Students in Rajasthan prefer pass course to honours

JAIPUR: Students in Rajasthan have shown more interest in studying pass course subjects instead of honours. This is in contrast to the national trend, where there is a tough competition for getting into top universities in honours courses.
Looking at the number of forms submitted by the students, in all subjects, honours courses have received around 1,500 forms while pass course ones have received 6,000 forms. The sharp difference between these subjects’ applications depends on the fact that most of the students in Rajasthan prepare for government exams from their first year, for which honours degree becomes a hurdle, being a specialised subject.

Sangeeta Gupta, principal of Maharani College said, “In honours subjects, there is no option for a private degree. So, a student of BCom, who is generally preparing for CA, prefers pass course. Honours has its own challenges hence, the inclination towards honours subjects has gone down.”
Although many students who still want to take admission in Maharani or other good government colleges, apply in both the courses.
Rashmi Jain, professor, sociology in Rajasthan University said, “In Rajasthan, students are focused on government jobs. In Delhi University and other prestigious universities, cut off is higher for honours courses but not in Rajasthan University. Students want to complete graduation for eligibility in government exams. For honours courses, it is a specialised subject so it is tough to handle with preparation for a government job.”
However, it is said that the inclination towards government jobs is mostly among students passed out from RBSE. Till two years back, when percentile formula was implemented for admission, RBSE students were more in number, who used to prefer pass courses. With the removal of the percentile formula, now the CBSE students are getting more admissions and there has been a slight rise in the number of forms submitted for honours seats. This trend may change in coming years.