Indore: Higher Education Department (DHE) closed its online admission process for undergraduate, postgraduate and NCTE courses across Madhya Pradesh on Friday, recording over 5.15 lakh admissions.The closure came amid demands from students and colleges for an extension, particularly as several traditional courses continued to have a significant number of vacant seats.As per DHE admissions data, around 3.55 lakh students have taken admission in undergraduate courses, nearly 1.10 lakh in postgraduate programmes, and about 46,600 students in NCTE courses. The admission process was conducted through the online counselling system for colleges across the state.For the 2026–27 academic session, Madhya Pradesh offered over 8 lakh seats across 1,800 higher education institutions. In Indore alone, there are over one lakh seats available across 240 colleges, which include around 65,000 UG seats, 15,000 PG seats, 6,000 for law courses, and 8,000 for professional programmes.In Indore, colleges had requested the department to keep the admission portal open until Aug 14. They argued that many students were still in the process of finalising their choices and that additional time could help fill vacant seats.Before the deadline, nearly 40% seats in several major courses including BA, BCom, BSc, MA, MCom and MSc remained vacant in Indore colleges. BSc recorded the highest number of vacant seats among traditional undergraduate courses, despite cut-offs remaining around 65% in govt colleges. BA also saw lower enrolment compared to previous years, while BCom continued to attract students.Despite these requests, the DHE indicated that an extension was unlikely. Dr Tulsiram Dahayat, Officer on Special Duty , Admissions, DHE, said, “So far the date of admissions has not been extended. There are few chances that the extension will be there.”Educationists said that the demand for traditional courses has remained steady due to opportunities in competitive examinations and higher studies. Students preparing for MPPSC and those planning careers through LLB, MA, MCom or MBA continue to prefer BA and BCom programmes.
