Bengaluru: A new trend has been spotted this time for admission to Pre-University (PU) Colleges in the city – rising demand for Commerce stream over Science.
College managements admit the fact that the difference has become more evident than any other year until time. St Joseph’s PU College Principal Fr Melvin Lobo told Deccan Chronicle that the share of applications received for Commerce courses this year has recorded a 30 per cent hike.
“We have got more than 1,600 applications until now for commerce and for the first time it has surpassed those who have applied for Science (1,093),” he said. He added that the management is now thinking of adding two more sections for Commerce from the next academic year and bring down the number of sections for Science from four to two.
Corroborating the same, an administrative official from KLE Independent PU College said that the trend shows the difference in interests students have gone through over time. To cope up with demands and more applicants towards Commerce this time, cut-off marks for the same would go up. “A final call will be taken in another three days time on how to approach this changing trend in a just way favourable for all stakeholders,” added the official.
Clarifying that employability for engineers is the major concern behind such decisions, Ramya K, a student from Dasarahalli said, “My elder cousins who opted for engineering because of parental pressure and for better placement options are now struggling to find a job. All extra efforts they have put in all these years to study Science seem to go in vain and hence I could convince my parents to allow me opt for Commerce.”Another student, Karthik, who secured ‘A’ grade at the SSLC exams this year, said that he decided not to opt for Science as the competition to get into a reputed institute for higher education was getting ‘dangerously’ tough. He said, “When there are numerous options to chose from after completing commerce and later getting placed easier is what I have found from the information I have collected from many to take this decision,” he said.
CBSE students worried
Sudakshina Saran, a class 10 CBSE student who is waiting for her results, like many others, raised her concern on how she would get a seat in an institute she aspires to study in. “With the SSLC results already out and the ICSE results scheduled to be out on Monday, our chances have dimmed,” she said.
At the same time, colleges have asked students and parents not to worry promising that a share of seats would be reserved for them.
However, according to the calendar of events released by the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE), first year PU classes will begin on May 14 with the first two weeks devoted towards bridge courses.
