Chandigarh, July 25 -- Member of Parliament Manish Tewari has expressed serious concern over the removal of several important academic subjects from various city colleges- a move that, he warned, could lead to the complete discontinuation of these disciplines in the future. MP Tewari also raised an alarm over what he suspects is a deliberate attempt by the administration to benefit private interests in academia. He stated that a large number of students in Chandigarh pursue diverse academic courses that play a vital role in shaping their careers. "However, recent reports suggest that the administration is gradually phasing out several crucial subjects from the curriculum," he added. He highlighted the discontinuation of several programmes, including MSc in chemistry and IT, MA in sociology and public administration, BCA, PGDCA (which, he noted, the Prime Minister himself had termed vital for the country's future), MPEd, and BA in mathematics. "What makes the situation even more serious is that the administration is taking such steps without consulting experts or scholars in the concerned fields," MP Tewari said. Responding to the concerns, officials of the UT directorate of higher education claimed that the subjects removal is a part of their rationalisation process. They said that courses in some of the UT colleges have been removed, but overall courses are still available in the colleges, except in the case of self-financed courses. Officials of the Panjab University who were present in a committee formed by the UT administration for the rationalisation have also confirmed this. htc...