Women college at Parade emerging as topmost choice for girl students

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 26

With the introduction of short-term skill development courses and equal focus on all subjects, the Government College for Women at Parade in the old city is emerging as the top choice for girl students.

One of the oldest colleges in Jammu city, the GCW, Parade, was established in 1944. Maharani Tara Devi established Maharani Mahila College during the rule of the then Maharaja Hari Singh.

The college was taken over by the state government on November 25, 1953, and was renamed the Government College for Women.

It was the only college for women in the Jammu province until 1969 when the Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, was established.

Having more than 1,500 students, the GCW, Parade, offers courses in 29 subjects, with 55 combinations in humanities, social science and languages. A total of nine combinations are being offered in medical and non-medical streams.

The college was also conferred the honour of ‘College with Potential for Excellence’ in April 2016 for five years by the University Grants Commission.

As an autonomous institute affiliated to the University of Jammu, the college designs and develops its own curricula for all programmes.

“For so many years, we have been listening from our seniors, cousins and other students about the high standards of teaching in the college. It is a dream come true for me to secure admission at the GCW, Parade,” said Neha, a fresher at the college.

“For the last few years, the introduction of skill development courses apart from academic courses by the college has been attracting more students not only from the old or new city but also from the outskirts.

The diploma course in fashion designing and tailoring is a fine example of that,” said Sana, another student.

Principal, GCW, Parade, Dr Hemla Aggarwal told The Tribune that the college was focusing more on job-oriented skill development courses.

“Stress is also being laid on academic courses offered to the students but skill development courses of shorter duration are also our prime focus,” the principal said.

“This year, we have introduced statistics in the academic curriculum. We are planning to introduce new skill-based courses for the benefit of students.”

Institution designs its own curricula

• As an autonomous institute affiliated to the University of Jammu, the Government College for Women, Parade, designs and develops its own curricula for all programmes
• Having more than 1,500 students, the college offers courses in 29 subjects, with 55 combinations in humanities, social science and languages. A total of nine combinations are being offered in medical and non-medical streams