DAVV direct admissions see lukewarm response

Indore: Despite offering more than 3,300 seats across its teaching departments, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) has once again witnessed a poor response to its direct admission process, with registrations amounting to less than half of the total intake capacity.

The registration window for non-CUET admissions to 116 courses offered by 30 teaching departments closed on Wednesday. University officials said that a little over 1,550 students registered for 3,325 available seats, indicating that admissions in most programmes are likely to remain open due to insufficient demand.

Counselling for admissions will be conducted from June 15 to June 23. The schedule for individual departments has already been uploaded on the university’s website, and candidates have been asked to report accordingly.

According to officials, merit-based competition will be witnessed in only eight to nine courses where the number of applicants has exceeded the available seats. In the remaining programmes, almost every eligible applicant is expected to secure admission.

The low registration figures have once again raised concerns over the relevance and popularity of several courses being offered by the university. Sources indicated that more than 50 per cent of the seats could remain vacant even after the counselling process. In such a situation, DAVV may opt for another round of admissions and could open applications to all eligible candidates.

Educationists believe that students are increasingly choosing courses that offer clear employment opportunities, business prospects, or startup potential. Traditional diploma, certificate, and degree programmes with declining demand are struggling to attract applicants.

Officials maintained that major professional courses continue to witness healthy demand, while less preferred programmes would be reviewed and upgraded. The university is also considering discontinuing courses that have recorded admissions below 20 per cent of sanctioned intake for three consecutive years.

Last year, DAVV had received only 1,520 applications for a similar number of seats, reflecting that the overall trend remains largely unchanged.