As authorities attribute the trend to global meltdown, most students enrolled themselves with colleges and universities abroad for higher education.

Three students at University Business School were offered packages of Rs 10.25 lakh per annum with 40 out of the total 147 having been placed till now.

Chairperson of the department Prof Dinesh Kumar said: “The placements are slower this year but we are trying our best and hope to see all our students placed by the end of the session.”

At UIET, meanwhile, the maximum package offered till date is only Rs 3.5 lakh per annum.

Dr Gurdeep Singh, Training and Placement Officer at UIET, maintained: “In the past few years, most of the students had two jobs in hand and they would choose among them. This year there are many who do not have even one job. Many have decided to study further for a year or more.”

The department officials here said that over 20 per cent of the students have applied for higher studies abroad.

Talking to Newsline, Sanjay, a student at UIET said, “I have applied for a management programme in Australia as the placements do not appear to improve. There are many others from my department who have decided the same.”