Mumbai: After 60 incoming Class XII science students at Ruia College, Matunga, met Education Minister Vinod Tawde on Monday requesting to take psychology instead of maths as their optional subject, 20 students have still not been given admission in psychology.
The students will enter Class XII this month. The admission list is set to be announced on Thursday. “I met with [the] faculty [on Wednesday] to ask if my name could be [included] in the psychology subject list, but I was told the quota is full. Earlier, only 30 students were permitted to take the subject. After our meeting with Minister Tawde, [the numbers have been] increased by 10. The rest are still not being allowed to take the subject despite Minister Tawde telling us that all 60 of us should be allowed and our principal should make arrangements for it,” a Science student said.
She added that psychology is an easier option than maths, and she wants easy-scoring subjects so that she can focus on writing medical entrance exams. However, faculties believe this not a wise choice. “Many of our science students want to pursue medicine, and if they don’t clear the medical entrances, they will study biotech or biological science subjects. For this, maths is a very useful and essential subject. There is no sense in taking psychology as an easier option now,” the principal of Ruia College, Suhas Pednekar, said.
Another science student, who has been allowed to take psychology, said, “We were told in Class XI that we could switch subjects [in] Class XII, so the delay is unfair.”
Mr. Pednekar said, “We always said seats could be offered in each subject as per vacancy. CBSE regulations [say] science students have to take maths in Class XI, but [they] can drop it for a different subject in Class XII. However, this is only as per availability of seats, which for psychology, in our college, is 40.”
