When Himanshi, 20, finished school, her heart was set on pursuing a degree in the sciences. But her parents were hesitant to let her go to a college in Haryana’s Gohana, around 15 km from their village, Bhainswal, in Sonipat district. The commute, they felt, was a concern. Himanshi was forced to enrol in Bhainswal Kalan Government College. It offered only a BA programme.
Her classmate Ritu, 21, had hoped for a BA degree with Geography as one of her subjects, but, to her dismay, the college didn’t offer it. Her parents, too, were uncomfortable with the idea of her travelling beyond a few kilometres to study.
