40,126 That’s the number of vacant seats in professional courses across state
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, September 10, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20090910200909100332049214ee90931)
Every year between July and September, colleges that offer degrees in various professional courses are overwhelmed with applications from students seeking admission. This year, however, many of these colleges are struggling to fill even half of their seats.
Posted On Thursday, September 10, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20090910200909100332049214ee90931)
Every year between July and September, colleges that offer degrees in various professional courses are overwhelmed with applications from students seeking admission. This year, however, many of these colleges are struggling to fill even half of their seats.
A drastic increase in number of seats for professional courses such as pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, education, business administration and computer application, among others, this year has left several government-aided and private colleges in Gujarat with 40,126 empty seats. The situation at some colleges is so grim that they are considering not to conduct classes for this academic year.
Professional course Vacant seats
Engineering (degree) 1,243
Professional course Vacant seats
Engineering (degree) 1,243
Pharmacy (degree & diploma 2,500
MBA 600
MCA 300
Medical, para-medical 483
BEd 20,000
PTC 15,0000
Sample this: 1,243 and 2,500 seats are lying vacant in engineering and pharmacy colleges, respectively, across the state. Colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in education (BEd) are grappling to find students for a staggering 20,000 seats. In MBA, MCA and medical colleges, there are 600, 300 and 483 empty seats, respectively.
Sample this: 1,243 and 2,500 seats are lying vacant in engineering and pharmacy colleges, respectively, across the state. Colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in education (BEd) are grappling to find students for a staggering 20,000 seats. In MBA, MCA and medical colleges, there are 600, 300 and 483 empty seats, respectively.
The number of vacant seats for these professional courses has confounded education officials because these are the disciplines that have been seeing highest takers year in year out.
“The (sudden) increase in number of engineering seats has resulted in a surplus. Some engineering colleges have not been able to fill the stipulated number of seats,” the vice-chancellor of Gujarat Technological University (GTU), M N Patel, told Ahmedabad Mirror. “The glut of seats has affected pharmacy colleges the most. This year, pharmacy colleges received only 9,000 applications for 6,750 seats. The number of applications last year was much higher.”
Sources in the Admission Committee for Professional Courses, in the meantime, said that some PTC and BEd colleges had not been able to fill even 10 seats.
“PTC and BEd colleges in Saurashtra may not conduct classes this year as they just don’t have enough students,” the sources said. “During an academic year, a BEd college spends close to Rs 15 lakh. It recovers the money by charging fees from students. If there are only 5-10 students in a class, then it becomes difficult for the college to conduct regular classes.”
“PTC and BEd colleges in Saurashtra may not conduct classes this year as they just don’t have enough students,” the sources said. “During an academic year, a BEd college spends close to Rs 15 lakh. It recovers the money by charging fees from students. If there are only 5-10 students in a class, then it becomes difficult for the college to conduct regular classes.”
Some professional courses lose favour
Apart from surplus seats, students’ changing preferences have also lead to empty classrooms in colleges across the state. “Some professional courses are out of favour among students. For instance, students are no longer inclined to pursue a bachelor’s degree in education. This is because a student who graduates from a BEd college earns only Rs 2,500 a month,” the sources said.
‘Allow colleges to admit non-Gujarati students’
A former senate member of the Gujarat University (GU), Jaswant Thakkar, said that students from other states should be allowed to take admission in glut-hit colleges. “The GU has permitted pharmacy and engineering colleges to fill their seats by accepting applications from students from other parts of the country. Now, it should allow Bed college to do the same,” Thakkar said.
