Why are postgraduate seats at Bengaluru Central University lying vacant?

As many as 1,389 seats are lying vacant at Bengaluru City University and its affiliated colleges. There is no clarity as to why the seats are still vacant and the applications so few this year, a top official from the university said. The maximum number of vacancies are in MCom, with 280 seats vacant till December 9. This is followed by 113 seats in MA Economics, 108 seats in MA English and 80 seats in MSc Psychology.

The university will now hold the second round of counselling in the postgraduate departments on Monday, December 13. Candidates who had applied and were unsuccessful in securing admission during the first round of counselling are allowed to attend the second round.

BCU Registrar, CN Sridhar, said that the final list of vacancies will be announced on Monday and for Commerce, which is the most sought-after subject, there are already 200 applicants. "That leaves us with only 80 vacancies, which will be filled in the subsequent counselling round. However, it is still not certain why the admissions are not taking place and the applications are fewer," he added.

Classes will be held offline this year, he clarified, adding that the first semester is likely to start for postgraduate students in the next 10 days. 

Master of Tourism and Travel Management has 125 vacant seats, Master of Fine Arts has 84 vacancies, Master in International Business has 95 seats, MA Mass Communication and Journalism has 38 vacancies, MA History has 59 seats and MSc Chemistry has 39 vacant seats.

MA Social Work is in demand, with only 3 seats left to be filled. MA French does not have any vacancies, while MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics has three seats vacant. While MSc Microbiology has only one seat vacant, MSc Biotechnology still has four vacancies.