THE CARMEL BEAT
On Stereotyping BA Courses
Siddhi Dixit
The 21st century is an archetype of possibilities. We have choices in every aspect; be it love, career, or a degree. However, Indian society is structured on the foundation of rigidity. A country comprising the maximum youth population is limited to an overpopulated nation teeming with engineers and doctors. The very fabric of possibilities is restricted by the notion of prestige, job security, and a well-acclaimed thought of “what would society think?” Change is a heavy challenge that many find people find
unacceptable, especially when it comes to the prospect of a child's future. A deter from the path normally followed is an unacceptable outlook, one that is not easily digestible.
BA, a degree stereotyped into a no job degree. When we are young, our dreams have been passed around with a round of laughs, but after a certain point, it becomes a controlled choice. B—Tech, BSc, medicine, Law, B-com are degrees well looked after, with an accompanying tag of “not whiling away your time” or an “intelligent child.”
However, a degree in BA is downgraded to a path leading to nowhere, with an accompanying tag of “instability” and an “unsecured future” with a mindset of less intelligent minds. The essence of this degree is missed by most of us, leading to an improper structural foundation of it in our country. Despite many companies offering jobs to students with a bachelor's degree, BA requires a specialized field of study, with an expectation of further studies whether it be MA, MBA, or specialization in business analytics to be “corporate ready.” Despite various research and intense study methodology involved in BA, the efforts of students are interpreted to be less than that in other degrees. It alludes to the unequal university system built in India, especially when BA is one of the most taken up degrees in India.
Anisha Lohia, a student pursuing a triple major in BA political science, economics, and sociology from Delhi explores her experience in this field as no less than exciting. “It’s been my dream since childhood to be a civil servant, and with this aim in my life, I want to serve people and be a part of the functioning of the government.” For Anisha, her dream was paved with a study of humanities, subjects she strongly came to like. She mentions, “The reason these subjects are so instilled with UPSC is because they form a major part of the people. Science and technology are ways of innovation that add quantitatively to people’s lives. However, quality is what they are looking for and I want to have a part in the contribution.” She did not consider BA as a degree with no job but as one of the best ways to make society a better place. The theoretical aspect of BA has a large purview, which with its long history of evolution, continues to grow and make life better adding to its specialty. Though other degrees are in no way less beneficial to society, humanities are centric to the people and their way of life. Anisha regards this degree as a new wave of learning, “most of the people like to live for themselves, but if you live for others, it’s a different feeling.” Dream entangles many of us into this journey, not letting the marginality of the degree stop us from pursuing it.
Rachit Sanghani, a student of BSc Finance from Mumbai, considers BA as the world’s richest degree. He says, “had I been given the option of BA in finance, I would have taken it up.” Unlike many of us stereotyping the corporate offices and institutions to ignore students of BA, he brings in the point to focus on specialization. “BA is a vast degree, and it is the subject we choose to go forward with that shapes our career in the world.” It’s the mindset of the people that curtails us into marginalizing BA. Thus, for the new generation of interdisciplinary courses, BA is nowhere near a discarded degree. According to them, merging the subject across provides for a larger scope of growth. This highlights the greater advantage of adapting BA, rather than discouraging it. Hence, the focus on BA being an art, not science is proof of legitimizing the importance of Bachelor of Arts to people across the nation.
Saakshi Biradar, a student pursuing BA economics from Mount Carmel College, had a struggling phase before zeroing down to BA economics. As a medical aspirant, her life had a turning point when she decided to leave her medical seat to go for her inner calling of social service. “I felt medicine was extremely commercialized, and I could do so many better things than this.” Though clueless about her new subjects, she took an immediate liking to economics and even started a research paper in the same field. Highlighting the importance of BA, she became the first student to grab an internship in Deshaw as a financial analyst, despite the segregation with BBA and BCom students. Hence, with the interdisciplinary approach on her part and a keen interest in her subjects, whether it be BA, B-Tech, or any other degree, it does not define an individual’s talent.
Thus, BA, “a no job degree” can take a student to great heights. It is a pattern of subjects filled with the richness of philosophies and arts of many great people. It continues to inspire and fulfill the dreams of many students in India, paving the way to the holistic development of the nation!