Even as most colleges under Delhi University (DU) have closed admissions for courses under the fourth cut-off list, Hindi and Sanskrit still remained open in several colleges.
While DU aspirants had made a beeline for English under the first and second cut-off lists, Hindi and Sanskrit continued to receive lukewarm response - something that can be attributed to the absence of the subjects in the school curriculum.
"Sanskrit is not taught in class 11 and 12, especially in Delhi schools. So, if a students doesn't study that subject after class 10, they lose that connect with it. Secondly, it is also not perceived as very popular in the job market. This mindset has led to a general disinterest. Thirdly, it is not a very easy subject to tackle," said Sarita Sharma, professor of Sanskrit, Kamala Nehru College.
However, teachers claimed that opportunities were abundant for those who actually do pursue the subjects at higher levels.
"For students who finish class 12 with 70% or more, there are scholarships granted by the Delhi Sanskrit Academy and the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan. Furthermore, students who graduate with an honours degree in the subject have several opportunities to study in India and abroad, because a lot of universities in the USA provide a lot of scope for research in Sanskrit," she added.
Officials, too, claimed that the varsity has only been trying to encourage students to take up these languages and shun beliefs about lack of opportunities. "Students largely don't perceive courses such as Hindi and Sanskrit as mainstream compared to subjects such as English. There is a very strong mindset against pursuing these subjects because they feel that they will not get as many opportunities. But this is not true. Students who study Hindi and Sanskrit have a plethora of opportunities and we are trying to encourage them further," said a senior DU official.
{{/usCountry}}Officials, too, claimed that the varsity has only been trying to encourage students to take up these languages and shun beliefs about lack of opportunities. "Students largely don't perceive courses such as Hindi and Sanskrit as mainstream compared to subjects such as English. There is a very strong mindset against pursuing these subjects because they feel that they will not get as many opportunities. But this is not true. Students who study Hindi and Sanskrit have a plethora of opportunities and we are trying to encourage them further," said a senior DU official.
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