Updated on: Friday, January 25, 2013
Closing of a bachelor's degree in Music and Mathematics in a city college and approval for the same by the director, higher education and Panjab University senate has evoked concern about waning of interest in these subjects.
Prolonged absence of takers for the BA (music) and BA (maths) courses led to the management of Guru Gobind Singh College for Women, Sector 26, demanding closure of the courses from the PU senate.
College principal Charanjit Sohi said, "Permission was being sought to close down the courses after the DHE office checked the records of the college for the last five years. The PU calendar mentions that any class with a strength of less than 10 must be discontinued."
While some of the fellows in the senate said a decision on the courses was up to the college, others expressed concern over the declining interest of students in the region in vocal music and mathematics.
"Students have not been taking the vocal music degree and mathematics for many years. In the final year, we have only two students and zero admissions in first and second year," said Sohi. She attributed the lack of interest in the subjects to the popularity of 'market oriented courses' that would help students get well paying jobs.
Strangely, DHE Ajoy Sharma expressed ignorance about the case. "I am not aware of this particular case and will be able to reveal details only after checking with my department," said the director, higher education, UT.