These proposed changes emphasise flexibility, inclusivity, and multidisciplinary learning, aligning with India’s National Education Policy 2020.
The draft regulations introduce biannual admissions, multiple entry and exit options, recognition of prior learning, and the ability for students to pursue two UG or PG programs simultaneously.
Higher education institutions that are prepared for the change can admit students twice a year, once in July/August and again in January/February.
Students will now be eligible for admission to undergraduate or postgraduate programs in any discipline, regardless of their previous field of study, as long as they qualify through relevant national or university-level entrance exams.
The regulations propose a credit structure where students must earn 50% of their total credits in their major discipline, with the remaining credits allocated to skill-based courses, apprenticeships, or multidisciplinary subjects.
Undergraduate programs will span three or four years, while postgraduate programs will typically last one or two years. Additionally, students will have the flexibility to opt for an accelerated or extended degree program.
The accelerated degree program allows students to complete their undergraduate degrees in a shorter time frame by taking additional courses per semester, while the extended degree program enables students to reduce their academic load and extend the program duration.
Both programs maintain the same curriculum content and total credit requirements. Students can choose to take an accelerated or extended degree program at the end of their first or second semester based on recommendations from a committee evaluating their academic performance and potential for credit completion.
Students completing a four-year undergraduate degree with honours or research in disciplines such as physics, biology, mathematics, engineering, or technology will be eligible for two-year postgraduate programs in relevant fields.
The draft also recognises prior learning to accommodate non-traditional learners and gives institutions the autonomy to decide attendance requirements based on diverse learning modes such as online, hybrid, and in-person formats.
Students can to choose study in any programme irrespective of their past disciplinary qualification if they demonstrate their competency
Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, UGC
“We have also decoupled eligibility for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions from the rigid discipline-specific requirements of school education. Under these regulations, students can to choose study in any programme irrespective of their past disciplinary qualification if they demonstrate their competency by clearing the relevant entrance examinations,” UGC chairman Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar told The PIE News.
“Recognising the diverse learning modes promoted by NEP 2020, these regulations provide autonomy to HEIs to determine student attendance requirements, ensuring they align with evolving academic needs.”
