Colleges see single-digit applicants for language courses

Despite growing interest in foreign languages among youth, native language courses at Patna University colleges are experiencing alarmingly low enrollment. Data reveals that most undergraduate language programs, with the exception of English, are attracting minimal applications, often numbering in the single digits. This starkly contrasts with English honours courses, which have seen applications significantly surpass the number of sanctioned seats.

Subjects like Bengali, Arabic, Persian, and Maithili are particularly struggling to attract students. For instance, the Bengali honours course at Patna College has only received one application. Arabic and Persian courses at Patna College and Magadh Mahila College have garnered just five and seven applications, respectively. Even Maithili, recently added to the CBSE curriculum and the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, has only attracted 11 applicants across its offered colleges.

Experts suggest that the allure of 'sunrise courses' offering lucrative job packages is drawing students away from traditional language studies. The perceived lack of high-paying job prospects in language fields makes it challenging to persuade younger generations to pursue these academic paths in the current digital era.