Strict visa regulations drive students back to Punjab colleges

Strict student visa regulations in Canada, a crackdown on international students in the US and a temporary halt on new student visas in recent months have significantly impacted the aspirations of Indian students to study abroad. However, this shift has turned the tide for colleges in Punjab, which are now witnessing a surge in enrolments across all undergraduate courses.

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This marks a positive turn of events for many private colleges that, until recently, were facing the threat of closure due to low student enrolments. Now, institutions across Amritsar and Tarn Taran are grappling with a new set of challenges: scaling up faculty strength and upgrading infrastructure to accommodate the sudden influx of students.

With admissions for undergraduate courses now open through a Centralised Admission Portal, colleges have established help desks and reintroduced admission cut offs, a practice that was done away with since last many years.

“The increase in enrolments is tremendous. While it’s encouraging, it brings its own set of challenges,” said Prof Davinder Singh, Registrar of Khalsa College. “This year, we have set a minimum cut off of 60 per cent for admissions. The merit of students is quite good this year, especially in science and computer-related courses, where we are seeing applicants with scores of 90 per cent and above. Given the high number of enrolments, we are also offering specialised diplomas,” he added.

Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has already released its academic expansion plan, adding 53 new courses across various departments. These include new courses in Architecture, Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Computer Science and Hindi, such as a Postgraduate Diploma in Hindi Journalism and certificate courses in Hindi Translation and Creative Writing. In a strategic collaboration with the National Stock Exchange Academy (NSE), the University School of Financial Studies is launching an MBA in Financial Analytics and a five-year integrated MCom in Data Analytics.

While city colleges are content and set for faculty enhancement to meet capacity, several private and affiliated institutions in Tarn Taran and neighbouring rural areas express concerns over increasing student admissions, potentially leading to resource strain. Increased student enrolment can put a strain on existing resources like classrooms, faculty and infrastructure, potentially impacting the quality of education and student experience.

“We have 22 sanctioned faculty positions under the grant-in-aid scheme, but currently only four of those are filled,” said Dr Jasbir Singh, Principal of Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Sarhali, Tarn Taran. “The college has had to hire 16 additional teachers on a self-financed basis, placing a significant financial burden on our institution, especially given our rural border location,” he added.

He said that although the college is government-aided, grant crunch and faculty shortage are some of hurdles that need to be crossed before the July admission rush.

“Most students from the rural border areas prefer to apply late. We tried increasing the approved seats in few courses, but the conditions are tough and financially straining for colleges here,” Dr Singh added. “Two years ago, we were operating at only half of our approved student capacity. This year, we expect to fill all our undergraduate seats,” Dr Singh remarked.