Patna University plans to celebrate its centenary year in the ensuing months in a grand manner but admission figures over the past few years remain a cause for concern.

The varsity once attracted students from not only across the country but also from foreign countries.

In recent years, colleges under Patna University have failed to fill up all seats despite the varsity stretching counselling sessions up to the third round. This year, Patna University completed its third round of counselling on July 25 but 30 to 40 per cent seats are still vacant in many colleges.

At Patna College - the oldest college under Patna University - on completion of the third round of counselling, 100 seats out of a total of 600 undergraduate arts seats have remained vacant. The college, based on the Patna University common entrance test, carries out admission in arts and humanities subjects.

The situation at BN College is worse. Of 296 seats in science subjects (biology and math), 76 seats are yet to be filled up. In arts subjects, the situation is no better. Of 600 seats in the stream at BN College, 292 seats are yet to be filled up.

A senior teacher at BN College, preferring anonymity, said: "Once there was a mad rush for every seat. But now, there is hardly any admission-seeker in PU colleges."

The teacher claimed that the situation had not transformed in a day but gradually. The Patna University administration failed to check it. He enumerated growing indiscipline among students, shortage of qualified teachers and lack of infrastructure facilities as few of the reasons behind the poor response of students in taking admission in Patna University colleges.

The staff crunch at BN College can be gauged from fact that more than six of its departments such as history, political science, Hindi, Urdu, zoology, botany and statistics are running with just one teacher each. The physics department does not have any permanent teacher. Around 150 out of a total of 600 seats in humanities subjects are vacant.

Nishant Nayan, a student who had come to take admission in BN College, said: "If guest faculty and ad hoc teachers hold our classes, then why do we take admission here?"

Muzaffarpur resident Nayan, whose name figured in the merit list, said he would prefer colleges under Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University in hometown Muzaffarpur.

The situation at Patna Science College was no good either. Against 600 seats in undergraduate courses, the college is yet to fill up 161 science seats.

However, the principals of different colleges are confident of filling up all vacant seats.

Patna Science College principal S.K Srivastava said: "The university has extended the last date for admission till July 30. We are hopeful that the seats will fill up."

However, Patna University Teachers' Association president Randhir Kumar Singh claimed that seats are not filled in subjects like philosophy, psychology and sociology, which have become less popular. "But subjects such as history, geography and economics are still popular among students," he said.