University Grants Commission (UGC) will announce its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) on Monday, December 12. The new course is expected to implement various components of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 — from a multidisciplinary approach to multiple entry and exit options and even a more flexible credit system.
A new student-centred Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes (CCFUP) will replace the existing three-year Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). It includes a flexible credit system and accurately reflects the goals of NEP 2020. "This will facilitate students to pursue their career path by choosing the subject/field of their interest," says M Jagadesh Kumar, the Chairman of UGC, in a statement shared with EdexLive.
Under the new CCFUGP, a three-year or four-year undergraduate programme with numerous entry and exit options and single or double degree options will provide a student with a holistic education. This course requires a student to earn a minimum of 20 credits per semester. For a three-year programme, one has to earn a minimum of 120 credits and for a four-year degree, a minimum of 160 credits. "Although the existing Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) allows students to choose from various disciplines, it lacks a multi-/inter-disciplinary flavour," states the UGC Chairman. However, despite the multiple exit options, a four-year multidisciplinary bachelor's degree is recommended by NEP for a comprehensive and diverse education.
As per reports, the addition of the extra year is criticised as a burden of expense on students. Nonetheless, after a four-year degree course, one can now directly enrol into a PhD as per the new UGC regulations for basic requirements for a PhD, without investing in any master's programme. The intermediary between master's and PhD, MPhil, is also removed and now students can directly enrol for a PhD programme, either after a four-year undergraduate (UG) course or a three-year UG course followed by a one or two-year master's course. UGC assures that this will give more flexibility to students to pursue a desired and unique career path.
Additionally, in the four-year course, students who score more than 75 per cent in their first three years and intend to get into research, can select a research stream for their fourth year. These students will receive a UG (Honours with Research) degree. Under the new framework, students enrolled for a three-year programme can later transition to CCFUGP.
Language courses, skill courses, environmental education, technological and digital course, sports, and fitness will be among the numerous major and minor subjects offered in this curriculum. Students will also be given the choice to change their majors after the second semester.
Following are the categories in which a student has to earn credits each semester to complete their course:
Major (Core)
Minor Stream
Multidisciplinary
Ability Enhancement Courses (AEC)
Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC)
Value Added Courses common for all UG
Summer Internship
Research Project/Dissertation
The research project/dissertation is applicable only for a four-year degree course of students who take up a research project, where one has to earn at least 12 credits.
