Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As registrations opened for the third additional round of centralized online counselling for the Bachelor of Education (BEd) course, a peculiar situation unfolded in Indore. The cityís 34 colleges offering this two-year degree were left with only 173 vacant seats, a small number compared to their collective intake capacity of 3,650 students. This additional round of admissions, which typically offers students another chance to secure a spot in the sought-after program, was now facing a significant crunch in available seats.
Five collegesóAnnie Besant College, New Era College, Oxford International College, Shri Yashwant Singh College, and Shri Siddhi Vinayak Collegeóhave no seats left for this additional round, having already filled their intake capacities in earlier rounds. The remaining vacancies were scattered across the other institutions, but even these numbers were limited.
Three colleges have just one vacant seat each, and 16 others reported having between two and four vacancies. Only five colleges, however, stood out with 10 or more seats available, suggesting a mixed demand for the programme across institutions. Among these institutions, School of Education, an entity of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), faced the most unusual situation.
This institution, once the most sought-after choice for students pursuing a BEd degree, has 43 out of its 150 seats still vacantóthe highest number of vacancies across all colleges. This development marked a notable shift, as School of Education had traditionally been regarded as a premier institution, attracting students with its reputation for high-quality teaching and academic rigor. However, despite its prestige, the instituteís steep fee of Rs 44,211 has become a potential deterrent for prospective students. The fee, the highest for any BEd course across the state, stood in stark contrast to the Rs 36,000 charged by most other colleges.
Though the fees were regulated by Admission and Fee Regulatory Commission (AFRC), which set rates based on institutional standards, the difference was significant enough to influence student decisions. Rs 44,000 price tag made School of Education unaffordable or less appealing for many students, who instead opted for more affordable private colleges with comparatively lower fees.
This situation highlighted the delicate balance between prestige, affordability, and demand in the education sector. While the School of Education still offers a high-quality experience, students increasingly prioritise cost over reputation when choosing a college. As a result, private institutions with lower fees became the preferred choice, despite their often smaller size and lower visibility.
For students still seeking a place in the BEd course during this third round of admissions, options were limited. With most colleges already nearing full capacity, the remaining 173 seats were spread thinly across the city. In many cases, the choice wasnít just about finding a berthóit was about weighing the cost of education against the reputation of the institution offering it. This yearís admissions process underscored the shifting dynamics in student preferences, where the affordability of education had become as important as its quality.
