INDIA: Mumbai scraps popular culture course

Students studying English at Mumbai University are upset that it has scrapped two optional courses on popular culture and are considering a change of subject that may leave few takers for English language courses. Even as teachers around the globe use popular culture figures such as Homer Simpson from TV and movies to explain abstract concepts, it seems Mumbai is headed in the other direction.

Introduced in 1995, both the courses were among options students could take and over the years had become very popular. The reasons for the sudden change are not clear but Professor A.R. Mardikar, chair of the Board of Studies for English, said: "There is no real modification in the syllabus. We have instead distributed these topics in the other subjects."

Mardikar said there were no representations made to the committee during the discussion on change of syllabus. But teachers who did not wish to be named said they had made written as well as verbal representations although they had received no reply from the authorities.

Dr Shobha Ghosh, head of English at SIES College of Art in Mumbai, said, "Democracy and empowerment is about increasing choices not decreasing them. Over 150 students at the graduate level opted for the popular culture course so there appears to be no reason to drop it."

Meanwhile, students who had earlier wished to pursue English in their final year are considering a change of subjects. Supriya Singh, a second year student from Wilson College, said, "I wanted to study English for the option on popular culture but now the only optional courses available for me are grammar and translation. I do not want to spend the year with Wren and Martin."