B.Com and CA together? Varsity puts its foot down

Many dream of becoming chartered accountants but keep an honours degree in commerce as a back-up. But Delhi University’s new policy will make it impossible for students to do both courses at the same time.

Many dream of becoming chartered accountants but keep an honours degree in commerce as a back-up. But Delhi University’s new policy will make it impossible for students to do both courses at the same time.

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Making the cut for B.Com. (honours) in DU is already one of the most difficult things in the academic circles currently what with sought-after colleges such as Shri Ram College for Commerce, Lady Shri Ram College and Hindu College demanding more than 96% for admission.

Similarly, a career in chartered accountancy (CA) is one of the most sought-after in the country, considering the huge number of students that enroll themselves in this course every year. However, only a select few make the cut.

“Students these days want to do multiple things at the same time. Everyone is looking for shortcuts. The university’s new policy strives to put a curb on students pursuing both courses at the same time, keeping in mind the time a student needs to put in for both,” said a senior DU official.

“The semester system has made it virtually impossible for students to pursue both courses together. Earlier, it was possible for a student to make up for the lost attendance during the course of a year, but now students just cannot cope with the pressure of the two courses together,” said Poonam Sethi, who teaches at Hindu College.

According to teachers and university officials, the move was made to ensure that only those students who want to pursue B.Com. (honours) seriously take up the course.

But a majority of students still believe that they can pursue both courses together and in fact take admission in DU under this wrong impression. In fact, several students who showed up at the Open Day sessions conducted by the university earlier this month were looking to pursue both courses at the same time, which officials say is going to be very difficult.

“B.Com (honours) is a highly competitive and difficult course. Also, several students with brilliant marks are vying for every seat. Students who want to pursue CA should stick to that,” the university official added.

Also, the make-up of the classroom will undergo a change in accordance to the new rules, say teachers. “This restriction will improve the complexion of the classroom. Students will take classes more seriously and we will see better results. Earlier, there were times when the entire classroom would be empty as all students were busy taking CA exams,” Sethi added.

Officials say that students who want to pursue the two courses together can pursue B.Com from the university’s School of Open Learning.