Seat Matrix Management
Epic summary
The Seat Matrix Management epic gives the institution a controlled record of the seats it is permitted to fill and the counselling process responsible for each seat pool.
It separates three figures that are often confused:
- Sanctioned or permitted intake - the approved capacity of the programme.
- Seat-pool allocation - the portion controlled by a counselling process and quota.
- Round availability - the seats actually published for a particular round.
Actors and access
| Actor | Access |
|---|---|
| Counselling Coordinator | Creates, imports, revises, and reconciles seat records |
| Admission Nodal Officer | Reviews the complete institutional matrix |
| Authorised Dean/Principal | Approves and locks material seat distributions |
| Directorate/University/Trust Admissions Officer | Consolidated view and governed approval where required |
| Reporting and verification staff | Read-only seat information for assigned cases |
| Internal Auditor | Read-only matrix versions, sources, and changes |
Screen structure and data captured
The workspace contains Programme Capacity, Seat Pools, Round Availability, Matrix Versions, and Reconciliation Summary. Programme, institution, session, and authority context is inherited from the selected cycle and cannot be freely typed.
Programme capacity and seat-pool fields
| Field | Entry type | Required | Meaning and validation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission cycle | Selected context | Yes | Active or draft cycle being configured |
| Cycle offering | Selected | Yes | Institution and programme participating in the cycle |
| Recognised intake | Inherited | Yes | Approved capacity from the programme offering |
| Permitted intake for cycle | Entered/imported | Yes | Intake applicable to this cycle and supported by authority evidence |
| Counselling process | Selected | Yes | Authority route inside the same cycle |
| Seat-pool name | Entered | Yes | For example All India Quota or Maharashtra State Quota |
| Authority pool code | Entered/imported | Conditional | External code used in matrix and allotment files |
| Quota type | Selected | Yes | AIQ, state, institutional, management, NRI, minority, or configured type |
| Seats allocated to pool | Entered/imported | Yes | Non-negative count within the permitted intake |
| Reservation policy | Selected | Conditional | Versioned policy applied within the pool; separate from quota |
| Effective date | Entered | Yes | Date from which the distribution applies |
| Source order number/date | Entered | Yes | Issuing authority, order number, and date |
| Source document | Uploaded | Yes | Original approval or published matrix |
| Status | System controlled | Yes | Draft, Provisional, Approved, Locked, or Superseded |
Round-availability fields
| Field | Entry type | Required | Meaning and validation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counselling round | Selected | Yes | Round within the selected counselling process |
| Matrix type | Selected | Yes | Provisional, final, revised, or conversion |
| Matrix version | System generated | Yes | Sequential version retained for audit |
| Publication date/time | Entered/imported | Yes | Authority publication timestamp |
| Offering and seat pool | Selected/imported | Yes | Must belong to the same cycle and process |
| Reservation category | Selected/imported | Conditional | Authority category code mapped to MedCES master data |
| Opening seats | Entered/imported | Yes | Seats available at the start of the matrix version |
| Seats added | Entered/imported | No | Must cite the revision or approval source |
| Seats withdrawn | Entered/imported | No | Cannot silently remove an accepted allotment |
| Seats converted | Entered/imported | No | Records source and destination category/pool |
| Effective timestamp | Entered | Yes | Determines which version validates an allotment |
| Published source file | Uploaded | Yes | Original matrix retained unchanged |
System-derived information
MedCES calculates total pool allocation, unallocated seats, excess allocation, round availability, allotted seats, joined seats, closing vacancy, conversion impact, and differences from recognised intake. Derived figures are read-only and trace back to their source records.
Use case 1: Define programme capacity and seat pools
As a Counselling Coordinator
I want to divide the approved intake into controlled seat pools
So that each allotment is validated against the correct authority and quota.
Acceptance criteria
- The Counselling Coordinator selects a cycle offering and records sanctioned and permitted intake.
- Each seat pool identifies its counselling process, quota type, name, code, and starting count.
- The sum of active seat pools is compared with the permitted intake.
- Reservation policy is associated separately from the quota type.
- The system supports more than one seat pool under the same authority.
- A matrix source or approving order can be attached.
Negative cases and alternate flows
- Pools exceed permitted intake: Block approval and show the difference.
- Pools are below intake: Allow draft saving but flag unallocated seats.
- Duplicate pool: Prevent the same programme, process, and quota combination unless a distinct authority-defined code is supplied.
- Unapproved intake: Mark the matrix as provisional and prevent final allotment acceptance where policy requires approval.
Use case 2: Publish round availability
As a Counselling Coordinator
I want to record the seats available in a counselling round
So that allotments can be checked against the authority’s published matrix.
Acceptance criteria
- The Counselling Coordinator selects an open or upcoming round within the same counselling process.
- The matrix records the opening seats by offering, seat pool, and applicable category.
- The source file and publication date are retained.
- The round matrix is versioned.
- Available seats cannot exceed the active capacity without an approved increase.
- Accepted allotments are checked against the applicable matrix version.
Negative cases and alternate flows
- Source not final: Mark the matrix Provisional and prevent it from replacing a final version without approval.
- Seat removed after allotment: Flag affected candidates for authority review; do not silently delete them.
- Category not recognised: Place the row in an exception queue.
Use case 3: Record a revised matrix or conversion
As a Counselling Coordinator
I want to record an authority-issued revision or category conversion
So that the institution retains both the current position and the history.
Acceptance criteria
- The revision references the earlier matrix version.
- Added, withdrawn, transferred, or converted seats are recorded separately.
- The user provides the source notification and effective round.
- The system identifies allotments affected by the revision.
- Approval is required before the revision becomes operational.
- Earlier versions remain read-only and available to audit.
Negative cases and alternate flows
- Manual unsupported change: Do not permit an operator to change an authority-controlled pool without source evidence.
- Revision creates negative availability: Reject the revision and identify the conflicting records.
- Locked round: Require controlled reopening before an operational matrix can change.
Success outcome
At any point the institution can explain its approved capacity, who controls each seat pool, what was available in each round, and why a seat changed.