Indore: The first round of CUET-PG admissions at Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya fellshort of expectations, with only half of the allotted candidates confirming their admissions despite receiving seats.The university allotted around 1,400 seats across 31 postgraduate programmes offered by its 16 teaching departments in the first phase of counselling. However, only about 800 candidates deposited the admission fee within the stipulated deadline, leaving nearly 50% of the allotted seats vacant.To fill the remaining vacancies, the university has initiated the second round of counselling. Officials are hopeful that a larger number of candidates will complete the admission process during this phase.The current admission cycle has also revealed a noticeable shift in student preferences. MBA finance has emerged as the most sought-after postgraduate programme this year, while MBA marketing and MBA human resource management have also recorded nearly 80% seat confirmations. Programmes offered by the School of Economics have likewise attracted encouraging student response. Most other postgraduate courses, however, are still struggling to achieve the desired enrolment.According to university officials, one of the major reasons behind the low conversion rate was confusion surrounding the choice-locking and upgradation process. Many candidates who were allotted seats in departments that were not their first preference chose not to pay the admission fee. Students said they were required to deposit the fee before becoming eligible for upgradation, while the procedure for changing departments later was perceived as unclear.“We expected a better response in the first round, but many students were hesitant because of concerns over the upgradation process. We are optimistic that the second round will help fill a significant number of vacant seats as candidates now have greater clarity about the admission procedure,” said CUET admissions coordinator Rajesh Sharma.The university expects the second counselling round to substantially improve admissions across departments before the academic session begins.
