No clarity on Delhi University’s move from credits to 4-year plan

The curriculum and credit framework for four-year undergraduate programmes (CCFUGPs), released by the UGC in December, allows students currently pursuing three-year UG programmes in the CBCS framework to opt for four-year courses

Three months after the University Grants Commission (UGC) released the curriculum and credit framework for four-year undergraduate programmes, professors at Delhi University have said that there is little to no clarity on how and when the varsity will implement the transition of students pursuing choice-based credit system (CBCS) to the four-year course.

While the current crop of DU students in the first year follow the four-year plan, the second and third-year UG students follow CBCS. (HT Archive)

The curriculum and credit framework for four-year undergraduate programmes (CCFUGPs), released by the UGC in December, allows students currently pursuing three-year UG programmes in the CBCS framework to opt for four-year courses.

Introduced in 2015, CBCS allows students to choose interdisciplinary, intra-disciplinary courses, and skill-oriented papers. DU’s new undergraduate curriculum framework, however, allows a student to exit her course after the first, second, or third year after securing a certificate, diploma, bachelor’s degree. If she completes all eight semesters, she receives a bachelor’s with a research degree.

While the current crop of DU students in the first year follow the four-year plan, the second and third-year UG students follow CBCS.

UGC requires universities to hold bridge courses to facilitate the transition of students from CBCS to CCFUGP. However, principals and professors at DU say the varsity has not formulated any policy or shared any directives with colleges regarding the same.

Although Delhi University was the first varsity in the Capital to adopt various provisions outlined under the revised four-year UG programme guidelines, and had admitted the batch of students who appeared for Common University Entrance Test (CUET) last year under these guidelines, the varsity is yet to offer students pursuing the CBCS system the option to transition to the new four-year system.

Manoj Khanna, principal of Ramjas College, said university authorities have not shared whether the option of opting for a four-year course will be offered to CBCS students.

“Any policy that is adopted by the university is cleared by the academic council first. The university administration takes the call. So far, we are not aware of any such provision,” said Khanna.

Delhi University registrar Vikas Gupta said the university has only implemented CCFUGP provisions for first-year-students at present, and DU is in the process of preparing syllabi for all four years, without which CCFUGP provisions can’t be extended to second or third year students.

“So far, the academic council of the university has passed various provisions that apply to first-year students who took admission in 2022. The AC has not taken up provisions for other years in consideration,” said Gupta.

Naveen Gaur, DU faculty and former academic council member, said most students are not aware of various provisions outlined in the course framework. “UGC has asked universities to encourage the transition to the four-year plan, and if DU plans to go ahead with the provision, the information must be communicated with students in advance so that they have sufficient time to plan ahead. Students don’t know about any such provision and even the first-year students who took admission through CUET are not clear about all aspects of the four-year programme,” said Gaur.

Echoing Gaur, Siddhi Yadav, a final-year undergraduate student at Miranda House, said she and her friends were not aware that CBCS students could avail the four-year option. “I don’t think anyone knows about this option. Most of us were under the impression that only first students could opt for the revised framework,” said Yadav.