PANAJI
With an array of options available for undergraduate students across various streams, the State government is confronted with the challenge of declining popularity in certain courses, which has led to limited student enrolment.
In view of this recurring trend, the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) has issued a fresh circular for the upcoming academic year, directing the institutions to discontinue those courses with fewer than 10 students.
Government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Goan, confirmed that while instances of low enrolment have occurred in the past, no courses have been discontinued thus far unless requested by the particular institute.
“Certain disciplines have witnessed enrolments falling below the threshold of 10 students, which prompted the issuing of circulars each academic year. This year is no exception given a wide choice of disciplines across the streams,” the official said.
However, there is also a provision for colleges to request continuation of courses with fewer than 10 students, though disciplines with negligible enrolments, such as 2-3 students, do not come under this special category.
The circular mandates compliance from all undergraduate colleges, including government, aided, and private institutions. It has further come to the fore that aided colleges, particularly have the proactive approach requesting the DHE to request discontinuation of courses with limited enrolments.
“This trend (of declining enrollment) is particularly evident in the Science and Arts streams, where numerous options are available. Some once-popular courses are no longer attracting students. It is pointless to continue... Students who have chosen the less popular courses can look at options or look for other colleges...” revealed the source.
The forthcoming academic year will determine the fate of many such courses, as colleges assess whether they meet the required enrolment numbers.
