University Grants Commission chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar on Thursday unveiled the blueprint of a National Digital University (NDU) that would allow students to pursue academic degrees in bits and pieces online or offline from multiple institutions.

Academics feared this model would severely dent the quality of the degree and discourage students from developing a critical and in-depth understanding of a subject.

During interactions with the vice-chancellors and faculty members of central universities for promoting an Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), Kumar spoke on the proposed NDU.

The UGC notified a regulation last year to set up the ABC, a digital platform to allow students to deposit their academic credits and redeem them to receive degrees or diplomas. However, the ABC regulation stipulates that a student has to earn at least 50 per cent of the course credits from a particular university, which will award the degree.

“Students earning 50 per cent credits of a programme from a single university will get the degree from that university. But one category of students is those who will do multiple credits from different institutions, not necessarily 50 per cent from a single institution. In those cases, the NDU will award them degrees,” Kumar said.

“After the NDU is established, students need not register for a degree. They can register for courses and accumulate credits. Once they reach a threshold, they can get the degree,” he said.

The NDU is expected to be functional from July 2023.

Former Delhi University executive council member Abha Dev Habib said if a student was allowed to design their degree and pursue the programme in parts from different institutions, it would be difficult to evaluate the quality of the course.

“This model will reduce the role of the university in nurturing and training students to critically analyse concepts, question the existing knowledge and find solutions for new problems. This will dilute the role of teachers, who provide pedagogical and emotional support in the academic journey of the students. The students will have little bonding with any institution, teachers or peers,” Habib said.

She said the government was pushing this model to cut down on spending in higher education.

“This will weaken the bond with peers. Students usually come forward to raise their voice on issues of injustice or collectively demand correction of the system as they have a stake in it,” Habib said.