In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s largest university, the University of Peshawar, there has been a significant decline in student enrollments for the BS program, with admissions dropping by more than half. Sources suggest that this reduction could be attributed to a rise in fees or ongoing protests by employees, casting a shadow on the university’s admissions scenario.
According to official documents, the admission rate at the largest university in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has plummeted by over 50% this year. Despite having the capacity to admit 6,000 students annually across its 53 departments, less than half that number have enrolled in the BS programs this time, totaling just over 2800 students, significantly lower than the previous year.
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Disturbingly, 10 out of the 53 departments have not seen a single student admitted, including departments like Pashto, Persian, Philosophy, Gender Studies, History, and Social Work. The document estimates that a 50% reduction in admissions will result in an annual loss of 18 crore rupees for the university, further exacerbating its financial deficit.
Dr. Amjad Amin, the treasurer of Peshawar University, attributes the decrease in admissions to a fee increase of several percent and the establishment of more universities in different districts of the province. He mentioned that the fee per semester for BS programs rose from 52 thousand to 72 thousand rupees.
Dr. Amin also noted the introduction of BS programs in most provincial colleges with a fixed fee of 4,500 rupees per semester as a potential reason for the decline. Despite extending the last date for BS program admissions multiple times, the university has not witnessed an increase in enrollment, as per university sources.
