Senate member Amarjit Singh Manhas, one of the observers appointed to monitor the admission process in colleges, has submitted a memorandum to the university detailing how several colleges, including government colleges like Sydenham College for Commerce at Churchgate, have not mentioned the 3 per cent quota in the admission forms or prospectus. This quota is awarded to children of central and state government employees on transferable jobs, of current and retired armed forces, children or grandchildren of freedom fighters, students who have made special achievements in sports and cultural events at the national and state levels, physically handicapped students, widows and women deserted by their husbands.

Confirming this, the universityregistrar Dr P V Pradhan said a circular would be issued to all colleges tommorrow directing them to prominently display the requisite quota on their notice boards. The National students Union of India (NSUI) has also submitted a memorandum citing this and other anomalies in the admission process.

``The quota has to be mentioned as per the new admission policy in both the government and varsity circulars since the last two years. But it is unfortunate that colleges have not abided by this. That too, when we have reminded them a week before admissions started,'' said Dr Pradhan.

The university will also hold a special Academic Council (AC) meeting on June 17 to discuss a request made by some city colleges asking for flexibility in the number of students being admitted. Accordingly, the colleges will be sent another circular tomorrow. The hitch is, even if the AC decides to relax the number of students being admitted, by the time it is known, the third merit list will be up.

This year, for the first time,the university insisted on restricting the number of students in FYBA/BSc/BCom. Accordingly, the first division is to have not more than 120 students and the subsequent divisions not more than 100. Colleges are pleading with the university for an additional 17 to 25 more students in the subsequent divisions, said Dr Pradhan.

According to Manhas, Sydenham is also charging about Rs 70 against the official fee of Rs 20 for admission forms and prospectus. Dr Pradhan said the varsity has already dashed off a letter to the college principal asking for an explanation. ``We have also written to the state government about it. Till we get feedback from the college, we will not be able to comment,'' he added.

When it was pointed out that some colleges have put up notices asking only their own students to apply, Dr Pradhan maintained that though in-house students get first preference, no college can debar outside students from applying.