Admissions to colleges reopen even as exams round the corner

In a significant move ahead of the upcoming semester exams, the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) has reopened the online admission portal for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses for the academic session 2025-26. The portal is live from October 21 to October 27, allowing fresh admissions with late fee across government, aided, and self-financed colleges in the state.

According to a communication by the office of the Director General Higher Education on Tuesday, all college principals have been directed to ensure compliance and facilitate the admission. The authorities claim that the decision follows a flood of requests from students and institutions, citing reasons for missing earlier admission deadlines.

However, the timing has raised concerns, as the first-semester exams are scheduled for next month. Students who secure admission during this extended window may only get a few weeks of classroom instruction before sitting for exams.

Sources claim this marks the fifth time the admission portal has been reopened during this session. Data from the Higher Education Department reveals a stark shortfall in enrolments. Out of 2,30,491 UG seats, 1,07,590 remain vacant, while 26,532 of 47,105 PG seats are yet to be filled. There are 185 government, 97 aided, and 95 self-financed degree colleges in the state.

S Narayanan, Director General (Higher Education), confirmed that the portal was reopened in response to continued demand from aspirants. “A number of students approached the government, requesting another opportunity to take admission. They cited various genuine reasons for missing the earlier deadlines. Considering their future prospects, the department has decided to give them one last chance,” he added.

The DG has advised eligible candidates to complete the admission process within the given time frame.

Meanwhile, Dayanand Malik, president of the Haryana Government Aided College Teachers’ Association, voiced a different perspective. “Instead of reopening the portal repeatedly, it should remain open throughout the admission period to ensure that interested students can apply at their convenience,” he said.

Malik demanded that a portion of the late fee should be allocated to respective colleges to support administrative efforts.