Universities, colleges in state to launch four-year undergraduate course

Mumbai: Universities and colleges in Maharashtra are set to offer four-year undergraduate degree programmes in arts, commerce and science from the coming academic year. Professional courses such as technology, pharmacy, law and teaching will not be included in this first phase of implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Maharashtra.

On Thursday evening, the state’s higher and technical education department issued a Government Resolution (GR) with revised guidelines on the syllabus and credits scheme, based on the recommendations of a steering committee. This GR announces the beginning of the four-year undergraduate (UG) degree and was issued at the end of a two-day conference held by higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil on April 19 and 20 in Lonavala.

The GR specifies that not all colleges will be granted the fourth year of the programme as ‘natural growth’. Colleges that already have permission to offer postgraduate degree programmes along with the UG degree program in the same major will automatically be allowed to continue with the PG programme and conduct the fourth year of the UG Honours degree programme. However, colleges with a three-year UG degree programme will have to seek permission to start a fourth year. Until then, universities will create appropriate mechanisms for admission to the fourth-year honours programme in other colleges.

The GR also mentions that students will be provided with exit options at the end of the second, fourth and sixth semesters, and will earn certification, diploma and basic Bachelor’s degrees respectively. Students will receive a Bachelor’s degree with Honours/Honours with Research on successfully completing all eight semesters of the UG programme.

The GR also provides flexibility for switching to alternative modes of learning such as offline, open distance learning, online learning and hybrid modes of learning. Students will be able to complete 40 percent of the credits in online mode. Besides major-minor subject combinations, the credit distribution will include elective courses, vocational skill courses, field projects and internships among others. Students will have to obtain a minimum of 50 percent of the total credits through the major course in which they will be awarded a degree.