After poor response for admissions to engineering courses, it is the turn of MBA-MCA professional colleges in the state to record poor turnout at the end of the first phase of counselling for admissions based on the Integrated Common Entrance Test (ICET) 2012.
Shockingly, 89 colleges registered zero admissions and 172 secured an intake of fewer than 10 candidates in MCA, while the demand for MBA courses was slightly better with 11 institutions recording nil admissions and 81 attracting fewer than 10 candidates. Similar to the response last year, this year only 43.2 per cent candidates of the eligible 1.21 lakh turned up for ICET certificate verification. Of 91,050 seats under convener quota, only 50,207 seats were filled at the end of the first phase of counselling which concluded on October 20.
The admissions recorded in the MBA stream were higher as compared to MCA , as candidates preferred opting for management courses. Around 65 pc seats across university colleges and private MBA institutions were filled at the end of first phase of counselling while only 28 pc of 23,532 seats in MCA across colleges were taken. The second phase of counselling, scheduled to begin on October 29, is unlikely to witness a different trend.
The falling demand for admissions to these courses in successive years has been a cause of alarm to many colleges which are likely to suspend the first-year classes in the absence of sufficient number of students.
Earlier this month, the state government had fixed the fee for 710 MBA colleges and 373 MCA colleges at Rs. 27,000 per annum. Only 48 MBA colleges were allowed to charge their fee between Rs 43,600 and Rs 71,200, and 49 MCA colleges to charge between Rs 43,400 and Rs 88,000 depending on the infrastructure and facilities provided by the colleges.
Following poor performance of colleges and inability to run these courses, the convener for ICET admissions issued a notice to all college managements to report the inability to conduct classes for first-year students by October 29 in order to inform candidates to seek re-allotment during the second phase of counselling. College managements have been strictly warned not to wait till the end of the second phase of counselling to send in their applications.
Candidates seeking admissions following the round one of allotments have to report at the respective colleges on or before October 27. The managements have been asked to admit the students even on public holidays.
The final allotments will be made on October 31.