Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many girl students in Karnataka are dropping out of degree programmes after being persuaded by their families to get married. In many cases, efforts by lecturers to convince parents to postpone the wedding till after they complete the courses have failed.
The last date to complete college admissions without fine was September 15, and many colleges are reporting that 10% to 20% of the girls did not turn up. “About 150 students are yet to take admission for the second and final year in the current academic year at our college,” said Mahendra Kumar, principal of Government First Grade Arts College in Hassan. While every year there are some students who get married and give up studies, this year the numbers are markedly higher, he said.
T.M. Manjunath, president of Karnataka Government College Teachers’ Association, said this was the trend across the…