BENGALURU: Vishal Kumar, 19, is pursuing bachelor’s degree in commerce, a subject chosen for him by his parents. Though he says it was heartbreaking in the beginning, it made sense to him as he realised his favourite subject, geography, may not offer promising career opportunities.
“I plan to appear for UPSC examination with geography as my optional subject. But taking it as my major would be tough as there are no interesting course options nor career choices,” he said, adding that at least commerce has a set and tested career path.
Like Vishal, many students who like geography end up picking other streams due to lack of awareness or opportunities. While students say they are not choosing the subject because there aren’t enough options, college administrations say lack of awareness and promotion has kept demand low.
A government college geography lecturer said it is disappointing that there isn’t enough focus on the subject. “Private and government universities must promote the subject just like they promote STEM courses, journalism or psychology,” he said.
Meera HN, principal, Seshadripuram College, said there are colleges that offer geography in BA and MA, but the courses are not sought after in urban areas. “The demand for geography is high in northern parts of the state. Employability depends on how students build their skills in that subject,” she said, adding that with NEP, students may get a chance to opt for geography as an elective with other subjects, upping its demand.
Bangalore University vice-chancellor Prof KR Venugopal agrees that NEP will help change the traditional nature of the course and make it more relevant by integrating it with technology. “The subject is much more than just an optional for UPSC exams. Opting for it with engineering subjects or with a focus on disaster management will make the subject career-centric,” he opined.
‘Syllabus should be tweaked’
D Rajasekhar, director in charge of Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, said to make the subject attractive, the syllabus must be altered to suit the present needs, as has been done in foreign universities. “Geography must be taught with developmental studies’ point of view, like geography in relation to social and economic changes,” he said.
