Mumbai: The state government has now allowed minority institutions to voluntarily surrender unfilled first-year junior college (FYJC) seats from their 50% minority quota after the first round of centralised online admissions. This fresh directive, issued via a government resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday, marks a major change aimed at optimising seat allocation during the 2025–26 admission cycle.

The resolution states, “If seats under the minority quota remain vacant after the first round, institutions with recognised minority status will have the option to surrender these surplus seats from the second round onwards.”

However, the GR also makes it clear that “any eligible minority applicants who apply during the second round must be admitted first under the minority quota, before the vacant seats are merged with the general pool.” Crucially, the decision to surrender these seats has been described as “purely voluntary and ethical,” and institutions will not be compelled to do so.

This move comes on the back of a key decision taken by the School Education and Sports Department in May, when it rolled back a controversial restriction on the in-house quota following strong opposition from parents and school associations.

The restriction had limited the 10% in-house quota only to schools and junior colleges located on the same premises. Responding to the widespread outcry, the government clarified on May 31 that institutions run by the same management would be treated as a single unit for in-house admissions, provided they are located within the same revenue district.

Tuesday’s GR reaffirms that clarification, allowing private unaided institutions to reserve 10% of their seats for students coming from their own network of schools.

Under the clarified rules, private unaided junior colleges are entitled to reserve 10% of their seats for in-house students — those who completed Class 10 from a school operated by the same trust or management. In Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban and Thane, all such institutions under one management are considered a single unit for in-house admissions.

The same applies to other districts based on revenue limits. Meanwhile, government and municipal-run institutions continue to have a 50% in-house quota, applicable only to students who passed Class 10 from a government or municipal school in Maharashtra.