“In our college, the intake capacity for first-year degree courses is 600. The intake capacity for second-year degree courses is lesser. However, this year, all 600 students will be promoted. Even about 100-150 ATKT students will be promoted,” said a principal on condition of anonymity. (Representational)
With the promotion of all first-year and second-year degree students to the next academic year without exams, city colleges this year are dealing with increased student strength compared to previous years.
In the second and third year, principals said the number of students has risen by 20-35 students in each division compared to past years. These students will have to be adjusted within the existing infrastructure in colleges.
“Our college like many other colleges follows a pyramid division system where the number of divisions reduces as students move to higher classes. In our college, the intake capacity for first-year degree courses is 600. The intake capacity for second-year degree courses is lesser. However, this year, all 600 students will be promoted. Even about 100-150 ATKT students will be promoted. We are staring at an increase of about 200 students this year for second and third year of degree courses. There are no government guidelines on what needs to be done,” said a principal on condition of anonymity.
Once colleges reopen physically, the issue is expected to come to the fore. In the 2019-20 academic year, 3.41 lakh students across 11 non-agricultural universities had ATKT.
KC College Principal Hemlata Bagla said, “The number has increased for sure. In first year, most colleges are filled to the brim, after which mobility among students is witnessed from second year onwards. This year, classes for third year are seeing more impact and conducting practicals may be an issue. To deal with it, more teachers may be required.”
Due to this increase in numbers, students may not get their choice of subjects but will be accommodated in other subjects, said Jai Hind College Principal Ashok Wadia, adding that students need to grab this opportunity and make the most of it.
St Xavier’s College principal Rajendra Shinde said, “We are having a tough time allocating subjects for specialisation. For example, science students are distributed in the second year in subjects such as zoology, botany, psychology, chemistry which have a limited number of seats. Where the strength was 20, it’s now about 35. Where it was 60, it is now about 90…”