Despite standing first in the commerce faculty with 86 per cent, Nikhil Sarin awaits admission to first year B Com degree course in the city's prominent colleges including Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce and Symbiosis.

Commanding Officer, NCC unit, Lt Col K K Sharma's daughter who secured 82 per cent is still doing the college rounds. Lt Col (retired) M I Balasubramanian's son with 75 per cent wonders whether he will secure admission at all.

With the University of Pune deciding not to centralise the first year degree course admissions this year to ensure preference to its in-house students, a lot of students from other examination boards, apart from those outside the city and State, are finding it extremely difficult to get into colleges.

Parents of students, who passed the CBSE examination with flying colours but are yet to be admitted to colleges, have decided to meet theVice-Chancellor of University of Pune, Arun Nigavekar, on Monday. According to one parent L M Sarin, after reservation for in-house students, the remaining seats are reserved for SC/OBC candidates. ``This leaves no scope for students from Central schools,'' he rued.

Another parent Ram Verma lamented that because of the rules, merit had been given no consideration.

``Due to the rules, a student who has passed standard XII from BMCC with as low as 40 per cent has been admitted while students with as high as 70-90 per cent have been denied admission,'' Verma cried. Parents also pointed out that in some colleges where not even 50 per cent of the SC/OBC quota seats were filled till now, have been instructed by the university to wait till July 23 before the seats can be offered to general open merit candidates.

``This is highly unfair. Those who secure admission after July 23, would have lost one month of valuable teaching which has already started in colleges,'' parents rued, demanding that colleges beinstructed to immediately admit students of the general category against the unfilled SC/OBC quota.