2 academic degrees: Students face difficulties, UGC asks varsities to devise mechanism

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to initiate special measures to allow students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously.

In its latest letter to the vice-chancellors of universities, the UGC has requested universities to devise facilitative mechanisms through their statutory bodies to allow students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously.

The directive came in the wake of several instances where students are facing difficulties as the Higher Education Institutions are insisting on migration certificates/ school leaving certificates.

“In the absence of these certificates, the students are not granted admission and that defeats the facility of pursuing two academic programmes simultaneously,” said UGC in its letter.

It is pertinent to mention here that UGC had issued a set of guidelines on April 14, 2022 for pursuing two academic programme simultaneously. Similarly, the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) were also requested to implement these guidelines for the benefit of the students.

UGC has allowed students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously after examining proposals envisaged in the National Education Policy - NEP 2020 which emphasizes the need to facilitate multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes.

Two Academic Programmes Major Objectives

Multidisciplinary and a holistic education across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and sports for a multidisciplinary world in order to ensure the unity and integrity of all knowledge.

Enabling an individual to study one or more specialized areas of interest at a deep level will develop character, ethical and constitutional values, intellectual curiosity, scientific temper, creativity, spirit of service.

Offering students a range of disciplines including sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, languages, as well as professional, technical, and vocational subjects will make them thoughtful, well-rounded, and creative individuals.

Guidelines

A student can pursue two full time academic programmes in physical mode provided that class timings for one programme do not overlap with the class timings of the other programme.

A student can pursue two academic programmes, one in full time physical mode and another in Open and Distance Learning (ODL)/online mode, or up to two ODL/Online programmes simultaneously.

Degree or diploma programmes under ODL/Online mode can be pursued with only such HEIs which are recognized by UGC/Statutory Council/Govt. of India for running such programmes.