The West Bengal education department on Friday wrote to all the state-aided universities “to take appropriate steps” for the introduction of a four-year undergraduate programme “from the forthcoming academic session” in compliance with the National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020 recommendations.
The state-aided universities and their affiliated colleges and the unitary universities now pursue three-year undergraduate programmes.
On Friday evening, an additional secretary of the higher education department wrote to the registrars of all the state-aided universities: “Apropos of the subject above (Implementation of new curriculum and credit framework for the undergraduate programme), I am directed to forward you a letter as received from the secretary, University Grants Commission, which speaks for itself and request you to take appropriate steps from your end for better appreciation of the matter.”
A copy of a letter from the UGC was attached to the communication sent to all state-aided universities.
The letter of the UGC says: “Among all the recommendations of NEP 2020, the most important-student-centric recommendation is a 4-year undergraduate programme.… I request you to initiate necessary action to ensure the implementation of the new curriculum and credit framework for the new undergraduate programme.”
An official in the education department said if steps are not taken immediately for the implementation of the four-year undergraduate programme, students could be in trouble, considering that UGC has been insisting on it.
“Since UGC is the apex body in framing the curriculum across the country, we have to take their recommendations seriously,” said the official.
Education minister Bratya Basu said in a text message to The Telegraph: “This is a circular from the UGC on new curriculum and credit framework. Our State has implemented the CBCS system successfully at UG/PG level in all Higher Education Institutions. We have circulated it among Universities for suitable consideration. Our issue with UGC had been to provide suitable fund support to ensure its implementation by all Higher Education Institutions as it may require Physical/Human resource upgradation.... Else, only HEIs having sufficient infrastructure like Jadavpur, Kolkata etc, will be able to implement. However, since the circular is silent on fund provision, we have circulated it to HEIs for suitable consideration based on the infrastructure available with them.”
The Telegraph reported in December that Delhi University had adopted a four-year undergraduate programme under which students had the option to exit with an honours degree after three years.
However, on December 12, UGC circulated to universities a curriculum and credit framework document for undergraduate programmes where it allowed the award of honours degrees only after four years.