Sardar Patel University in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district has stopped taking new admissions this year for its five-year BSc-MSc integrated programme. The reason is simple, the course never attracted enough students and the university did not have enough faculty to run it properly.
Launched in 2022 under new education rules
The university had introduced this programme in 2022 in line with the National Education Policy, setting aside 20 seats for it. But interest among students stayed weak right from the start, and the seats were never fully filled in any year. Part of the problem, as officials see it, is that the university administration never managed to promote the course effectively to prospective students.
Kept running for four years, now shut
Despite the poor response, the university management kept the programme going for four years. But it has now become difficult to sustain it any further. According to Sardar Patel University Chancellor Professor Lalit Kumar Awasthi, the matter was referred to the Department of Physics for review because of the low admissions and shortage of faculty. The decision to close the course, at least for now, was taken on the recommendations of that department. Professor Awasthi added that reviving the programme could be considered in future if the situation improves.
Around 50 current students unaffected
The university has clarified that the freeze applies only to fresh admissions. About 50 students are currently enrolled in the integrated programme, and their studies will continue exactly as before. In other words, existing batches face no disruption to their degrees, only new students will no longer be able to join this course.
What the five-year BSc-MSc integrated programme actually offers
The programme allows students to complete both an undergraduate and a postgraduate degree in science in one continuous five-year stretch right after finishing school, without having to apply separately for a master's later. Prominent institutions across the country, including the IITs, IISERs and several central universities, offer similar integrated programmes through national-level entrance exams. Against that backdrop, the closure of this course at Sardar Patel University in Mandi is being seen as one less opportunity for science students in the region.
