KEY STORY
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The University Grants Commission has cleared the course structure for the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) proposed in the National Education Policy.
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Vice-chancellors of central universities met on 10 March to approve the course, ThePrint has learnt.
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The document provides a roadmap on which universities can design the FYUP. So far, Delhi University has adopted the new format from the academic year 2022-23.
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The Ministry of Education has indicated it would want all central universities to adopt the programme, which will be divided into eight semesters lasting 90 days each, the document reads.
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In semesters 1, 2 and 3, the student will study subjects from humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and vocational education. At the end of semester 3, the student will decide her major and minor subject for the degree, which will be allotted on the basis of interest and academic performance.
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In semesters 7 and 8, the student will conduct a research-based study on the subject of specialisation.
CONCLUSION
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With multiple entry-exit options, students who wish to exit after the first year will get a certificate, those exiting after two years will receive a diploma, students who complete three years will be given a bachelor’s degree and those who study four years will get a bachelor’s degree with honours.
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The document also stated there would be no hard separations between ‘arts’ and ‘sciences’, between ‘curricular’ and ‘extracurricular’ activities, between ‘vocational’ and ‘academic streams’, etc. A multi-disciplinarity and a holistic approach to education across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and sports will be adopted.
Credit-based courses
The programmes of study would include taught courses, seminars, practicals, internships, lab work, studio activities, workshops, field projects, community engagement, a hybrid mix of taught course and field work, and an additional four credit courses involving 50 per cent credit allocation to practicals.
The course work during the first three semesters of the FYUP will consist of language education (regional and English), understanding India, environmental science/education, digital and technological solutions, mathematical and computational thinking and analysis, health & wellness, yoga education, and sports and fitness, which will be common for all students.
Course requirements of ‘majors’ offered would be 48 credit-hours. Students will have the option to choose two disciplinary/interdisciplinary ‘minors’ of 16 credit-hours each, making it a total of 32 credits.
Students will have to complete a total of 160 credit-hours in order to finish the four-year programme.