2020-21 academic session: 5 Ludhiana colleges discontinue some PG courses amid few takers

Five private colleges affiliated to Panjab University have stopped offering certain postgraduate courses for this academic session due to few takers.

College principals said that due to financial constraints amid the Covid pandemic, many students have not applied for masters courses this year.

Courses like masters in Punjabi and Hindi and post graduate diploma in computer applications seem to be losing their sheen. Students are opting to pursue masters in business administration, MCom and other skill-based courses, as they believe they can provide better job opportunities.

At Lajpat Rai DAV College, Jagraon, five out of the six post graduate courses have been discontinued for this academic session. Only in MCom, 16 students have been admitted.

Two students each had applied for MA Punjabi and history; one for MSc maths, four in MA economics and none for MA English.

Parvesh Kumar, officiating principal, said, “Due to few students applying, there was no alternative but to discontinue these courses for the current session. However, classes will continue for students who are already enrolled.”

The situation is no different in other colleges of the city. At DD Jain Memorial College for Women, there was low response for courses like MA history and Hindi. Even the seats of MCom have not been filled. With no takers for postgraduate diploma in computer applications (PGDCA), the college decided to drop it for this session.

Principal Sarita Behl, said, “I have counselled the students and many of them are more interested in pursuing MBA than MCom. There are few takers for PG courses and it was not feasible to continue with the PGDCA this year as we have to pay salaries to staffers also.”

At Arya College, MA Punjabi was discontinued as only two students had registered. College principal Savita Uppal, said, “We have received good response for MCom and postgraduate diploma in marketing and management.”

With only one student registering for MA Hindi at Master Tara Singh Memorial College for Women, the course has been dropped for this session.

Even SDP College for Women has dropped the postgraduate diploma in computer applications. In other PG courses such in Hindi and maths, five to six students have opted for each.