GCAS warns admissions via college’s portal won’t be recognised; college continues with independent process
A confrontation between the Gujarat government and Ahmedabad’s autonomous St Xavier’s College has intensified, with the Education Department warning that admissions secured through the college’s independent portal will not be recognised by the university. The clarification follows St Xavier’s decision to stay out of the Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS) system and conduct admissions through its own portal. The minority institution, which enjoys autonomous status, had challenged the government’s directive in court instead of joining the common admission platform.
Admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate courses across government, grant-in-aid, private and autonomous institutions are currently being conducted through GCAS. The state government maintains that all affiliated institutions, including autonomous colleges, must adhere to the centralised admission mechanism under the Gujarat Public Universities Act, 2023.
Despite repeated directions from authorities to join GCAS, St Xavier’s proceeded with its independent admission process and began accepting applications through its own portal. Thousands of students from Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat are believed to have applied through the college’s system.
In a notice published on the GCAS portal, the Education Department stated that admissions to all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in state universities and their affiliated institutions, including autonomous colleges such as St Xavier’s, must be completed only through GCAS.
The government also noted that the Gujarat High Court has not granted any stay on the implementation of GCAS and urged students and parents not to be misled by unauthorised admission processes.
In a strongly worded warning, the department said St Xavier’s admission portal is not authorised by the government. It cautioned that admissions secured through the college’s independent portal, instead of GCAS, would not be recognised by the university, adding that responsibility for any consequences would rest with the student and the institution concerned.
The dispute has created uncertainty among aspiring students and parents as the standoff between the state government and the autonomous institution continues.
