CHENNAI: Postgraduate (PG) courses in Tamil Nadu’s government arts and science colleges have recorded their weakest performance in four years, with only 13,560 of the 24,659 available seats filled so far across 181 colleges, raising concerns over dwindling demand for master’s programmes.
Of the admitted students this year, 9,526 are women, 4,022 are men and 12 are trans students.
Data from the Directorate of Collegiate Education (DCE) shows that admissions have reached just 54.99% as of September 16, marking a sharp decline from the previous three years. The current admission rate is substantially lower than the 66.19% recorded in 2023-24.
The poor response to PG seats comes in stark contrast to undergraduate (UG) admissions, where government arts and science colleges offer around 1.30 lakh seats across 181 institutions. “Compared to UG seats, we have relatively limited PG capacity.
Still a large number of sanctioned postgraduate seats remain vacant, which has become a matter of concern for us,” a DCE official, on condition of anonymity, said. The PG admission will end by this month, so the enrolment percentage is likely to increase by not more than 2% to 3%.
Academics say the declining interest reflects changing career priorities among graduates, many of whom are opting for immediate employment or professional courses instead of pursuing traditional PG degrees. “Unless PG programmes are linked to internships, industry exposure and campus placements, many graduates prefer entering the workforce or enrolling in professional courses,” said the principal of a government college in Chennai.
On the other hand, conventional PG courses have not kept pace with changing industry demands, opined K Bhaskar, a retired professor. “Curriculum revision, skill-based electives and stronger industry partnerships are necessary to make these programmes attractive,” he added. Faculty members also pointed to the absence of robust placement opportunities in many government colleges as a key factor discouraging students from enrolling in PG programmes.
The continuing decline has prompted calls for a review of PG offerings across government colleges.
Academics have suggested rationalising courses with persistently low enrolment while introducing disciplines aligned with emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, digital commerce etc. “The government may need to reassess both the relevance of existing programmes and the support mechanisms that encourage students to pursue PG,” said Bhaskar.