Berhampur (Odisha): All 30 seats in the four-year visual art course in the Government College of Art and Craft at Khallikote in Ganjam district were filled up this year after a decade.
All the seats were last filled up in 2004. Since then there were vacancies every year, college officials said.
The number of admissions in the college started declining in 2005 when only 17 students joined. The number nosedived the next year with only seven taking admission. In 2014 and 2013, ony 24 and 21 students had taken admissions respectively, they said.
"The aspirants were probably discouraged due to lack of job opportunities in the state," said a lecturer.
"The admission process in the college was over recently," said Principal P K Das. The selection was made through an entrance test. While over 60 students had applied for the course, 37 of them took the entrance examination held on July 2, he said.
"We are happy as the students have shown interest in visual art. The government's decision to appoint drawing teachers in upper primary schools may have spurred the demand for the course," said a lecturer.
Many students of the college have found jobs in different advertisement agencies and other establishments in the state and outside, said the principal.
While the students in the first year study all the subjects like Indian painting, oil painting, sculpture, applied art, graphic art, crafts and theory of art, they choose a specialisation from among these subjects in the second year.
