Patna: Even as interest among young people in learning foreign languages has grown significantly in recent years, native language courses offered by colleges under Patna University (PU) continue to attract very few applicants.Data from the PU admission section shows that enrolment interest in several undergraduate language programmes, except English, remains negligible with most courses receiving applications in single digits.In contrast, applications for English honours courses across different colleges have far exceeded the number of sanctioned seats. Demand for English literature is also higher than that for several traditionally popular social science subjects.Only one application has been received this year for admission to the Bengali honours course, which is currently offered only at Patna College. Earlier, the subject was also taught at B N College and Magadh Mahila College, but was discontinued because of a shortage of teachers and declining student interest.The Arabic honours course at Patna College has received only five applications. Similarly, just seven students have applied for the Persian honours course, which is offered at Patna College and Magadh Mahila College.Only 11 students have applied for the Maithili honours course, available at Magadh Mahila College, Patna College and B N College. This is despite Maithili recently being introduced as an optional language subject in the CBSE curriculum and its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.PU Sanskrit department’s former head Girish Kumar Jha said, “In the modern era of digital technology, it is very difficult to persuade the present generation to study language courses which hardly promise any lucrative job to them. Most of them would like to join sunrise courses which would fetch them a heavy pay package.”
