GCAS: Single window, multiple hurdles for students

Vadodara/Ahmedabad: When the Gujarat govt launched the Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS) two years ago, the promise was simple: one portal, one process, one admission system. The reality is far more complicated. As admissions for the 2026-27 academic year gather pace, students, parents, and academicians are increasingly questioning whether the “single-window” system has instead added multiple new windows.

What was envisaged as a unified online admission mechanism for publicly funded universities has gradually evolved into a multi-layered process involving GCAS registration, programme selection, university-level registrations, entrance exams, and multiple rounds of counselling to secure a seat.

The issue has come into sharp focus at Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU). Its faculty of commerce — the university’s largest, accounting for nearly half of its student strength — introduced entrance exams for first-year BCom for the first time. The faculty has around 6,793 seats, while more than 15,000 students from Vadodara city and district cleared Class 12 this year. Even after MSU increased the quota for Vadodara students from 85% to 95%, concerns remain over how many local applicants will secure admission.

Eligibility confusion

The introduction of entrance tests for a mainstream commerce programme has reignited debate over the growing complexity under GCAS. Earlier this month, widespread confusion prompted MSU to issue a detailed clarification explaining the process for programmes requiring entrance exams.

It clarified that registering on GCAS alone does not make a candidate eligible. Students must select programme preferences on GCAS and separately register for and pay the entrance exam fees through the university portal.

Officials found that many applicants completed only part of the process. The issue surfaced during BBA admissions, where several students reportedly appeared for entrance exams without completing the mandatory GCAS formalities.

MSU clarified that candidates who registered on GCAS but failed to select programme choices or did not pay the entrance exam fees would be marked “not eligible”. Conversely, students who appeared for the entrance tests after paying the fees could lose eligibility if they skipped registration and programme selection on GCAS. To prevent hardship, the university kept the portal open until the deadline to allow students to complete pending formalities.

Multi-layered reality

Academicians argue that instead of eliminating duplication, the system has added more layers. Students are often required to complete registration, document verification, programme selection, entrance-test registration, and admission confirmation through different channels. Critics say a truly integrated platform should automatically connect these stages.

Educationists also question the absence of automatic seat allocation. Under the current system, students can receive admission offers from multiple universities — in some cases as many as 15 — and must manually accept one while relinquishing the others. They argue that a centralised portal should automatically allot seats based on preferences, reducing repeated admission rounds and vacancies. Instead, multiple rounds continue for weeks, stretching the admission cycle well into the academic session.

Operational hurdles

Faculty members have reported operational challenges as well. Sources at MSU said hundreds of applications contained incorrect birth dates, registration details, and other discrepancies, forcing faculties to manually verify records. Nearly 100 teachers were reportedly engaged in contacting students and resolving issues during BCom admissions.

In the BCA programme, around 1,700 students applied for admission, but the faculty of science received only 1,200 applications for the entrance exam. Of these, nearly 100 students had not completed GCAS registration.

The debate extends beyond MSU. At Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU), entrance exams continue only for select professional master’s programmes where mandated by regulatory bodies, while courses such as BCom, BBA, BCA, MCom, and MSc remain merit-based.

Vacancies and next rounds

Meanwhile, GCAS data has raised fresh questions. Against nearly 5.5 lakh undergraduate seats available across Gujarat, around 2.95 lakh students have registered so far, while only about 2.5 lakh have paid fees. Educationists say a substantial number of seats remain vacant despite repeated admission rounds, with some students choosing private universities over an increasingly complex process.

Authorities have announced multiple admission rounds. Fresh registrations for the second round are open from May 30 to June 6, followed by the third round from June 8 to June 13 and the fourth round from June 15 to June 20.

GCAS has also introduced category-change provisions from May 26. Students can modify their category status, including shifting from reserved or PwD categories to general category, by paying an additional fee of Rs 150. Applicants awaiting non-creamy layer certificates can apply provisionally but must submit the document while confirming admission.