Political science emerges as top choice among PU applicants

Patna: If admission applications to Patna University (PU) colleges are any indication, political science has emerged as the most sought-after subject among students seeking admission to arts courses, while zoology has topped the preference list in the science stream.The deadline for submitting online applications for admission to undergraduate honours courses for the 2026-27 academic session ended on Friday. A total of 11,570 registered applicants completed the application process and deposited the required fee against approximately 4,500 sanctioned seats available in PU colleges.According to statistics provided by dean of students’ welfare Kameshwar Pandit, political science honours (major) received the highest number of applications in the arts, social science and humanities streams, attracting 1,175 aspirants.Other popular subjects in the arts stream include history with 841 applications, followed by geography with 540 and English with 532.In the science stream, zoology emerged as the clear favourite with 1,047 applications. It was followed by mathematics with 495 applications and botany with 338, Pandit said.Professional courses also witnessed strong demand. Law attracted 866 applications, while commerce received 550, indicating their growing popularity among students.Academicians, however, find it difficult to pinpoint the exact reason behind the sudden surge in interest in political science. Until a few years ago, history was generally considered the most preferred subject among undergraduate aspirants.“Recent political happenings in the world and recent assembly elections in different states seem to have charged the youths politically,” said a PU teacher.Pandit said the first merit list for admission to various PU colleges would be published on June 8.The counselling and admission process for candidates selected in the first merit list will be conducted from June 9 to June 12, he added.With applications far exceeding the number of available seats, competition for admission to the university’s undergraduate courses is expected to remain intense this year as well.