Cut-off remains high for Science

Arts overshadowed by Science and Commerce at PU level

Anxious students and parents are eagerly awaiting the release of the first list of selected candidates to be out on May 24 as per the PU Board directions. The second list is scheduled to be released on May 29 and the final list on June 4.

The most sought after PU colleges in the City are expected to keep their cut-off per cent at 88 to 90 for Science stream.

For Commerce stream, the bar is a little lower at 80-85 per cent. As expected, cut-off percentage for Arts combination, offered by a handful of colleges, is expected to be the lowest at 70-75 per cent.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, most students said they were likely to opt for Science or Commerce courses. “I am undecided about what I want to pursue later in life, and may jump to another stream all together. It is always easier to do this from the Science stream than from any other,” said Priyanka R, who was seeking admission into MES Kishora Kendra College. Priyanka plans to take Science with Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology as her core subjects.

Shefali, who hopes to get into Christ College, said she was going to choose Science as she wants to secure a “comfortable future” for herself. “I am taking up PCME because I want to do engineering and I know I will be able to earn well with an engineering-related job.”

Science still has the highest number of takers with most application forms being sold for courses under the stream across all PU colleges.

Commerce has emerged as a close second. Principal of  National College, Basavangudi, H N Ambika, says: “Students nowadays want a guaranteed job once they graduate, and are therefore picking Commerce as it gives them greater security.” As an indicator to the trend, the college, which started its sole Commerce course last year, has received an overwhelming number of 2,456 applicants this year.

Even in the Commerce stream, Basic Maths and Computer Science seem to be the favourites. “I want to do Commerce, Accounts, Basic Math and Economics (CAME) course at Christ College, and later do BBM, followed by an MBA,” says Zahra Taskeen.

Arts comes a poor third

With security and career being the top priority for most teenagers, it now appears that the Arts stream has lost its prominence among students in the City.

Blame it on the poor number of combinations or the lack of experienced hands at teaching Arts at the PU level, students who opted for Arts were hard to come by.
NMKRV College in Jayanagar and National College in  Basavangudi sold about 250 applications for their Arts combinations.

Last year MES PU College and Sheshadripuram PU College both did not have a cut-off percentage for the course and is expected to continue the same trend due to poor response.

At the St Joseph’s PU College, the seats on offer for the Arts stream is only 80 compared to 640 in Science and 340 in Commerce.

Joseph’s follows different pattern

Being an exception to the trend of cut-off percentages, St Joseph’s PU College does not have a stipulated cut-off to stop students from applying.

In a unique admission process, the college will be selecting the students based on their performance at the SSLC examinations in the descending order.

“Once we gather all the results, we list them in descending order of their marks and then allot seats according to merit. Thus, we only declare cut-offs after we release the first list of students,” said the Principal, Father Roshan Lobo.

They do however follow the reservation quota prescribed for SC/STs and OBCs along with reservation for Roman Catholics and Christians. They also maintain a five per cent reservation for CBSE and ICSE schools.