Ahmedabad: GCAS Round 1 sees low confirmations, dissatisfaction grows among high-merit students

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS) has completed the first round of seat allotment, but with only a limited number of students securing admissions, the second round has commenced. Despite scoring well in the merit lists, many students have not been allotted their preferred colleges, leading to increasing dissatisfaction, sources said.

In Gujarat University alone, over 80,000 students filled in their choices in the first round, but only about 6,000 confirmed admissions. Officials announced that three to four rounds of counselling will be conducted this year. If seats remain vacant after these rounds, they may be handed over to individual colleges or universities for direct admissions.

However, many high-merit students are reportedly waiting instead of confirming seats, hoping to secure admission in their preferred colleges in subsequent rounds. Some students have even decided not to confirm admissions in the second or third rounds if they are not allotted institutions of their choice, anticipating that the process may eventually be transferred to colleges.

There is also confusion over whether the admission process will actually be handed over to universities after three rounds, as no official clarification has been issued so far. Meanwhile, student organisations have raised concerns about technical issues with the GCAS portal, stating that many applicants are facing difficulties while filling forms and selecting their choices correctly.

Uncertainty surrounding admissions has pushed several students to secure seats in private universities, which may lead to vacancies in govt institutions.

Additionally, delays in the declaration of Semester 6 results have created further hurdles, as mark sheets are mandatory for postgraduate admissions and hostel allocations, leaving many students in a difficult position.