The standoff between the Gujarat government and Ahmedabad’s autonomous St Xavier’s College has escalated, with the Higher Education Department stating that admissions granted through the college’s independent admission portal will not be recognised by the university.
The controversy began after St Xavier’s chose not to participate in the Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS) system and instead launched its own admission process. The minority institution has challenged the state government’s directive to join GCAS before the Gujarat High Court.
In a notice issued through the GCAS portal, the Education Department reiterated that admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in state universities and affiliated institutions, including autonomous colleges, must be conducted exclusively through GCAS, as mandated by the Gujarat Public Universities Act, 2023.
Despite repeated instructions from the state government to join the centralised admission platform, St Xavier’s continued its admission process through its own portal, attracting applications from thousands of students.
The department pointed out that the Gujarat High Court has not granted any stay on the implementation of GCAS and advised students and parents to avoid unauthorised admission processes.
It further clarified that the admission portal operated by St Xavier’s has not been approved by the government. Consequently, admissions secured through the college’s independent system will not be recognised by the university. The department also stated that any consequences arising from such admissions would be the responsibility of the institution and the students concerned.
The ongoing legal dispute has left many students and parents uncertain as they await clarity on the admission process for the upcoming academic session.