The junior college (Std XI) admissions are now on in full swing since the first merit list was released yesterday. While most colleges saw an upward swing in the cut-off percentage, marking tougher competition, it is the Arts stream that has witnessed a significant rise in numbers this year, with more students opting for it.

When the first online merit list for junior college aspirants (Std XI) was announced on Monday evening, most colleges noticed their first cut-off going up by one or two percentage points, but this hardly surprised anyone, considering the fact that a greater number of students had scored 90 per cent and higher in the Board exams this year.