A University Grants Commission (UGC) panel has recommended the introduction of a four-year programme for undergraduate courses. According to UGC, this would help in promoting and improving the quality of research in colleges and universities.

The Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) was introduced 5 years ago, by the Delhi University under the then vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh. However, it was scrapped by former HRD Minister Smriti Irani.

In addition to the four-member committee of UGC, an HRD Ministry panel working on the new National Education Policy (NEP) also recommended the same. The NEP panel is led by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan, which submitted its report to Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

According to a report in PTI, Professor P Balaram, former director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, who is the head of the committee stated, “Increase the number of universities offering the four-year undergraduate programme, with a strong research component to provide the pipeline for good quality students for the doctoral programme.”

The report further added, “The existing two-year MA and MSc programs should have a research project with a requirement of typically 6-10 credits. It may be important to stop undergraduate programmes that are limited in scope (for example in specialised subjects like Biotechnology or Bioinformatics ), as they provide training only in specialised subjects. All full-time under-graduate programmes must be broad-based. Professional and vocational courses that facilitate jobs should be run separately as Diploma courses.”

The NEP draft said “Both three-year and four-year courses will be allowed to co-exist, but with multiple exit and entry options. The four-year programme will provide for greater rigour and allow students to conduct research optionally. Students will graduate with a four-year Liberal Arts Science Education degree with Honours, or may graduate with a B Sc, BA, B Com or B Voc after completing three years with a suitable completion of credits within their subject.”

Source: PTI