Ahmedabad: The dispute between the Gujarat government and Ahmedabad-based autonomous St Xavier’s College has intensified, with the Higher Education Department warning that admissions granted through the college’s independent portal will not be recognised by the university.

The warning comes after St Xavier’s opted out of the Gujarat Common Admission Services (GCAS) system and launched its own admission process. The minority institution has challenged the state government’s directive to join GCAS in the Gujarat High Court.

In a notice issued on the GCAS portal, the Education Department reiterated that admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate courses in state universities and their affiliated institutions, including autonomous colleges, must be conducted only through GCAS as mandated under the Gujarat Public Universities Act, 2023.

Despite repeated directions to join the centralized admission platform, St Xavier’s proceeded with admissions through its own portal. Thousands of students are believed to have applied through the college’s system.

The department 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.

It further stated that St Xavier’s admission portal is not authorised by the government and warned that admissions secured through it would not be recognised by the university. The notice added that any consequences arising from such admissions would be the responsibility of the students and the institution concerned.

The ongoing standoff has created uncertainty among students and parents as the legal battle over the admission process continues. DeshGujarat