Maharashtra’s education department has stepped up action against “dummy admissions” in First Year Junior College (FYJC) classes, warning that divisions found allowing students to stay away from college to attend coaching classes could face derecognition.
Deputy director of education Ganpat More said authorities will begin regular inspections once FYJC classes start this academic year to ensure that school or college premises are not being used for coaching and that students enrolled there are actually attending classes.
The move comes amid renewed scrutiny of integrated coaching arrangements and the wider coaching culture that has drawn attention after the NEET paper leak controversy.
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Attendance, as it ought to be
More said the education department will not treat attendance violations lightly. According to him, if students are found to be regularly absent during two or three inspections, the agency will send a proposal to the government seeking derecognition of the division.
He also said inspections are expected to take place at least once a week, from cluster heads to state-level officers. The department’s position is that if a college is registered as an educational institution, it must follow government norms and actually impart education, rather than merely keeping teachers on rolls while coaching classes do the teaching.
More added integrated coaching is not recognized by the Maharashtra government, and institutions operating in that format will face action.
Why the state is targeting dummy admissions?
The crackdown is aimed at the broader practice of integrated coaching, where students are admitted to junior colleges on paper but spend most of their time at private coaching institutes preparing for competitive examinations.
Many say parents are free to choose coaching instead of college study, but if they take admission to a college, they are bound by the rules and regulations set by the education department.
He said such students can take admission in a coaching class, fill out form No. 17, and take the examination, but once a student is enrolled in a college, the institution cannot be treated as a shell while the actual teaching happens elsewhere. The department’s caution reflects growing concerns that some colleges benefit from grants and other concessions meant for teaching institutions without fulfilling their basic academic obligations.
Principals back reform, but seek alternatives
The move has drawn a cautious welcome from the Maharashtra School Principals’ Federation. Its spokesperson, Mahendra Ganpule, said colleges should ideally be able to prepare students effectively for examinations such as NEET and CET so that parents do not feel compelled to rely on private coaching.
He said it is not enough to simply ban coaching classes without offering a viable alternative, warning that students’ futures cannot be left to chance. Ganpule also pointed to a larger concern that the std. XI and XII syllabus is often seen as a formality to be completed, while the real focus shifts to entrance exam preparation.
He said the current trend shows that many parents remain unconvinced by the existing system, especially when mandatory college attendance raises questions about how students will prepare for NEET and JEE.
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FAQs
Q1: What is dummy schooling in Maharashtra?
Ans: Dummy schooling refers to students taking admission in a junior college on paper while primarily attending private coaching institutes instead of regular classes.
Q2: What action will Maharashtra take against colleges promoting dummy admissions?
Ans: The state has warned that FYJC divisions found repeatedly allowing dummy admissions may face derecognition following inspections.
