Ahmedabad’s St Xavier’s College, Gujarat’s first autonomous college, is staring at a possible admission crisis as uncertainty over its decision to stay out of the Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS) portal continues. With the High Court yet to decide on the college’s petition challenging the state’s common admission system, more than 2,000 students have been left waiting for nearly three months.
The prolonged deadlock has raised concerns that a significant number of seats may remain vacant this academic year, even as many applicants have already secured admissions elsewhere.
HC decision still awaited
The Gujarat government introduced the GCAS portal in 2024 to streamline admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in government universities and affiliated colleges. While St Xavier’s initially stayed out of the portal in its first year, it joined the system last year after discussions with the state government.
However, the college refused to participate in GCAS for the current academic session and filed a petition before the Gujarat High Court in the first week of May challenging the government’s decision.
The state subsequently issued a public notice cautioning students and parents that admissions granted outside the GCAS system would not be recognised and that university enrolment for such students could also be affected. In response, the college issued its own public notice defending admissions conducted through its independent admission portal.
Students caught in the middle
St Xavier’s offers more than 1,800 undergraduate and postgraduate seats. According to available data, over 3,600 students registered through the college’s admission portal, while more than 20,000 applicants listed St Xavier’s as their preferred choice on the GCAS portal.
With no final verdict from the High Court so far, thousands of students remain uncertain about their admissions. Several candidates have already enrolled in other colleges to avoid losing an academic year, while others had declined admissions elsewhere hoping to secure a seat at St Xavier’s.
Seats may remain vacant
The college has already released its merit list, but admissions remain subject to the outcome of the legal dispute. Officials believe that regardless of the eventual verdict, the prolonged uncertainty could result in a substantial number of vacant seats this year. At the same time, students who have taken admission elsewhere may choose to cancel those admissions and join St Xavier’s if the court rules in the college’s favour.
