18,534 Maharashtra Class 12 students unable to fill exam forms as offline Class 11 admissions missed UDISE

As the time came to fill the Class 12 examination form in Maharashtra, the ground slipped from under thousands of students. They studied day and night for two years and completed their exam preparation, but now that it is time to fill the form, the way is blocked. It has emerged that 18,534 students across the state face an uncertain academic future because they have no online registration.

The root of the problem lies in Class 11 admissions. These students were admitted offline in Class 11 instead of online. As a result, their entries were never made in the UDISE system. Because of this technical lapse, they are now being stopped from filling the Class 12 exam form.

It has emerged that 1,218 junior colleges in the state's eight divisions gave these unlawful offline admissions. In the colleges of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division alone, 1,718 students are caught in the mess. UDISE+ is a Central government system that holds the complete digital record of school education. Yet administrative negligence has brought the issue directly onto the students' future.

The division-wise figures are as follows. Amravati division has 124 colleges and 1,137 students. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has 175 colleges and 1,718 students. Kolhapur division has 170 colleges and 1,611 students. Latur division has 83 colleges and 846 students.

Mumbai division has been hit hardest, with 6,478 students of 193 colleges affected. Nagpur division has 178 colleges and 1,945 students. Nashik division has 118 colleges and 2,206 students. Pune division has 177 colleges and 2,593 students. In all, 1,218 junior colleges and 18,534 students in Maharashtra are affected.

The question is that clear orders had been in place since last year to make all Class 11 admissions online, so why did colleges give offline admissions? Did the colleges and the education department not remember the rules at the time of admission? The students studied for two years, so how fair is it to wash hands of the matter at the time of the form by saying their entries do not exist?

If the fault lies with the colleges, where was the education department sleeping? And if the lapse occurred at an administrative or technical level in the government system, why should innocent students bear the punishment? These mistakes by officials and those who run institutions have raised the fear that students could lose a whole year. The question of who will take responsibility remains unanswered.