MUMBAI: Four years after GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering) opened its doors to commerce and humanities students, their participation in the exam remains minimal. Though up by 30%, from 14,000 in the first year (2021) to 18,762 in 2025, the aspirants in this category still account for 2% of the total. GATE is conducted by the IITs and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, for admissions to postgraduate programmes.Atul Negi, the head of mechanical engineering department at a leading GATE coaching institute, said not many aspirants know about the GATE offerings in humanities. “Most aspirants associate GATE with engineering and may have never thought of applying. Some may believe that the difficulty level is high too. Also, except for the humanities’ departments at IITs, not many institutions consider GATE scores for their masters or doctoral admissions. The central govt also introduced another national university-level examination, Central University Entrance Test (CUET), for admissions to postgraduate courses,” he said. “The IITs need to promote the humanities papers more aggressively.”Of the humanities subjects, psychology, English and economics are most in demand, shows data from the GATE 2025 report, largely reflecting the trend in humanities’ admissions across many universities in the country. In GATE 2023 and 2024, English was the most popular humanities subject. Meanwhile, interest in computer science and allied fields has risen sharply, with applications more than doubling, a rise of nearly 110% over just three exams. Computer science and information technology has driven the overall growth in total applicants, overtaking civil engineering to become the most popular choice.Data science and artificial intelligence, a paper which was started in GATE 2024 and preferred by students with computers and mathematics background, is already seeing registrations from close to 76,000 candidates. Registrations for GATE 2026 concluded recently; a statistical report will be released only after the results are out.A professor from one of the IITs’ GATE offices, said the organising institutes conduct outreach programmes to create awareness among students, but specific ones to promote humanities papers could be considered.A humanities professor from a leading institute said GATE can become popular if more institutions start accepting its scores, adding that for IITs, too, GATE is one of many routes for admissions to humanities programmes at the postgraduate level. “Many who are aware about it would rather take the CUET route for masters’ admissions as GATE is considered to be a tougher exam,” he said.An admission official from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) told TOI that GATE scores are used for admissions to certain technical programmes and the eligibility criteria are based on the decisions taken by different departments.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’This Generation Can Bring Viksit Bharat Before 2047′: Army Chief Dwivedi’s Message To Gen ZHasina Verdict Sparks Outrage as Ex-Indian Envoy Questions Evidence and Awami League Cries Black DayPak Army Chief Asim Munir Vows ‘Strong Response’, Army Chief Dwivedi Warns Op Sindoor Was A TrailerPM Modi Condoles Families as 45 Indians Feared Dead in Saudi Bus CrashOusted Bangladesh PM Hasina Calls ICT’s Death Sentence ‘Rigged’, Says It Denied Fair Trial RightsFrench Consulate Staffer Molested In Bandra As Mumbai Police Launch Rapid Hunt To Track The SuspectAfter 5th August 2019…’ Army Chief Counters Mehbooba’s Charge Against Centre Over J&K SituationChennai Gripped By Panic As Bomb Threats Target MK Stalin, Ajith Kumar, Top Tamil Nadu Personalities’Snow Must Melt’: Army Chief Dwivedi Details How India China Relations Shifted After 2024 TalksIndia Sends Strong Warning To Pakistan As Army Chief Says The Real Movie Begins After Op Sindoor123Photostories7 addictions one should break to become their best selfMalaika Arora to Demi Moore: 5 must-see looks of the day ruling the style charts4 powerful Indian homemade drinks to lower uric acid levels and how to make them at homeFive-letter Indian baby names that sound modern and classyBharti Singh gets emotional as she gets a surprise baby shower from Laughter Chefs team; friends Krushna Abhishek, Tejasswi Prakash, Jannat Zubair and others attend the bash8 easy exercises to increase your child’s height10 cities in the US where rent is below $1,0005 quiet habits of partners who deeply trust each other9 street foods to enjoy in Amritsar during winterHow to grow karela (bitter gourd) from seeds at home in your balcony123Hot PicksDelhi AQI TodaySheikh Hasina VerdictBihar Government FormationGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays NovemberBank Holidays NovemberTop TrendingKayla NicoleAaron Rodgers InjuryShedeur SandersDubai Prince Sheikh Hamdan Net WorthRohini AcharyaDraymond GreenLebron JamesPaige GrecoZelina VegaCharlie Mcavoy Injury
MUMBAI: Four years after GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineering) opened its doors to commerce and humanities students, their participation in the exam remains minimal. Though up by 30%, from 14,000 in the first year (2021) to 18,762 in 2025, the aspirants in this category still account for 2% of the total. GATE is conducted by the IITs and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, for admissions to postgraduate programmes.Atul Negi, the head of mechanical engineering department at a leading GATE coaching institute, said not many aspirants know about the GATE offerings in humanities. “Most aspirants associate GATE with engineering and may have never thought of applying. Some may believe that the difficulty level is high too. Also, except for the humanities’ departments at IITs, not many institutions consider GATE scores for their masters or doctoral admissions. The central govt also introduced another national university-level examination, Central University Entrance Test (CUET), for admissions to postgraduate courses,” he said. “The IITs need to promote the humanities papers more aggressively.”Of the humanities subjects, psychology, English and economics are most in demand, shows data from the GATE 2025 report, largely reflecting the trend in humanities’ admissions across many universities in the country. In GATE 2023 and 2024, English was the most popular humanities subject. Meanwhile, interest in computer science and allied fields has risen sharply, with applications more than doubling, a rise of nearly 110% over just three exams. Computer science and information technology has driven the overall growth in total applicants, overtaking civil engineering to become the most popular choice.Data science and artificial intelligence, a paper which was started in GATE 2024 and preferred by students with computers and mathematics background, is already seeing registrations from close to 76,000 candidates. Registrations for GATE 2026 concluded recently; a statistical report will be released only after the results are out.A professor from one of the IITs’ GATE offices, said the organising institutes conduct outreach programmes to create awareness among students, but specific ones to promote humanities papers could be considered.A humanities professor from a leading institute said GATE can become popular if more institutions start accepting its scores, adding that for IITs, too, GATE is one of many routes for admissions to humanities programmes at the postgraduate level. “Many who are aware about it would rather take the CUET route for masters’ admissions as GATE is considered to be a tougher exam,” he said.An admission official from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) told TOI that GATE scores are used for admissions to certain technical programmes and the eligibility criteria are based on the decisions taken by different departments.
