The Gujarat High Court is hearing a dispute between Ahmedabad’s St. Xavier’s College and the Gujarat government over admissions through the Gujarat Common Admission Service (GCAS).
On July 1, St. Xavier’s College told the court that forcing all colleges to admit students only through the GCAS portal would take away its right to manage admissions as a minority and autonomous institution.
College Says Its Rights Are Being Affected
The college argued that it has constitutional protection under Article 30, which gives minority educational institutions the right to manage their own affairs, including admissions.
It told the High Court that if admissions are made compulsory through GCAS, its autonomy and legal rights would be affected.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for next week.
What Is GCAS?
GCAS (Gujarat Common Admission Service) is an online admission portal started by the Gujarat government’s Higher Education Department. The government has made it mandatory for all colleges to admit students through this portal for the 2026-27 academic year.
However, St. Xavier’s College has refused to follow the new system. Instead, it started its own admission process and asked students to apply through the college’s official website, leading to the legal dispute.
Thousands of Students Left Waiting
The court case has created confusion for thousands of students.
Although the first round of GCAS admissions has been completed, students who applied to St. Xavier’s still do not know whether they will get admission. The college has put its admission process on hold until the court gives its decision.
As a result, the merit list, document verification, seat allotment, fee payment and admission confirmation have all been delayed.
Students Fear Losing an Academic Year
Many students who chose St. Xavier’s as their first preference did not apply to other colleges through GCAS. They now fear that if the court rules against the college, they may lose their chance to get admission elsewhere because seats could already be full.
With the new academic session beginning in July, students are hoping for a quick court decision or a temporary solution so that their education is not affected. Many believe the case should be resolved as soon as possible to ensure that no student’s academic year is wasted.