It has been noticed that more than 50 percent of Hindi and Sanskrit honours programmes have been sitting vacant ever since the admission process has commenced across the Delhi University (DU). A prominent example emerged is PGDAV Evening College where over 50 percent of the seats are still awaiting allocations. According to the data observed, approximately 25 remain unfilled, while approximately 27 of the 54 Sanskrit Honors seats remain vacant. This statistics has caused concerns among the teachers on the declining interest of studies in language subjects, especially Indian languages.
As noted by teachers, ever since the introduction of usage of CUET scores for admission in DU programmes, a growing number of students are now prioritising courses that offer greater employment and skill development opportunities alongside their studies.
Programmes such as computer, management, media, data, and other skill-based courses have gained popularity amongst the students and rank higher in the preference list of students seeking admissions. This is directly impacting traditional language subjects like Hindi and Sanskrit.
Several other colleges in the South Campus of the Delhi University also have more than half of the Hindi and Sanskrit Honors seats vacant. The admissions princess has observed it difficult to fill the seats for the Hindi and Sanskrit departments. Teachers say that one of the reasons for the declining student numbers in these subjects is the perception about employment. Students and parents are preferring skill-based courses due to the growing belief that more opportunities for employment than language courses.
To help curb this situation, the teachers are advising the University administration to make some changes to the admission process to fill the vacant seats in language subjects. They have demanded that colleges be allowed to issue cutoffs and grant admissions based on merit. They argue that this will also provide opportunities to students who wish to study Hindi or Sanskrit but were unable to prioritize these subjects in the CUET-based process. Teachers are concerned that if a large number of seats remain vacant, students' interest in these subjects could be further affected in the future.
