Vacant BEd seats in Punjab: Failed to clear entrance? Worry not, you can still apply
With 9,000 of 21,000 (43%) Bachelor of Education (BEd) seats vacant in 210 colleges across Punjab, the state government has issued orders allowing students who failed to clear the entrance exam to take admission. The entrance test was conducted in June and two counsellings have been held.

Panjab University is the competent authority which conducted the entrance exam and held centralised counselling for admission to the course in all colleges of education affiliated to Panjab University, Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University. It governed admission to government, government-aided and private self-financed colleges.
In its order, the state higher education department said, “After exhausting admission through the Common Entrance Test (CET), if seats in BEd colleges remain vacant, candidates who are eligible for admission in two-year BEd course as per the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines, but are not CET qualified may apply to the coordinating university through an online application. The candidate can apply as per the schedule to be prescribed by coordinating university in consultation with all other affiliating universities.”
The order adds, “The merit list will be prepared by the coordinating university on basis of marks in the qualifying examination. The candidate will be allowed to select a college of their choice on the basis of this merit list. However, a candidate who has qualified the CET would be given preference.” Anurag Verma, principal secretary higher education, said, “Around 9,000 seats in BEd courses are vacant across the state. The order will be implemented in all government, private and aided colleges.”