The Times of India           30.07.2013

PMC science junior colleges from August 1

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to start its junior colleges for science stream in the city from August 1. Admission process for the colleges has already started.

According to a statement issued by senior Congress corporator Aba Bagul, the authorities have selected the Rajiv Gandhi Academy of e-learning at Shivdarshan and the Nanasaheb Parulekar Vidyalaya in Vishrantwadi for setting up the junior colleges.

"These junior colleges will not only focus on the syllabus of the class XI and class XII, but will also prepare the students for the engineering and medical entrance exams along with other competitive exams," Bagul said in the statement.

The initiative is a result of a 10-year agreement signed with the Pace Institute, Mumbai. According to the statement, there are future plans to upgrade these junior colleges to full-fledged colleges.

The junior colleges will admit 300 students out of which 150 students will receive free education. Selection of the students, who will receive free education, will be done by the PMC where 30% of the 150 seats are reserved for students from the PMC-run schools and the remaining 20% is reserved for candidates from economically weak backgrounds.

These centres will also enrol students of standard IX and class X where they will be given special classes with focus on strengthening their understanding of various concepts related to physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics.