Mumbai, Dec. 11 -- The school education department is conducting a special round of First Year Junior College (FYJC) admissions from December 10 to 16, following the completion of first-semester exams. The decision follows a ground survey, which revealed that around 800 students across Maharashtra have still not secured seats. After college management associations raised concerns about vacant seats in rural areas after the shift to a fully online admissions system, the education department asked the concerned officials to identify students who had missed out on seats. "After the ground survey, we received data of 800 students who are seeking admission. To give them an opportunity, we decided to run a special round," said Shriram Panzade, joint director of secondary education. According to a notification released by the education department on Wednesday, aspirants are required to fill forms by 10 am on December 11, after which colleges will be publishing vacancy details. Students can then select their preferred options. The allotment list will be released on December 13, and the candidates are required to confirm seats by December 16. The decision has drawn criticism. Jalindar Sarode, working president of Shikshak Sena, said, "This is the failure of the online process run by the department. After four months of Class 11 lectures, how will the students cope with academics?" Mukund Andhalkar, president of the Junior College Teachers Association, reiterated the demand to discontinue online admissions, especially in non-metro areas....