Latest news with #GCAS
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
After 19 rounds, several seats in colleges still vacant
Ahmedabad: Despite completing 19 rounds of admissions through the Gujarat Common Admission System (GCAS) portal, a large number of seats in govt university-affiliated colleges across the state remain vacant. This has prompted several universities—including Gujarat University—to demand the reopening of registration and an additional round of admissions. GCAS was introduced two years ago to centralise the admission process for undergraduate courses in arts, commerce, and science. Earlier, individual universities conducted their own admissions, typically concluding within three rounds—two online and one offline. College administrators now argue that the centralised system has proven inefficient. "Even students with 40–50% marks used to get admission somewhere under the old system. But now, despite multiple attempts and 19 rounds, many students still haven't secured a seat," said the principal of a leading Ahmedabad college. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad In Gujarat University alone, thousands of seats remain unfilled. According to GCAS data, 45,945 seats have been allotted in affiliated colleges, but the university is yet to receive updated vacancy figures from several institutions. Many colleges have delayed uploading final admission data, further complicating the picture. With the 20th round currently underway, universities are growing increasingly frustrated. Several institutions have submitted formal appeals to the state government, urging that the GCAS portal be reopened for fresh registrations to fill the remaining seats. Gujarat University has officially backed this demand. The situation has sparked concern among students and parents, many of whom are unsure whether additional rounds will be held in time for the new academic session. College authorities warn that unless changes are made, hundreds of seats could go to waste even as students remain without admission.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
GU extends PhD application deadline as many fail to pay fees
Ahmedabad: The road to a PhD at Gujarat University appears paved with good intentions but delayed fee payments. While more than 3,000 aspiring scholars have registered for various doctoral programmes since applications opened on July 17, a notable number are yet to finalize their applications by paying the necessary fees. This significant drop-off prompted the university to extend the payment deadline to July 30, hoping to bridge the gap between interest and commitment. Recently, the university announced over 700 PhD seats and invited applications from interested candidates. Of the initial registrations, 3,099 applications were confirmed as valid, but only 2,348 candidates have completed the fee payment process. In comparison, 2,600 students registered for PhD admissions under GCAS last year, and around 1,800 appeared for the entrance exam. This year has seen greater interest in PhD programmes, but fee payment remains an issue. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Based on current registrations, a provisional merit list will be released on Aug 4. Applications found ineligible will be rejected, and those candidates will be allowed to raise objections on Aug 5. The final eligibility list will be published on Aug 6 at 2pm. Admit cards will be issued on Aug 7, and the PhD entrance test will be conducted on Aug 12, between noon and 2pm. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Candidates with concerns or discrepancies regarding the exam can submit objections at the main centre (KS School) by 4pm on the same day. It is important to note that question papers will not be handed over to students. Candidates must return the question paper along with their OMR sheet. This follows ongoing concerns where students previously were not given access to the question papers after exam.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress demands admission for those who passed supplementary exams
Vadodara: The Vadodara unit of the Congress party on Saturday demanded that MS University give admission to students who have passed the Class 12 commerce stream supplementary exams. After the supplementary exam results were declared, GCAS provided a last chance for admission, until July 21. However, the link to fill admission forms for the first year of the Bachelor of Commerce course at MSU has been closed. "The purpose of the supplementary exam is to ensure a student's year is not wasted and he or she gets the chance to study with regular students in the same year. If such students do not get admission, why is the supplementary examination conducted?" asked Vadodara Congress president Rutvij Joshi. "University authorities are denying admission to students on the grounds that they do not have enough seats, which is a blatant lie. When Dr Anil Kane was vice-chancellor, 8,800 students got admission, later 9,000 students were given admission, and during Covid-19, 10,000 students were admitted," Congress spokesman Kapil Joshi said. "The BJP-ruled state govt, instead of capping the student intake, should create more posts and recruit teachers so that students do not suffer," he said. "If that cannot be done, the state govt should bear the cost of fees that students are forced to pay at private universities," Joshi said, adding that the centralized admission process through GCAS is helping private universities, which have been excluded from the system.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
GCAS debacle: 56% UG seats filled, 44% vacant after 16 rounds
Ahmedabad/Surat/Vadodara: Gujarat's first fully centralised admission system, the Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS), was supposed to make college admissions simpler and smoother. But after 16 rounds — the highest in the state's history — nearly half of Gujarat's 4.71 lakh undergraduate (UG) seats remain vacant. From missing confirmations to entire admissions being wiped out with a single click, students are facing roadblocks at every turn, and college principals are left grappling for clarity even as a staggering 2.04 lakh seats remain unclaimed. By Friday evening, state colleges filled up only 56% of the UG seats. Earlier, after six to seven rounds, the admission process was handed over to colleges. But this year, despite persistent glitches, that handover has not happened, and students are paying the price. Admissions are reportedly up by 8% compared to last year. Yet officials admit that about 12,000 fewer students applied for general stream UG courses this year. The issues are primarily related to the poor design of the online portal and glitches related to multiple choices of courses and portal-university coordination, experts pointed out. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Dhruvi Parmar, a student from Ahmedabad is eligible for free education under the state govt policy as a female SC/ST/OBC applicant. "Instead, the portal asked me to pay Rs 32,000 for a BA (English) seat. We have flagged the issue," she said. Heer Solanki, who had cleared Class 12 in the science stream, applied for a BSc seat. She was allotted MG College of Science, but there was no clarity from the college's side, claim family members. "Due to the online admission system, we did not know which college our daughter got admission to. With no college-level merit list, we were not sure and thus we could not pay fees. Despite securing first class in class 12, my daughter is still waiting to get admission," said her father, Bharat Solanki. From the colleges' perspective, the issue is of coordination. Payal Iyer, vice-president of the Gujarat State Principals Association, said that her college received 600 offer letters, but only four admissions. "Several colleges are experiencing a high number of vacant seats. One of the reasons could be multiple applications and no follow-ups," she said. "About 50% of the seats in grant-in-aid colleges are vacant. " One of the major issues is that the portal allows students to cancel admissions via an app, and colleges are unable to track confirmed enrolments, say experts. Earlier, cancellations had to be done in person. The principals' association has already raised their concerns with state authorities. Thousands Allocated, But No Confirmation Dilip Rana, commissioner (higher education), confirmed that GCAS completed 16 rounds with 2.66 lakh students confirming admissions. "About 40,000 to 50,000 students received admissions in their preferred colleges but have not confirmed," he said. He refused to comment on the timeline in which the colleges will be allowed to fill vacant seats. Mukesh Kumar, principal secretary (education), said that compared to last year, more students secured admissions through the portal and the system benefited many students. "After centralised rounds, the universities should be allocated seats and students must be allowed to apply directly to colleges through the portal. It will benefit both. About 7,000 students selected our college, but few confirmed admissions," said Sanjay Vakil, principal of HA College of Commerce and President of the All-India Principals' Association. Course Cancellation Equals Admission Wipeout In Surat, Dhruvi Sharma got into the BCA course at Udhna Citizen College in the second admission round and even attended classes for 10 days. But when her family tried to edit choice preferences, the portal cancelled her entire admission without warning. "There was no intimation from GCAS or the college. Where does my daughter go now?" asked Jayshree, her mother. Ramesh Gadhvi, registrar of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU), said that they have not faced any issues with the system and are addressing any other issues raised by the students. While there have been no major hiccups in admissions at the Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) of Baroda so far, it is the uncertainty of bagging a seat in their preferred subject that is keeping students on tenterhooks. Choice-Filling a Major Concern The situation is particularly acute in faculties like science and arts where students apply for subject-specific courses. A case in point is MSU's faculty of arts where around 260 students applied for admission to BA (English) as their first choice in the first round, but only around 40 paid fees. The remaining seats went into the next round. "With the cutoff at 80%, many students secured seats elsewhere assuming that they would not get admission here even though they had scored 70% or more. Now, they will have to get that admission cancelled to get into MSU. Meanwhile, because s/he did not apply in the fear that they may not get admission, it is likely that people with lower percentage than them will get into the varsity just because they applied," said an official. Student leader Suzan Ladman pointed out that earlier, if someone saw that he would not get admission in a major subject of his choice, he could easily switch to another subject in the science or arts faculties. "Now, the portal doesn't allow that flexibility. Many students have been forced to take admissions to other universities due to this limitation," he said. MSU registrar K M Chudasama said that in the first two rounds, the university finalised nearly 75 per cent of its admissions. The remaining rounds were needed only for the remaining seats. He added that the cancellation of admissions was possible on portals and not a major hassle. —— BOX1 Process differs from engg admissions While the state education department runs both GCAS and the system for the admission committee for professional courses (ACPC), there are many variations, experts point out. "While engineering admissions allow students the flexibility to secure a seat, pay fees, and still continue participating in subsequent rounds for better opportunities, the GCAS portal follows a restrictive approach. Once students confirm their admission through GCAS, they are automatically removed from the system, eliminating any possibility of upgrading to a preferred institution in subsequent rounds," said an official. The situation poses a challenge for those coming from a rural background who shell out up to Rs 300 for filling up forms. BOX2 Additional round from July 24 GCAS officials said that the initial special phase of UG admissions ended on July 15, with the subsequent special phase scheduled to commence on July 24, catering to students who missed previous rounds or recently passed supplementary exams. Education department officials said that the highest number of confirmed admissions was recorded in Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, followed by Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University and Gujarat University. "GCAS provides support through two dedicated helpline numbers and, additionally, 2,300 complimentary assistance centres have been established throughout Gujarat to provide support with application completion, document verification, and guidance," mentioned the GCAS website.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Undergraduate admissions in Gujarat under GCAS cross 2.6L mark in special Phase 1
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Common Admission System (GCAS) successfully completed Special Phase 1 of undergraduate admissions, with 2,66,699 students confirming their admissions across various universities and colleges in the state by 5pm on July 15. This figure represents 77.06% of the 3,46,096 verified applicants during the current admission cycle, indicating strong participation in the centralised admission process. As per the data released, a total of 3,65,710 students registered under Phase 1, Phase 2, and the special phase. Out of these, 3,46,096 applications were verified. Based on their preferences and college intake capacities, 2,90,249 admission offers were extended to students. Among these, 2,78,649 students confirmed their admission through the online mode, while 2,66,699 students confirmed their admission by physically visiting the allotted university or college. Moving forward, students seeking UG admissions can now register for Special Phase 2 from July 14 to July 21. Additionally, students can visit the nearest verification centres for document verification between July 14 and July 22, wherever applicable. The admission process for Special Phase 2 will be conducted in five rounds, beginning on July 24. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad At the postgraduate level, Round 7 of the second phase of PG admissions commenced on July 15 through the GCAS portal and will conclude on July 16. On the first day of this round, 56,076 PG students confirmed their admission across various institutions by 5pm. With both undergraduate and postgraduate admissions progressing efficiently, the GCAS portal continues to streamline the higher education enrolment process in Gujarat for the academic year 2025-26.
