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Mumbai: The Maharashtra School Education and Sports Department on Saturday partially rolled back its restrictive in-house quota policy for First Year Junior College (FYJC) admissions for the 2025-26 academic year, following widespread criticism from educational institutions, parents, and stakeholders.

A government resolution, prompted by a proposal from the Education Commissioner in Pune, redefines the in-house quota to include students from schools and junior colleges managed by the same trust within the same revenue district, moving away from the earlier requirement of sharing the same premises.

The in-house quota, which reserves 10% of seats for students transitioning within the same educational trust, was initially limited in a May 5 resolution to schools and colleges on the same campus. This restriction sparked concerns, particularly in urban centres like Mumbai and Pune, where space constraints often result in separate facilities.

Mahendra Ganpule, former president of the State Headmasters Association, said, “It was impractical to limit the in-house quota to a single campus. The government will now consider branches within the same district, but not those across multiple districts. Previously, the in-house quota allowed admissions for students from any branch of the same management, regardless of the district. While this change is partially welcome, decisions must involve consultations with all stakeholders.”

Vasant Kalpande, former Director of Education, Maharashtra, also criticised the original policy, stating, “The previous decision lacked practicality. Very few colleges have both Class 11 and 12 on the same premises.”

On the government’s reversal, he added, “Decisions are no longer made thoughtfully. Earlier, the established process involved consultations with stakeholders, but that practice has now ceased.”

The FYJC admission process, conducted entirely online via mahafyjcadmissions.in, covers approximately 20.43 lakh seats across 9,281 junior colleges in Arts, Commerce, and Science streams. Registration, which resumed on May 26 after technical issues, closes on June 3.

The revised policy designates one unit for the in-house quota in Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, and Thane, while other districts treat schools and colleges within the same revenue district as a single unit.

Despite the policy reversal, challenges persist. A Mumbai college principal noted, “The revenue district criterion is an improvement, but trusts with multiple sites within a district still face ambiguity.”

Confusion also surrounds discrepancies between the Marathi guidelines, which mention “same vicinity/campus,” and the English version, which specifies “revenue district.”

To streamline admissions, online document verification and a merit-based final round have been introduced, eliminating the need for physical visits to guidance centres.

Colleges filling at least 50% of seats can start classes on July 1, with a final admission deadline of August 11 for vacant seats. An official WhatsApp channel provides verified updates to counter misinformation.