Banaras Hindu University (BHU) held a comprehensive review meeting on Monday, October 6, to assess the ongoing implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and chart out plans for its next phase across the university, as reported by ANI.
A key agenda of the meeting was reviewing the First Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) rollout, which introduced the four-year UG (Honours) and UG (Honours with Research) models. The discussion covered student mobility routes, the credit structure, and academic support systems under the NEP framework.
Key points
Among the major deliberation points were:
Major–Minor flexibility: Facilitating smoother class combinations within departments, exploring inter-departmental options, and enabling students to change their major or minor after the first year in select departments. The committee also discussed the feasibility of introducing a second minor after Semester 3 while maintaining vocational components.
Undergraduate internships: Confirming the 2-credit, Pass/Fail internship model after years 1 and 2, with plans to strengthen partnerships with industries, government bodies, and community organisations for experiential learning.
Multidisciplinary (MD) and Value-Added Courses (VAC): Improving the allocation system for MD courses, redesigning entry-level offerings, and expanding VAC options beyond existing subjects like Ayurveda, Yoga, and Environmental Studies. Enhancements in course delivery and evaluation were also discussed.
Ability Enhancement Course (AEC)/ Skill Enhancement Course (SEC)/Vocational courses: Ensuring effective large-scale delivery, especially for English under AEC, reinstating practical components for vocational and skill enhancement courses, and standardising paper formats and evaluation methods.
Integrating online learning and flexible credits
The university also reviewed ways to better integrate SWAYAM online courses, proposing up to 40 per cent credit transfer per category (and 60 per cent for “Others”). Plans are underway to enable BHU to conduct its own examinations for adopted SWAYAM courses in accordance with UGC guidelines, a move aimed at providing students greater flexibility while managing faculty workloads.
Additionally, the university reaffirmed the credit flexibility of 18-22 credits per semester, with a minimum of 160 credits across eight semesters, and discussed the postgraduate NEP roadmap for gradual implementation.
Entry-exit policy and future framework
While BHU has decided to continue its no-lateral-entry policy for now, a conditional framework, based on seat availability, Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores, National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) benchmarks, merit, and reservation norms, was discussed for possible future consideration. The institution also reiterated the multi-exit system that awards certificates, diplomas, or degrees depending on the point of exit, added ANI.