TIRUCHY: Government arts and science colleges in Tiruchy have witnessed a record surge in applications for UG courses for academic year 2025-2026, with over 1.9 lakh students vying for limited seats across five institutions. On Monday, the first day of admission counselling, Tamil, Computer Science, and Commerce emerged as the sought-after courses, reflecting a shift in student aspirations shaped by government job dreams and job-oriented training programmes.
The Thanthai Periyar Government Arts and Science College received 1,00,617 applications for just 1,600 seats, which is a steep 15% increase from last year's 87,534, and nearly double from 54,004 applications received in 2023. This year, a maximum of 9,301 students applied for admission to Tamil. Computer Science and Commerce received 8,231 and 8,130 applications respectively.
In Thiruverumbur's Government Arts College, a similar pattern is evident. At Srirangam Government Arts and Science College, the trend tilts toward career-focused streams. The college has only 470 seats, making competition stiff. The Government Arts and Science College in Kumulur, Lalgudi Taluk, has also seen applications rise from 11,000 last year to 18,642 this year.
The Manapparai's government college reflects a similar trend. (See box) College officials attribute this strong interest in Tamil to the recent emphasis on the Tamil qualifying paper in TNPSC Group exams, which has led many aspirants to prefer a degree that aligns with their government job preparation. College principals credit the increase mainly to Naan Muthalvan scheme, which offers job placement support in sectors like IT and commerce.
"Students are clearly aiming for both government jobs and private sector careers," said a college official. While the numbers offer a snapshot of current trends, an official in the Higher Education Department said final enrolment number will become clear only after counselling ends on June 14. With limited seats and soaring interest, competition is fiercer than ever.
Thiruverumbur
Tamil - 4,021
Commerce - 4,847
Computer Science - 4,811
Srirangam
Computer Science - 3,781
Commerce - 3,158
BBA - 3,127
Kumulur (Lalgudi)
Tamil Literature - 2,649
Computer Science - 2,226
Computer Applications - 2,024
Manapparai
Tamil - 3,366
Computer Science - 3,080
English - 1,989