UGC allows students to pursue two full-time academic programmes simultaneously

Tags: National News

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has now allowed students to pursue two degree courses simultaneously.

• Now the UGC has decided to issue guidelines to the students to pursue two academic programs at the same time.
• The UGC said in this context that this decision is in line with the National Policy on Education (NEP) 2022, which emphasises the need to facilitate multiple pathways for learning.
• This will help develop various skills in the students. Online and offline mode will be used for this new provision.
• The UGC Chairman said that the UGC has come up with new guidelines for various physical university courses to help students identify their unique potential. He said that it would provide multidisciplinary and holistic education in all fields.

UGC Guidelines

• A student can pursue 2 full-time academic programs in physical mode, given that the class time of one program does not overlap with that of the other programme.
• Also, not only two courses in physical mode, students can do one course in full-time physical mode either online or in open, distance learning mode.
• In addition, students can pursue one online program with another online program.
• The guidelines will be implemented after an announcement on the UGC website on 13 April 2022.

Part of NEP vision

• The rationale behind the decision to allow students to pursue two academic degrees simultaneously is to help them gain diverse skills, according to the UGC.
• It is also aimed at translating the NEP’s vision of breaking down interdisciplinary separations.
• It remains to be seen how the proposal is received by the academia and student community.