When getting that coveted seat gets tougher

Competition for higher education in Chennai intensifies as Nandanam Arts College admits women, impacting male students' chances.

Just how tough is the competition for higher education became obvious at Nandanam Arts College on Monday last. The institution has started admitting women to undergraduate programmes from this academic year. It has 1,192 seats, for which it received over 21,000 applications. After the government permitted colleges to call for more students in the first week of July and the order confirming that the college is a co-educational institution, around 2,000 women applied between July 3 and 5. The college will admit 10 students per class. But this will be at the cost of male students.

A third-year student of an arts programme said the college could have added more seats. “A student who has taken the science stream in school will get admitted to any discipline, but students who have taken the arts stream have fewer choices. With girls being admitted, our chances are slim. Earlier, we were assured of a seat; now that is gone,” he said. A woman who had accompanied her daughter for admission said she had chosen a discipline for which she was rejected by the college at Chengalpattu because of insufficient marks. “She wants to study, so I gave in,” she said.

For the first-year students, the struggle to get that seat is tough, but for teachers a new year poses many challenges. They must prepare the students for the future when they complete graduation. Some colleges offer motivational speeches by professionals, giving freshers an opportunity to shape their aims. At Presidency College, the students are exposed to people from various walks of life, including activists and political leaders. Students may have no idea what their future holds, despite choosing a discipline either by choice or owing to parental pressure. The teachers then hone their skills and guide them.

It is the same for students even at engineering colleges. The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras opens its portals to aspiring students. They can visit the campus and apprise themselves of the facilities. Parents are also invited. A decade ago, the institute’s image was dented after student suicides rocked the campus. There were protests by activists who alleged high-handedness and callousness on the part of the authorities. Since then, much has changed. More interaction has been taking place between members of the public and the institute. But the same cannot be said for other engineering colleges.

It was during the tenure of Anil D. Sahasrabudhe as the chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education in 2015 that some changes happened. Professor Sahasrabudhe wanted the colleges to keep their laboratories and libraries open after the college hours. He advised the colleges to encourage interaction between the students of both genders. Until then, some well-performing colleges segregated male and female students and punished them if they were found talking to each other. Professor Sahasrabudhe’s suggestions did bring about some change, academics say.

(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050. Helplines across the country can be accessed here)