Commerce courses lose shine, Arts become front runner

New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Once considered as top-notch courses in Delhi University, B.Com Honours and B.A. Economics Honours, are finding hard to attract admissions. Top colleges like Hindu, Lady Shri Ram, Miranda House, Ramjas and Kirori Mal have witnessed less takers for the Commerce course while the Arts courses like B.A. in English, Political Science and History have witnessed a rise.

According to the faculties in different colleges, B.A. Political Science Honours has been a break out course, but the lack of interest among students for the Commerce course like B.Com Honours and B.A. Economics Honours has come as a shock for many.

While some credit the lack of interest to the high cut-offs, many believe that aspiration of the civil services has a big factor for the students to choose Arts courses.

In almost 93 seats available for the students to apply in B.Com Honours and B.A. Economics Honours in the Kirori Mal College, the college received only 8 enrolments in the first while the exact number of enrolments in the B.Com honours was not available.

The faculty in the college told IANS that only one admission under general category was received since the process started.

"For both Economics and B.Com honours, we have received only one application each while the courses like English Honours and Political Science have been receiving good response from the students," said Akhilesh Bharti, a faculty member at Kirori Mal College.

Another top college, Hindu faced the same situation as even after releasing the highest cut-off for the Political Science course, the admissions were full in the first round. However, the college saw smaller number of admissions in the Commerce courses.

"Although 22 students got enrolled in the B.Com Honours course and 24 other got enrolled in the Economics Honours course, the numbers were still less when compared to the Political Science and English courses, which received 84 and 44 enrolments respectively after first cut-offs," said a faulty member in Hindu College.

However, most of the faculty members who interacted with the students during the admission process found that several of them had one career goal -- cracking the prestigious Civil Services examination. The students believed that the Arts courses will help them concentrate more on a subject and crack the examination easily.

"Many students believe that Arts courses help in cracking the civil services while the Commerce stream blocks career options for them. Though as faculty we do not encourage this thinking but the students have been guided from the grass roots which has been disappointing," said Sanjay Verma, faculty member of English department in Kirori Mal College.