UGC to make four-year undergraduate courses must for honours degrees

Students looking to earn an honours degree in undergraduate courses will have to pursue four-year programmes under new regulations likely to be announced by the University Grants Commission on Monday, PTI reported.

“Students will be able to get a UG [undergraduate] degree in three years on completion of 120 credits (measured through the number of academic hours) and a UG honours degree in four years on completion of 160 credits,” the news agency quoted from the draft Curriculum and Credit Framework of the University Grants Commission.

Students who have already enrolled in three-year undergraduate courses, will be eligible to pursue a four-year programme.

“The university may provide bridge courses (including online) to enable them to transition to the extended programme,” the draft University Grants Commission curriculum framework noted.

The four-year programmes will also allow students to exit the course before three years and rejoin later. They will have the option to rejoin within three years of exiting the course, and will have to complete their degree within a stipulated period of seven years, PTI reported.

Authorities at the Delhi University, however, told The Indian Express, that honours degrees will also given to students who pursue a three-year undergraduate programme in a specific discipline.

“We were aware about the new regulations being planned by the UGC,” Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh, told the newspaper. “But we will stick to the regulations approved by our own academic bodies in August under which students can graduate with honours after three years as well.”

Under its new Curriculum and Credit Framework, the University Grants Commission is looking to implement recommendations of the National Education Policy, 2020. The new framework looks to make higher education multi-disciplinary by prescribing courses on “understanding India”, modern Indian languages and yoga, The Hindu reported.