Chandigarh PG college scraps two BCom (hons) courses mid-session

CHANDIGARH: The Postgraduate Government College, Sector 46, has scrapped the BCom (Hons) course in accounting and finance mid-session, leaving students in the lurch.
Five students had been enrolled in the course in July when the college had reopened.
On October 15, which was the last date of colleges to send applications of students to Panjab University showing that the students were enrolled with them, the college allegedly called up the students to ask them to choose a different subject for their honours as they were shutting down the course.
"We were in shock. How can they shut the course in the middle of the session when we have completed more than half of the syllabus?" asked a student.
The students said they had exams starting from December and it was not possible for them to study a new subject now.
"The college is asking us to choose management or banking. But why should we change our subject when our interest lies in accounting and finance?" the students said.
College officials, not wanting to be named, said they asked students to shift to another subject because they could not continue a course with less than 10 students. "We face problems with engaging faculty and audits if a course is run for less than 10 students," an official said.
There is no such rule in PU rule book that colleges cannot run a course with less than 10 students. The rules require colleges to inform the university in advance if they planned to discontinue any course for any reason. "If there were any such rules, why did they start the classes? We were five students since the beginning," a student said.
The students were of second year BCom (Hons). Dean College Development Council (DCDC) Sanjay Kaushik said he will look into the matter.