Subhechcha Ganguly 
The framework for the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUGP), which will be adopted in all higher education institutions as of the upcoming academic session 2023–2024, has been finalised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).The UGC has stated that these regulations for four-year undergraduate programmes will be distributed to all universities in the nation starting next week.
The FYUGP will be implemented in the majority of state and private universities beginning with the upcoming academic session, in addition to all 45 central universities. In addition to this, many deemed universities will also agree to the program’s implementation.The FYUGP is projected to receive clearance from the UGC for both current and former students starting in 2023–2024, when all new students will have the opportunity to choose four-year undergraduate programmes.
This implies that students who enrolled in standard, three-year undergraduate programmes this academic year may also have the option of joining the four-year degree programme beginning with the following session.
The UGC states that all students would have access to a four-year undergraduate programme, but they are not have to enrol in it. A student has the option of finishing the three-year undergraduate programme.The entire four-year undergraduate course schedule will soon be made public, according to UGC Chairman M. Jagadesh Kumar.
According to the UGC chairman, students who are currently enrolled in universities will also get the chance to do four-year undergraduate courses. “First- or second-year students in this situation have the choice of four-year undergraduate programmes if they so want. However, it won’t begin until the new session, which begins in 2023–2024.”The UGC would also offer different universities the leeway to create their own norms and regulations. “In this regard, the academic council and executive council of universities can fix any necessary rules. If the university so chooses, final-year students may also be given the chance to enrol in 4-year undergraduate courses “Added he.
The UGC chairman gave an explanation of the significance of these adjustments, stating that if only new students were given the opportunity to enrol in FYUGP, the program’s outcomes would be known in four years. On the other hand, if older kids are given the opportunity to participate, the results will be apparent sooner.After completing four years of undergraduate coursework, students pursuing a two-year postgraduate degree and an M.Phil. must receive a grade of at least 55% in order to be admitted to a PhD programme. The M.Phil. programme, however, won’t be offered for much longer. In the upcoming years, several large universities will also stop offering M.Phil. courses. Due to the modifications made under the new education policy, this is being done.
Despite the UGC’s complete readiness for the FYUGP, numerous teachers and teacher organisations have voiced their disapproval of this. They contend that it will cause students to bear an additional year’s worth of financial burden.
Anisha Sengupta
