Students pursuing M.Phil and Ph.D from little known universities may soon be able to study for six months in top Indian universities like Jawaharlal Nehru University or Bombay University.
“A boy enrolled in a university in Bhagalpur will be able join a course in JNU for a semester and earn credits for his course in Bhagalpur,” said University Grants Commission chairperson Sukhdeo Thorat, while announcing the commission’s decision to link financial grants to institutions to adopt academic reforms.
The UGC’s academic reform charter is based on semester system, internal assessment in place of examinations, peer and student review of teacher’s performance, and internal quality education assessment.
Thorat said the universities were expected to put the reforms into operation from academic year 2009-10. Already, 72 institutions have agreed to implement the reforms.
Though accepting reforms is not mandatory, Thorat is optimistic that others will join as the commission has linked adoption with release of financial grants to institutions. “It will work as an incentive to practise these reforms,” he said.