MUMBAI: The
education department has received only 14,307 applications for 26,740
bifocal seats in first-year junior colleges in city. The first round of applications for those opting for bifocal courses concluded on Monday.
Popular among
engineering aspirants, students who opt for the bifocal courses can drop biology and a second language subject and opt for a single 200-mark subject like electronics, computer science and electrical maintenance. In 2016, a 25% reservation was introduced for bifocal seats in
FYJC for students who opted for technical subjects in class X.
It is the first time that the state has moved bifocal admissions to a centralized online process. Until last year, students would opt for the science stream in the centralized process and apply for bifocal courses at the college level. However, there were complaints that the seats weren’t allotted on the basis of merit.
Citing reasons for the low number of applications, parents and students expressed concern on having limited information about colleges that provided bifocal courses. In the online process, students can see junior colleges that provide bifocal course only after they have selected the option, which cannot be reversed. “I tried reaching out to the authorities at
guidance centres, but they gave no information about the institutes that offer bifocal courses... I can’t base my child’s future on a bluff,” said Poornima Mepani, mother of a student from Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir.
A student’s father who visited the deputy director’s office with complaints said, “All I know is that there is a reservation for students who’ve previously taken bifocal subjects. We need more clarity on the procedure.”
An official from the education department said they would address the concerns in the next round. “We are doing the bifocal admissions through the online system for the first time. Taking into consideration the student feedback, we will ensure the necessary information is made available to all applicants interested in bifocal courses for the second round,” he said.
Illustration for representational purpose