According to reports, the merit for private dental colleges has dropped to around 50%. This means that students with second-division marks can now get admission in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program.
This drop in merit is mainly due to a large number of empty seats in private colleges. Lowering the merit helps colleges fill these vacant seats.
Many Seats Still Vacant
Data shows that 18 private dental colleges in Punjab have filled about 1,100 BDS seats, but 519 seats are still vacant.
This shows that many students are not choosing private dental colleges, even though 50% seats are available.
Experts Express Concern
Education experts say that the falling merit and high number of empty seats are worrying signs.
They believe this situation points out to the bigger problems in private medical education, such as high fees and decreasing interest among students.
