Even as there is a drop in demand for traditional degree courses in Mumbai city, as a result of which colleges are seeking cancellation of divisions, suburban colleges are showing a different trend where many colleges are asking for additional divisions. The University on Tuesday had a meeting and approved additional divisions for 120 colleges.
Speaking about the move, management council member Dilip Karande, who was part of the four-member committee that met to discuss approvals for additional divisions, said that there was a huge demand for traditional courses like Arts, Science and Commerce in the suburbs, extended suburbs of Mumbai, and adjoining districts under the jurisdiction of the University of Mumbai.
“While colleges in the island city show that students are increasingly opting for self-financed and professional courses, students in both the eastern and western suburbs still prefer the traditional courses,” said Mr Karande.
A few weeks ago, some colleges had written to the University asking for permission to shut down additional divisions that were lying vacant, as students were opting for self-financed courses after HSC. “We have equal number of divisions in Class 12 and FYBCom. However, since many students prefer to take up professional courses like BMM, BMS, BBI, BFA, BSc, and so on, it becomes difficult to fill the seats in the first year of degree college,” said a principal from a suburban college.
Admitting to the fact, Mr Karande said that while a large number of students wanted to take up courses that made them job-ready by the time they graduated, there is a huge chunk of the student community that cannot afford the fees for the professional courses, and hence prefer to go for traditional courses.
Each of the college has been allowed to increase the intake capacity by 60 students.