DU to add Additional Courses in Colleges; St Stephen’s to offer Political Science

The Delhi University has decided to include additional courses in some of its 63 affiliated colleges from this academic season, after the proposal for introduction of new subjects was approved by DU's executive council on February 28, 2022.

This move will allow St Stephen's College to offer honours course in Political Science and allow Gargi College to offer honours course in Economics. Besides St Stephen’s, Political Science (honours) will also be offered in Swami Shraddhanand and Bhagini Nivedita College. Students will be able to pursue an honours degree in Economics from Bharati College, Ramanujan College, Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, and Sri Aurobindo evening college.

However, these courses will be launched only after the funding agency approves it, which is the Delhi government for 12 colleges and the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the rest of the 51 colleges. The colleges which are getting additional courses will have to apply for the approval at their respective agencies, which will most likely clear the files before the beginning of the new academic session in July.

Keshav Mahavidyalaya is funded by the Delhi government and will offer various courses including the Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS).

Similarly, BSc honours courses in Chemistry, Zoology and Botany will be available in Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences. Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women will offer bachelor’s degrees with honours in Microbiology and Biochemistry. Zoology and botany honours will also make its entry into Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College.

Last year, Delhi University had allowed 19 colleges to offer new courses.

If the UGC allows colleges to add these programmes as well as increase seats, it could offer a huge relief to students who fail to get admission because of astonishingly high cut-offs in popular institutes.