St. Xavier’s Ahmedabad opts out of GCAS, moves Gujarat HC over admission policy

St. Xavier’s College Ahmedabad has released its undergraduate admission schedule for the 2026-27 academic session, announcing that admissions will be conducted entirely through its own online portal. Registration is underway and the last date to submit application forms for Phase I admissions is May 28. The first merit list will be released on May 30 at 5 pm and fee payment for selected candidates will continue from May 31 to June 2.

The college has also stated that Phase II admissions will begin from May 30. If seats remain vacant, a second merit list will be announced on June 3, followed by another fee payment window from June 4 to June 6. Additional phases will be conducted only if seats remain available.

The announcement comes amid criticism surrounding Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS). Students, colleges and education stakeholders have raised complaints over delays, verification issues and prolonged counselling rounds. St. Xavier’s College, one of the few Gujarat University-affiliated colleges to openly oppose GCAS, has also approached the Gujarat High Court against the state government over the issue. The college had similarly refused to conduct admissions through GCAS last year, citing concerns over the admission process.

The latest public notice on the college’s official website reads, “The College has, for reasons already placed before the concerned authorities, decided not to participate in the GCAS admission process for Academic Year 2026-27. The College has also requested the concerned authorities to remove the name of St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Ahmedabad from the GCAS portal, so that students are not misled or placed in confusion.”

It further reads, “The issue concerning the compulsory applicability of GCAS to the College is presently pending before the Hon’ble High Court of Gujarat. The writ petition filed by the College was listed before the Hon’ble High Court on 05.05.2026, whereupon the Hon’ble Court was pleased to issue notice to the Respondents. The matter is now kept on 08.06.2026, being the first day after reopening following the summer vacation.”

Delays, seat blocking raise concerns

Academia360 had earlier reported that Ahmedabad-based student Jaivika Vaghela faced issues with her application for a BCom LLB programme through GCAS last year during the document verification process, despite carefully filling out the form. She said her name did not appear in the merit list due to verification-related problems. Vaghela said colleges told her they could not intervene since admissions were being handled solely through the centralised portal. Her name ultimately never appeared in the allotment list.

College administrators had also raised concerns regarding delayed admission cycles and seat blocking on the portal. Speaking to Academia360, SN Iyer, principal of RH Patel Arts and Commerce College affiliated to Gujarat University, said the process had become “too long and too complicated”, adding that even students applying to nearby colleges were entirely dependent on the portal-based system.

Iyer said last year’s admission process continued till November with nearly 36 counselling rounds, affecting academic schedules and delaying classes. Ashish Dave, principal of Samarpan Arts and Commerce College, Gujarat University Gandhinagar, said many students blocked seats through GCAS before eventually taking admission elsewhere, which delayed allotments for other applicants.

Political student groups including NSUI and ABVP also criticised the system and demanded reforms. Education experts further pointed to internet accessibility issues and difficulties faced by students from rural and tribal regions. Amid this, colleges continuing admissions through independent institutional portals are drawing attention from students.