India, Dec. 20 -- While it was intended to streamline first-year junior college (FYJC) admissions across the state, the education department's ambitious common admission process (CAP) has instead led to unprecedented confusion, leaving academic sessions in jeopardy and thousands of students stranded.

The FYJC CAP, which began in October 2025, was supposed to cover 2,175,598 available seats in 9,551 junior colleges across the state. Despite four main CAP rounds and over nine special rounds however, roughly 827,787 seats remain unfilled as of mid-December. A final, special round is underway but many students, especially from rural areas, are still without admission.

Former president of the Maharashtra Junior College Principals' Associatio...