University Grants Commission (UGC) is expected to announce new norms for undergraduate degrees today, December 12. As per these, students will now have to study for four years, not three, in order to get an UG ‘honours’ degree.
Here are ten things students should know about new UGC norms for undergraduate degree courses:
The draft regulations, mentioned in ‘Curriculum and credit framework for four-year undergraduate programmes’ is likely to be made public today. Under this new system students will get a UG degree in three years on completion of 120 credits and a UG honours degree in four years on completion of 160 credits. Under the current system, it takes a student at least three years for an UG honours degree.
Further, the draft regulations say, students who want to opt for research specialization at ungergraduate level, can undertake a project in their four-years course. This will lead to a honours degree with research specialisation.
While it will become mandatory to complete at least 4 years of studies for a UG honours degree, the multiple exit feature of these regulations will also allow students to leave with a certificate after completing one year of the course, with a diploma after two, and so on.
Existing students, enrolled and pursuing a three-year UG programme under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) will also be eligible to pursue a four-year undergraduate programme under new regulations. Universities can provide bridge course to help them transition to the new system.
These new regulations are in line with provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which talks about four-year undergraduate degrees with multiple entry-exit. Several universities, including DU and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), have already introduced similar programmes.
The new UGC document, however, doesn’t match with DU’s existing policy for providing undergraduate degrees. In Delhi University, students can get a degree with honours if they exit at the end of the third year.
DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh said the university has already enrolled students on the basis of its existing guidelines. “The Delhi University regulations have been approved by our statutory bodies and we will continue with that. We will give an honours degree after three years as we have been doing since 1980. We have no plan of doing away with honours degree after three years,” he said.
Further, DU teachers have raised concerns about the difference between the credit requirement outlined in the university’s undergraduate curriculum framework and the UGC framework. According to UGC, students will need 40 credits for a certificate, 80 for a diploma, 120 for a degree and 160 for a degree with honours. DU’s framework, proposed 176 credits for a four-year honours and research degree.
The curriculum for FYUP proposed by UGC will include major courses, minor courses, courses from other disciplines, language courses, skill courses; and courses on environmental education, understanding India, digital and technological solutions, health and wellness, yoga education, and sports and fitness.
At the end of the 2nd semester, students can decide to continue with their chosen major or change it. They will also have the option to go for single major or double majors. “A student has to secure a minimum of 50 per cent credits from the major discipline for the 3-year/4-year UG degree to be awarded a single major,” as per the draft regulations.
sabhar: Hindustan times
