The Delhi University (DU) has raised its passing criteria for promotion to the next year from 50 per cent to 63 per cent in all its undergraduate courses, according to officials.

With this, undergraduate students studying in all DU colleges will now have to obtain a total of 63 per cent in first and second semesters combined to be eligible for promotion.

However, students representing Delhi University in sports, extra curricular activities, the National Cadet Corps (NCC), and National Service Scheme (NSS), among others, may be exempted from the criteria, subject to approval from their college's competent authority.

The step has been taken to overcome the shortcoming in implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022 in the Delhi University, a varsity official said.

"Under the previous passing and promotion rules, a student was eligible for promotion from first year to second year of the course provided he/she cleared 50 per cent of the exams of first and second semesters taken together. The students had to clear seven papers and obtain a total of 22 credits to get promoted," the official said.

"However, because all papers do not have the same credits under the NEP-UGCF 2022, it is possible that a student can get promoted to a subsequent year on passing just three papers of both the semesters and one general elective with only 36 per cent score," a member of the committee which formulated the guidelines for the promotion criteria told PTI.

To review this shortcoming, a 12-member committee comprising principals of several DU colleges. including Miranda House, Kirori Mal college, and Lady Shri Ram, among others along with the Dean, Academics and Controller of Examination (COE) held a meeting on May 7 and gave its recommendations, the official said.

These recommendations were subsequently approved by the DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on May 28, he added.

The anomaly in implementing the NEP-UGCF 2022 "is causing loss to the students' academic growth and defeating the goals set in NEP 2020," the committee observed, reaching a consensus that the passing and promotion rules needs to be reviewed.

It suggested students should complete the academic requirement of 50 per cent to be eligible for promotion to the subsequent year. It also suggested that a student should obtain at least 28 credits, up from 22 credits, to move to the next year, the committee member added.

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