Hindi in vogue

More students are choosing to study Hindi due to the growth of TV channels.

Hindi honours, hitherto the least sought-after course in Delhi University has gained pre-eminence once again, thanks to a host of Hindi news channels. There has been considerable increase in the interest in the subject over the last few years said Bhim Singh, Principal, Kirorimal College. The increasing interest is due to the popularity of Hindi news channels says Kanika Khandelwal, media coordinator. This year the cut off percentage is likely to go up by 1 per cent to 2 per cent due to this growing interest she added.

Earlier the course was termed unglamorous and only those with low percentages opted for the course. Now, that has changed with the popularity of Hindi journalism. In this particular course the number of applicants has increased so much that the Delhi University’s Hindi department has to conduct an entrance test, said Harmeet Singh, principal, Khalsa College. In last two years, the number of students has gone up by 30 per cent, he added. Owing to the popularity of the course the department has decided to revamp the course. Now the course will be more practical and less theoretical in nature. The lab would be modernised with more equipment and students would be given training in anchoring and news reading, said Singh.