New Delhi: UGC has introduced a new curriculum for undergraduate programmes in which just 30% of the students' workload will be related to their topic of specialisation, down from 73%.
According to some academics, this would "dilute" the quality of undergraduate programmes, with new graduates lacking rigour or in-depth expertise in their stated areas of specialisation.
The UGC has requested advice from stakeholders by April 4 on its proposed "framework and credit system for the four-year undergraduate programme" (FYUGP), which would replace the 2015 choice-based credit system (CBCS).
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Students will take 160-credit courses, 48 of which will be dedicated to the study of the major topic, according to the suggested curriculum.
According to Abha Dev Habib, a Miranda House College teacher and former member of DU's executive council, the CBCS allocated 108 credits, or roughly 73%, for the honours subject out of a total of 148 credits.
Habib said, “This (proposed) curriculum will prevent students gaining knowledge in-depth (in their subject of specialisation). The degree course will be deficient in rigour”.
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In line with the draft's apparent emphasis on general rather than specialised learning, students from all streams are required to take some common courses in the first three semesters.
This is “to develop an understanding and an appreciation among students of all major areas of learning such as the natural sciences, the social sciences, the humanities, mathematical and computational thinking and analysis, creative expressions, and vocational education each of which represents a different perspective on human knowledge and learning”, the draft says.
The mandatory common courses, which together account for 24 credits, are a regional language of the student’s choice, English, “understanding India”, environmental science, digital and technological solutions, mathematical and computational thinking and analysis, health and wellness, yoga education, and sports and fitness.
Students can leave the programme with an undergraduate certificate after one year (having completed only some of the common courses), an undergraduate diploma after two years, a bachelor's degree after three years, or a bachelor's with honours after four years under the proposed method.
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