Amritsar: Fearing low enrolments through CAP, colleges set up help desks

Tribune News Service

Neha Saini

Amritsar, June 26

Fearing a repeat of last year’s low enrolments in undergraduate courses, the private aided/non-aided colleges across Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Amritsar have set up special admission cells and help desks for students seeking admissions for academic session 2024-25. The state government had announced centralised admissions for all undergraduate and post graduate courses through Centralised Admission Portal (CAP) launched last year. As private colleges opposed the move, the difference of opinion led to drop in enrolments to up to 20 per cent, which the colleges blamed on CAP.

90,693 Registrations for UG courses on Centralised Admission Portal

77,584 Total applications received on CAP

421 Total colleges enlisted with CAP

Total registrations done in PG courses on CAP: 2,496

Total applications received on CAP: 1,244

Total no of aided/non-aided private colleges in Punjab: 225

This year, the constituent colleges of GNDU in Gurdaspur, Taran Tarn and Amritsar and several private colleges are inviting and facilitating students from rural belt on how to apply on CAP by setting up help desks. “The centralised portal left the students confused, who were unaware of the new admission procedure. Even this year, the students have been facing some challenges to get online application uploaded, which is where the help desks are assisting them. Overall, switching to CAP was not a smooth process for students as well as colleges,” said prof Davinder Singh, registrar and admissions in-charge, Khalsa College, Amritsar. Several private colleges in Amritsar, including Hindu college, DAV college, BBKDAV college too have help desks in place this year.

The last date for applying through CAP for undergraduate courses is June 27, 2024. “There is no awareness among majority students from rural border belt on how to apply through CAP. Also, centralised admissions portal has been a waste of time and money as many students who enrol, drop out mid-way either because they migrate to other countries or they leave for big cities for employment opportunities. Such is the status that more than 40 per cent seats in all private colleges in Tarn Taran, Khadoor Sahib and Patti remain vacant as there are no students,” said prof Jasbir Singh, principal, Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Sarhali, Tarn Taran. He claims most colleges have an average approved seats between 100-150 in BCA, BA, BCom, BSc, out which more than 60-70 remain vacant. There are a total of 225 aided/non-aided private colleges across Punjab, out of which 30 are in Majha.

Rather than streamlining the admission process, the CAP has created more confusion. The students are mostly unaware of the new admission procedure. At many colleges in Patti and Taran Tarn, not even a single registration through CAP was reported last year. This year’s not better. “We are approaching students to take admission but since the scope of employment after higher education keeps on decreasing, every year there are less takers for most degree courses. Even in diploma courses, more than 50 per cent seats lie vacant as student do not see any future. Moreover, the centralised admissions serve purpose in a situation where there are less number of seats and more students. Here, the situation is reverse as there are more seats and lesser students. The survival for private aided/un-aided colleges have become really difficult,” shares Rahul Khanna, administrator, SEVA Devi SD College, Tarn Taran. The situation remains same for colleges in Gurdaspur as data shared by five private colleges in the district reveal that applications received are lesser than previous years.

The last date for applying for undergraduate courses is 27 June and postgraduate courses is July 7. Currently, total applications received for undergraduate courses so far on CAP for 421 colleges across the state is 77,693, while for post graduate courses is 2,496. Since the private universities and state/central universities have been kept out of CAP scope, there figures are not included.

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