Gujarat University first phase of UG admissions under GCAS: Less than 20% of seats filled

The Gujarat Centralised Admission System (GCAS), implemented to streamline undergraduate admissions across 13 state universities, has seen poor results for Gujarat University in the first phase of admissions. 

Despite more than 2.10 lakh students registering on the GCAS portal, less than 20% of the 66,000+ undergraduate (UG) seats at Gujarat University have been filled so far.

According to official data, only 12,942 students have confirmed admission at Gujarat University after the first three rounds. This is in stark contrast to more than 58,000 students who had listed Gujarat University as one of their preferred choices during the registration process. 

Meanwhile, the overall performance of other state universities under GCAS has been relatively better. Here is a breakdown of confirmed UG admissions after Round 3:

Gujarat University: 12,942

South Gujarat University: 27,362 seats filled

Saurashtra University: 20,296

North Gujarat University: 14,888

Bhavnagar University: 4,484

SP University: 5,874

GTU: 1,237

Junagadh University: 7,080

MS University: 9,182

Kutch University: 4,020

Somnath Sanskrit University: 33

IIT: 123

So far, 1.13 lakh admissions have been confirmed from 2.10 lakh registrations, which means 53% confirmation rate across the state. However, statewide seat filling still stands at only 24% (out of 4.7 lakh UG seats), indicating that many seats are yet to be filled.

According to education department officials, more than 1.04 lakh new students have registered for the next rounds, taking the total UG registration count to over 3.14 lakh. These new additions are expected to improve the overall seat occupancy in the upcoming four rounds of Phase 2. The fourth round of Phase 1 is still pending, with allotments to be declared soon.

In 2023, GCAS was introduced for all 15 state-run universities. That year, 86.65% of Class 12 pass-outs about 3.33 lakh students secured UG admissions through the portal.

This year, however, the number of Class 12 pass-outs dropped by nearly 18,000, with 4,21,374 students clearing the exams. With an estimated 50,000 students expected to opt for engineering and paramedical courses, the government is hopeful that around 3 lakh students will opt for UG courses via GCAS this year.