Bhubaneswar: More than 40,000 undergraduate (UG) seats available at different degree colleges in the state could not find a single student. Around 2.33 lakh students have applied for 2.74 lakh UG seats available at 1,056 degree colleges in the state by June 17, the last date to apply for UG admission.
This statistics was taken before the first round of admissions, which begins on June 26.After admission is over, several thousand seats will remain vacant this year too, said the college sources. Last year, more than 82,000 UG seats were lying vacant after the completion of the admission process.

Gagan Beura, the general secretary of the All Odisha Non-Govt Lecturers and Employees Association, said many students are increasingly opting for professional courses over traditional ones. There is a growing trend among students to pursue specialized programs that align with their career aspirations and provide better job prospects. Traditional courses offered by degree colleges, such as Arts, Science, and Commerce, are losing their appeal as students seek more industry-oriented and skill-based education, he added. A higher education department official said many students go for technical, management, medical, pharmacy, and other professional courses in private universities, deemed universities, Central universities, and other higher educational institutions inside or outside the country. Because of this, a number of seats in conventional courses are lying vacant, he added. To address this issue, a college principal said educational institutions and regulatory bodies need to conduct thorough market research and analyze the changing needs and preferences of students.

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