UGC Proposes Draft Guidelines for Biannual Admissions: Key Highlights on Student Intake, Academic Flexibility, and More

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued draft guidelines to establish minimum standards for undergraduate and postgraduate programs in India. These guidelines are accompanied by a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) regarding accelerated and extended degree programs. Public feedback on the proposals is invited until December 23, 2024.

Key Proposals in the Draft Guidelines:

1. Biannual Admissions:
   • HEIs ready to implement the change can conduct admissions twice a year, in July/August and January/February.
2. Student Intake Capacity:
   • Institutions must determine their intake capacity for both academic cycles in advance.
   • This should account for available academic and physical infrastructure, and maintain UGC-prescribed student-teacher and teaching-non-teaching staff ratios.
3. Infrastructure Standards:
   • HEIs are required to define and maintain standards for classrooms, laboratories, libraries, sports and health facilities, hostels, and cafeterias, adhering to UGC norms.
4. Curricular Integration:
   • Undergraduate and postgraduate programs will integrate higher education, vocational training, and internships under UGC’s Curriculum and Credit Frameworks.
5. Flexible Academic Options:
   • Institutions must offer multiple entry and exit points in academic programs to enhance student mobility between vocational and general education streams.

Additional Revisions Proposed:

• Changes to eligibility criteria, credit accumulation, attendance requirements, examinations, and the integration of skill-based courses and apprenticeships.

SOP for Accelerated and Extended Degrees:

The SOP outlines measures to enhance academic flexibility, including:

• Allocating up to 10% of the sanctioned intake for the Accelerated Degree Program (ADP).
• Establishing review committees to assess applications for ADP and Extended Degree Program (EDP) at the end of each semester based on students’ credit completion potential.
• Adjusting the number of courses and total credits per semester based on students’ selected program durations.
• Ensuring transcripts reflect only the courses completed under the ADP or EDP.

These initiatives are designed to modernize higher education in India, improve academic quality, and address evolving educational needs.