–Must See–
UGC New College Admission Rule – Biannual Admissions
In a big reform in the higher education sector, the University Grants Commission has decided to give colleges and universities the option of having two academic sessions in a year instead of one, which implies that institutions would be able to admit students twice a year, the commission’s chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said on Tuesday.
Recently, the regulations of UGC allow the colleges and universities to grant admission to students under a single academic session every year starting in July/August and ending in May/June for students studying in the regular, physical mode.
The policy decision was taken by the UGC in its meeting on May 15, 2024.
In July 2023, the commission gave higher education institutions the go-ahead to conduct biannual admissions for those taking up online courses as well as under the Open and Distance Learning modes.
Kumar said this step was prompted by the positive response to last year’s decision to allow biannual admissions for online and ODL modes.
After the UGC permitted the admission of two cycles in a year for ODL and online modes, an additional 1,973,056 students enrolled in July 2023 and another 4,28,854 enrolled in January
2024 for ODL and online programs.
These numbers indicate that the allowance for a second academic session in one year has served to facilitate almost half a million students to join their degree courses without wasting a complete academic year, he added.
While referring to the ‘tremendous response and interest from students in ODL and online programmes in biannual admissions’, the chairperson created that UGC has taken a policy decision whereby the HEIs offering programs in regular mode will be permitted to admit students twice a year, either in January/February or July/August from the coming academic year.
With this decision by the UGC, now HEIs offering programmes either in online/ODL mode or regular physical mode can have admissions twice in a year: Kumar.
However, he said, clarifying that biannual admissions are not mandatory for the institutions. Flexibility is extended only for those colleges and universities that are desirous of augmenting their intake of students and want to introduce new programmes in emerging areas. The HEIs desiring to be able to admit students twice a year will have to carry out suitable amendments in their institutional regulations.
“A bimonthly intake in Indian universities will benefit students. It also helps those who missed an admission in a university during the July/August session because of the delay in announcing the board results, issues of ill health, or any other personal reason. The bimonthly university intakes will help the students maintain their motivation since they do not have to wait for one full year to be taken in if they miss the current cycle,” the UGC chairperson said.
With biannual admissions in place, he said, industries can also do their campus recruitment twice a year, improving employment opportunities for the graduates.
Asked about when the new policy can be implemented by universities, Kumar said, “They can start when they are ready.”
According to Kumar, biannual admissions will also enable the institutions to plan their resource distribution in terms of faculty, labs, classrooms, and support services in a more organized manner, resulting in a better functional flow within the university.
“Already, universities across the world have the biannual admission system. And should Indian universities also go for the biannual admission cycle, they can increase international collaborations and student exchange,” he added.
The double annual intake adds to substantive growth in the GER and makes the country a study destination of the world, in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare said.
UGC New College Admission Rule – Biannual Admissions
- SEO Powered Content & PR Distribution. Get Amplified Today.
- PlatoData.Network Vertical Generative Ai. Empower Yourself. Access Here.
- PlatoAiStream. Web3 Intelligence. Knowledge Amplified. Access Here.
- PlatoESG. Carbon, CleanTech, Energy, Environment, Solar, Waste Management. Access Here.
- PlatoHealth. Biotech and Clinical Trials Intelligence. Access Here.
- Source: https://www.biotecnika.org/2024/06/ugc-new-college-admission-rule-biannual-admissions/