Mumbai: 23 BMM students of Khalsa college stranded in final year

Khalsa College has discontinued its journalism specialisation six years ago owing to a very low number of aspirants

Students of Bachelor of Mass Media course at Guru Nanak Khalsa College are in a fix after they have been told that journalism which is a specialisation offered in the final year of the course will not be offered. This, despite 23 students wanting to pursue it. These students will now have to look for admissions to other college or complete their graduation with an advertising specialisation, both options unfair to them.

The college administration has, however, said that the journalism specilisation hasn't been offered here for the past six years. The complaining students have said that they were hopeful this year given the number of them opting for it.

Of around 80 students in their third year of BMM at Khalsa College, 23 want to study journalism. These students were hopeful of specialising in journalism since the college administration had told them it would be enabled if there were enough numbers. The disappointed students have not yet approached the Mumbai University which has designed the course that offers two specialisations in the third year of graduation - advertising and journalism.

Were given assurances

"All these years, the journalism aspirants were around five. This year we are 23 and hence the hope. Negotiations are on with the college administration since February but we are now being told that it will not be offered. It is difficult for us to now take admission to another college," said a student. Another student said the college's BMM course coordinator had given them a similar assurance. "We provided the administration with the list of 23 students and were told that the committee would take a decision. What is the point of opting for a professional course if we're not going to get to learn the specialisation that we are interested in?" he said.

Faculty says

A faculty member from the college, however, said, "It is not as if the students did not know this. It was made clear in the first year itself. The idea of offering it if there were enough number of students was anyway never certain. It was a chance the students were willing to take."

College principal Dr Kiran Mangaonkar, has been quite unaware of this situation in the institution's mass media department. "The fact that 23 students are willing this year is new information for me too. If that is the case, then we will be able to offer journalism. The students must have had discussions with the course heads. Nobody has approached me yet. I will now look into the issue."

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