As we move to the new academic year in 2025, here is a recall at the major announcements made by the University Grants Commission for the educational institutions in 2024.
Undergraduate students will have option to choose duration of courses
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved the SOPs for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to offer the Accelerated Degree Programme (ADP) and Extended Degree Programme (EDP). This will enable the undergraduate students to shorten or extend their study durations instead of the standard duration of their degree programmes. ADP allows students to complete a three-year or four-year degree in reduced time by earning additional credits per semester, on the other hand, EDP will enable an extended timeline with fewer credits per semester. While the degrees will mention a self-contained note that the academic requirements needed in a standard duration have been completed in a shortened or extended duration, they will be treated at par with standard duration degrees for academic and recruitment purposes.
UGC may allow 4-Year degree courses to be completed in 3 years
UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar had noted earlier that the education body is considering faster degree completion options for students. This means students will soon be allowed to complete a three-year-degree course in two-an-a-half years, and four-year courses in three.
Ayurveda Biology Introduced As A Subject In National Eligibility Test
UGC has introduced Ayurveda Biology as a new subject in the UGC-National Eligibility Test (NET), beginning with the December 2024 cycle. The addition of Ayurveda Biology aligns with the UGC's focus on incorporating traditional Indian knowledge into higher education.
UGC working to change the hiring process for professors
As per the new rules, postgraduate degree holders who are passionate about new areas like entrepreneurship, startups and industry partnerships can be directly appointed as faculty in HEIs. According to the existing rules, having a PhD with four-year graduation/PG is the minimum qualification for recruitment as professor. Along with this, it is mandatory to have graduation/post graduation and PhD in the same subject.
