PUNE: A significant number of academic programmes at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) have failed to attract enough applicants to meet their sanctioned intake. Of the 100-plus courses offered by the university, entrance examinations are being conducted for only 52 this year.
Under university regulations, if the number of applicants for a course is lower than its total intake capacity, admissions are granted directly without an entrance test. A senior university official confirmed that for the remaining programmes, the volume of applications was so low that conducting an exam became unnecessary.
Several traditionally prestigious programmes, including sociology, gender studies, and various undergraduate courses, have seen a dismal response. Despite the university’s status, flagship departments in technology, engineering, and the humanities have failed to make the entrance exam list this year. Vice-chancellor Suresh Gosavi and pro-vice-chancellor Parag Kalkar did not respond to repeated calls and messages for comment.
The decline of the sociology department is particularly striking given its rich history. Established in 1939 at Deccan College and integrated into the then University of Poona in 1948, the department was once home to academic giants such as Irawati Karve, YB Damle, and DN Dhanagare. Today, this historic department is struggling to fill its seats.
"The government has neglected SPPU, and the university administration has largely ignored department-level crises," a student representative said. Senate members believe the primary driver of the slump is lack of placement opportunities. “A large number of students come to SPPU from Vidarbha and Marathwada seeking jobs," said senate member Dadabhau Shinalkar.
“If students can secure employment after a BBA or BCA, they see little incentive in pursuing a master’s degree that doesn’t guarantee a career. Moreover, severe shortage of teachers and a lack of communication between the senate and the state government have left these problems to fester," he added further.
Senate member Shantanu Lamdhade said, “If admissions aren’t opened immediately after Class XII results, students move to other colleges. While some niche courses in languages and arts have always had low enrollment, the 20–35% vacancy rate across the board is a result of poor placement records."
Microbiology, Psychology and Chemistry Emerge as Top Picks
Technology-related fields typically dominate student preferences. However, life sciences, chemistry, and psychology have emerged the top choices for SPPU entrance examinations for the 2026-27 academic year.
The MSc in virology, conducted by the ICMR-National Institute of Virology under the aegis of SPPU’s department of biotechnology, emerged the most competitive programme, attracting over 17 applicants for every available seat. This was closely followed by MSc (microbiology) and MA (psychology), which saw 15 and 14 applicants per seat. Chemistry recorded the highest number of applications for any single course, with 769 candidates vying for 135 regular seats. Academics attributed this shift to a “post-Covid expansion” of opportunities in vaccine development, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and mental health research.
There were 348 applications for 20 seats in virology courses, 623 applications for 40 seats in microbiology, 589 hall tickets issued for 40 seats in psychology. Karishma Pardesi, head, microbiology department, said, “In the immediate aftermath of Covid, we received over 2,100 applications. The demand remains high." Rajendra Mhaske, head, psychology department, said, “The fascination with the subject is growing."
"The advent of generative AI has introduced a layer of apprehension. Vinayak Joshi, head, computer science department, said some students worry that AI might automate programming skills they spend years learning," said Ardhra Nair.
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