No Admissions in 300 Maharashtra Junior Colleges, Yet Salaries Continue: Questions Raised Over Possible Irregularities

Mumbai, 12th July 2025: In a startling revelation, the Maharashtra government admitted that nearly 300 junior colleges across the state received zero student admissions in the first round of the Class 11 Centralised Admission Process (CAP), raising serious concerns about misuse of public funds and prompting calls for investigation.

Despite not securing even a single student enrolment, these institutions reportedly continue to receive crores of rupees in government salary grants, sparking suspicion that students may have previously been enrolled “on paper” to justify staff positions and funding.

The issue surfaced during a session of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Wednesday, where Minister of State (MoS) for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar acknowledged the alarming statistic, albeit briefly. This year marks the first time that Class 11 admissions in Maharashtra have gone fully online, allowing for greater transparency in tracking enrolment data.

“There may be around 300 such colleges, though I do not have the exact number at this moment,” said Bhoyar. He added that the education department is currently gathering detailed information and stopped short of labeling it a scam.

Opposition Demands Probe
MLC Abhijeet Wanjarri raised concerns over the data, demanding a thorough inquiry. “The minister himself has confirmed that these colleges are receiving partial or full government grants. How is it possible that not one of them admitted a single student? This raises serious doubts about their functioning and calls for a detailed investigation,” Wanjarri said.

Education Department Cites Two Reasons
An official from the school education department, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that there could be two primary reasons for the lack of enrolment: either students were not allotted seats based on merit and preferences in the first round, or students did not choose these colleges at all.

“Many of these colleges may not be popular due to poor academic reputation or lack of infrastructure, which results in them being skipped by students during the CAP process,” the official explained.

However, critics argue that if these colleges have failed to attract students year after year, their continued funding needs to be reassessed, especially when taxpayer money is involved.
Demand for Transparency and Accountability
The revelation has reignited debate around ghost admissions, inefficient grant allocation, and the need for stricter oversight of government-aided educational institutions. Legislators and education activists alike are demanding the publication of the full list of colleges with zero admissions and an audit of their past enrolment and expenditure records.

While the education department has not named the institutions yet, growing pressure from lawmakers may soon compel authorities to act and bring more transparency to the funding and functioning of junior colleges in Maharashtra.