From expanding the academic menu to fixing the basics, higher education faces the challenge of making every new course count
There is an interesting contradiction unfolding inside Jammu and Kashmir’s government degree colleges. On paper, the higher education system appears to be expanding — more subjects, more courses, new academic programmes and, this year, a significant rise in admissions. But inside some classrooms, the reality remains rather different.
“There are many examples of degree colleges where we introduced new subjects but don’t have students,” Education Minister Sakina Itoo said, highlighting one of the less visible problems confronting the higher education sector even as the government celebrates an increase in college admissions.
The minister’s observation goes to the heart of a larger question: is expanding the list of courses enough, or does J&K need to rethink how colleges decide what to teach, where to teach it and, most importantly, how to attract students to those programmes?
The admission numbers this year offer some encouragement. The government has reported an 18 per cent increase in admissions in government colleges. Earlier in the admission cycle, 49,155 students had enrolled in the first round, compared with 45,920 in the corresponding period last year — an increase of more than seven per cent. The government had then expected the final number to cross 55,000.
The turnaround is significant because government degree colleges have faced the pressure of declining enrolment in some areas for years. The decision to move away from CUET-based admissions and return to Class 12 merit-based admissions has also been cited as one factor behind the improved numbers.
But the headline figure can hide as much as it reveals.
A rise in total admissions does not necessarily mean that every college is healthy, nor does it indicate that every newly introduced programme is viable. The minister’s own admission about colleges offering subjects without having enough students is an important reminder that higher education cannot be measured only through the number of admissions.
Take the example of Public Administration. The subject was introduced in 14 government degree colleges, but enrolment varied sharply. In one case, Srinagar Women’s College, Zakura, reportedly had only one student, while Amar Singh College had 83. Several colleges recorded enrolment below the minimum threshold. The government’s position has been that new courses are introduced after assessing demand, student interest, infrastructure, faculty availability and other resources.
That raises an obvious implementation question: how accurately is demand being assessed before a course is introduced?
There is little value in adding a subject to a college prospectus if there are no teachers available, if students have limited awareness of its career prospects or if neighbouring colleges are already offering the same programme.
The issue becomes even more complicated in rural and remote areas.
The government has expanded higher education infrastructure across districts with the stated objective of taking opportunities closer to students. Yet infrastructure alone cannot guarantee academic growth. A college building can be impressive, but without permanent faculty, laboratories, libraries, hostels, transport connectivity and a meaningful range of employment-oriented courses, it can struggle to become a preferred destination for students.
The problem is not limited to new courses either. Questions have repeatedly been raised in the Assembly about faculty shortages, infrastructure gaps and the functioning of institutions in rural areas. In one recent Assembly discussion, concerns were raised about colleges and higher education facilities operating without adequate academic and non-teaching staff. Similar concerns have emerged over off-site university campuses, where some programmes have struggled because of faculty shortages.
This points to perhaps the biggest loophole in the current expansion model: the academic ecosystem has to grow together.
Opening a new course requires more than an administrative order. It needs qualified teachers, adequate classrooms, updated books, laboratories where necessary, digital resources and a clear academic pathway for students. Most importantly, students need to understand what the course can offer them after graduation.
The employment question therefore cannot be separated from the admission question.
For a young person choosing between a government degree college and a private institution, the availability of a subject is only one consideration. The student also looks at teaching quality, placement prospects, professional courses, competitive-examination support, skill development and the possibility of pursuing higher studies.
J&K’s implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 has opened the door to multidisciplinary, skill-based and employment-oriented education. But the real test lies in implementation. A course described as “skill-based” on paper must translate into actual skills in the classroom.
There is also a case for a college-by-college academic audit.
Before introducing another subject, authorities could examine enrolment trends, faculty availability, infrastructure, local demand and employment prospects. Similarly, courses consistently attracting very few students could be reviewed rather than allowed to continue indefinitely without assessing their relevance.
Such an exercise would not mean shutting doors on students. Instead, it could help colleges specialise according to regional requirements.
A college located in a tourism-rich area, for instance, may have a stronger case for hospitality, tourism, heritage or language-related programmes. Institutions in industrial belts could explore programmes linked to commerce, technology, logistics and entrepreneurship. Colleges in rural areas could develop courses connected with agriculture, environmental studies, rural development and local enterprise.
The objective should be to make the government college more than a place where a student simply completes a degree.
The 18 per cent rise in admissions, therefore, is an opportunity — but also a test. It provides the higher education department with a larger student base and a chance to demonstrate whether the system can convert increased enrolment into better learning outcomes.
The real measure of success will not be how many courses appear in college prospectuses or how many students enter through the admission portal.
It will be whether those students find teachers in their classrooms, books in their libraries, laboratories where required, skills that employers value and pathways that give meaning to the three or four years they spend in college.
J&K may have begun reversing the decline in college admissions. The harder task now is ensuring that every admission counts.
