 39.35% of the available seats remain vacant, while 60.65% have been filled.“The figures show that the problem of vacant FYJC seats has not reduced substantially despite the education department conducting several admission rounds. In fact, the absolute number of vacant seats is higher than last year,” said Damini Kulkarni, principal of a city college.In 2025, more than eight lakh of the 21.5 lakh available seats remained vacant after multiple admission rounds, while around 13.4 lakh admissions were confirmed. The vacancy rate stood at approximately 38%. This year’s rate, at nearly 39.35%, is marginally higher.The 2026 admission process began soon after the SSC results and has continued through regular and special rounds. The official FYJC admission portal announced Special Round 11 this month, with registration and form-filling opening on Sept 18.The remaining vacancies are significant, especially as many students have registered for FYJC admissions this year. As many as 15,61,667 students have registered so far. However, the gap between the total intake and the number of confirmed admissions remains considerable.“One factor contributing to vacancies is the availability of seats in junior colleges being substantially higher than the number of students seeking admission through the centralised system. Students are also increasingly considering alternatives such as diploma courses, ITIs and paramedical programmes after Std X, further affecting demand for traditional junior college courses,” said career counsellor Ketan Deshpande.The prolonged admission cycle is also creating uncertainty for students who are yet to finalise their college or stream.“While the education department has continued special rounds to provide students with more opportunities to secure admission, the large number of vacant seats suggests that repeated rounds alone may not address the underlying issue,” said Ashwini Nayak, vice-principal of a city college.The issue had also drawn criticism during last year’s admission process.Vishal Nikam, a senior administrator at a Pune junior college, said application errors and delays in grievance redressal affected students.“The single-window system was useful in principle but required faster grievance redressal and real-time correction facilities,” Nikam said.With nearly nine lakh seats still vacant in 2026, colleges and education stakeholders are likely to renew calls for changes to the admission system, particularly in areas such as application correction, seat allotment and grievance redressal.
