India, June 14 -- Students hoping for some relief in the second round of Class 11 admissions were in for a disappointment, as cutoffs at several popular colleges remained high and, in some cases, even increased.

Many students and parents had expected cutoffs to fall this year because Class 10 board scores were generally lower. However, strong competition for seats in Mumbai's most sought-after colleges ensured that admission marks remained largely unchanged.

According to the second merit list for the Mumbai region, 1,46,827 students were eligible for admission. Of these, 71,089 students were allotted seats. Significantly, 29,569 students secured admission to their first-choice college, while 12,074 got their second preference and 8,603 ...