Bengaluru: Admission trends in government colleges indicate that BCA and BBA courses are emerging as the top choices among students this year. In response to rising demand, the commissionerate of collegiate education has decided to allow 26 government first-grade colleges to introduce BBA and BCA programs.
New Programs and Increased Intake
The colleges seeking to start new programs are mainly from the Dharwad and Kalaburagi regions. The department stated that steps will be taken to start the courses only after obtaining approval from the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). Additionally, 186 other colleges will increase their intake for BA, BCom, and BSc programs, including BCA and BBA. For instance, Government First Grade College in Raichur will get 270 more seats, raising its total intake to 300. SSA Government First Grade College in Ballari has increased BCom seats by 100. Jamkhandi College has improved intake in two BA programs—history and political science—by 100 each.
Evening Shifts to Accommodate Students
Many colleges have agreed to run evening shifts using existing infrastructure to accommodate a larger number of students. “The principals are willing to conduct classes in two shifts as per the requirement in the few colleges that lack building, furniture, and computer infrastructure,” said the department of collegiate education in a proposal initially sent to the government. “If students from rural areas can get admission in government colleges for new courses that are in market demand at minimal cost, these courses will not only help the future of the students but will also increase the general admission ratio (GER) of higher education,” the department stated.
Industry-Aligned Courses and Program Closures
The courses being introduced are in line with industry demands and will include apprenticeship-embedded learning programs. At the same time, 458 programs will be closed down for the 2026-27 academic year, and intake will be reduced in 1,480 colleges. The Times of India reported earlier that more than 1,091 undergraduate and 170 postgraduate programs had no intake last year. Minister for Higher Education MC Sudhakar said they would consider closing down some of those. The programs being closed are three-subject combinations, including history, political science, Kannada, and sociology, among others. The number of seats reduced ranges from 20 to 100.
Impact of Program Closures
The collegiate department noted that failure to reduce intake would result in universities continuing to bear the burden of paying affiliation fees to AICTE. It would also affect cumulative grade point average scores and, consequently, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grading.
