Bhubaneswar: Over 1.07 lakh undergraduate (UG) seats remained vacant across Odisha after the first phase of admissions for the current academic year, with 1,80,092 students enrolling against 2,87,519 sanctioned seats, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said in the state assembly on Friday.
In a written reply to Rajanagar MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo, Suraj said the State Government has started the second phase of the admission process to fill the vacant seats. The final number of vacant seats will be known only after the completion of Phase-II admissions, he said.
According to the minister, the first-phase admission data indicates a stronger preference among students for regular courses compared with self-financing programmes.
Among regular courses, universities recorded an enrolment rate of 94.73%, the highest among institutions, followed by government colleges at 83.40%. Private aided (Aided-488) colleges recorded an enrolment rate of 67.95%, while Aided-662 colleges registered 64.28%.
The enrolment pattern was different for self-financing courses. Universities recorded a 95.25% enrolment rate, while the figure stood at 73.46% for government colleges. Aided-488 colleges recorded 45.27% enrolment and Aided-662 colleges 45.44%. Unaided colleges recorded 48.27% enrolment, while self-financing colleges had the lowest rate at 20.96%.
The figures indicate that students continue to show greater interest in regular courses offered by government institutions, universities and aided colleges, while a substantial number of seats in self-financing courses remain vacant.
The government has also introduced the “Gyanodaya – Shikshya Ru Samruddhi: A KG to PG Free Education Initiative” from the current academic year with the objective of making higher education more accessible and inclusive.
Under the initiative, eligible UG and PG students enrolled in regular courses at state government universities, government colleges and private aided colleges will not have to pay admission fees.
The scheme aims to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent eligible and meritorious students from pursuing higher education.
The minister also said students’ preferences have been changing after completion of higher secondary (+2) education, with many increasingly opting for medical, engineering, technical and other employment-oriented courses instead of traditional degree programmes.
Keeping these changing aspirations in view, the Higher Education Department has integrated AEDP, apprenticeships, internships and skill-based education with undergraduate programmes.
The department is also working with organisations such as NASSCOM and Infosys Springboard to strengthen students’ employability and job readiness, the minister said.
With Phase-II admissions underway, the government is seeking to utilise the vacant seats while also encouraging greater participation in higher education through free education and skill-based programmes.
