4-year UG programme for 2023-24 be declared by Monday: UGC chief

NEW DELHI:   The University Grants Commission (UGC) will announce the Four-Year Under-Graduate Programme (FYUP) to be adopted in all higher education institutions from 2023-24 academic session, by Monday.

According to UGC Chairman Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends that the higher education system should enable an individual to study one or more specialised areas of interest at a deep level and also develop capabilities across a range of disciplines, including sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, languages, as well as professional, technical, and vocational subjects. 

Accordingly, NEP suggests that the existing Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) will be revised to instil innovation and flexibility, Kumar told TNIE. “UGC is going to announce the Four-Year Under-Graduate Programme by Monday,” he added. “Students who have already enrolled and are pursuing a 3-year UG programme as per the existing Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) are eligible to pursue a 4-year undergraduate programme. The university may provide bridge courses (including online) to enable them to transition to Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes (CCFUGP), “ Kumar added.

The implementation of FYUP, which has already raised the hackles of various students’ bodies and a section of teachers’ bodies, breaks down the four-year undergraduate degree into parts. Moreover, it provides different entry and exit options. Delhi University has already approved the FYUP syllabi of various courses for its 2022-23 academic session and the classes for semester one started in November. The second semester is scheduled to begin in March 2023. Prof Kumar said that although the existing Choice Based Credit System allows students to choose from various disciplines, it lacks a multi-/interdisciplinary flavour. 

NEP wants individuals to study more subjects: Kumar 
According to UGC Chairman Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, the National Education Policy 2020 recommends that the higher education system should enable an individual to study one or more specialised areas of interest at a deep level and also develop capabilities across a range of disciplines, including sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, languages, as well as professional, technical, and vocational subjects.