Avoid academic disruption, adopt credit courses: UGC tells varsities

Avoid academic disruption, adopt credit courses: UGC tells varsities

Students Can Take Exams In Nov & Get Credits Transferred

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 22.05.2020

In its effort to mitigate the academic disruption, University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked universities and colleges to consider adopting the 124 Swayam (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) MOOC (Massive Online Open Courses) as credit courses for the July 2020 semester.

The regulatory authority has suggested that higher education institutions could get these courses ratified by the statutory bodies. The students will then be able to sit for the Swayam semester exams in November and get the credits transferred thus overcoming the loss due to the lockdown.

Currently there are 82 UG and 42 PG MOOC courses on offer under Swayam or Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds, an Indian massive open online course (MOOC) platform launched by the ministry of human resource development in 2017 under Digital India to offer free online courses.

According to MHRD, since the lockdown from March 23, 2020, over 50,000 learners have accessed 1,900 MOOCs, which is in addition to the 25 lakh students enrolled in the January 2020 semester of Swayam.

UGC cited the Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through Swayam for credit mobility, where students can learn online and take the Swayam semester exams to be conducted by the National Testing Agency and get the credits transferred to his/ her university.

In his letter to all the heads of HEIs, Rajnish Jain, secretary, UGC said: “In the prevailing Covid-19 scenario, universities and colleges are encouraged to make optimum use of the Swayam online platform…” and added, “The Swayam courses may be approved and adopted through the Swayam platform by the vice chancellor on the recommendation of dean academics/ heads of department of your university for credit transfer and ratified by the Academic Council.”

WAY FORWARD

Students can now pursue two degree courses simultaneously

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a proposal to allow students to pursue two degree programmes simultaneously. One of the degree has to be in regular mode and the other either in open and distance learning (ODL) or online mode. However, a student can pursue two degrees in different streams as well as from different institutions. Therefore, a student of mathematics in Delhi University can now pursue English literature from IGNOU or any other institution.

The commission in its latest meeting decided on the same and the detailed guidelines are to be notified soon. At present a student is not allowed to pursue two degrees simultaneously.

Rajnish Jain, secretary, UGC said: “The Commission has approved the proposal and guidelines on the same would be notified. Based on this decision, a student will be allowed to pursue two degrees simultaneously but for both the degrees the mode of delivery will be different. A student pursuing a regular degree can pursue a second degree only via ODL or online mode.”

A student interested in having a dual degree can also choose different streams. She may also opt for the same institution, provided it offers multiple mode of learning or separate institutions.

The committee under Bhushan Patwardhan, vicechairperson, UGC, worked on the proposal based on feedback from the public. As per the committee since there is a minimum attendance criteria attached to regular degree programmes, the second degree has to be through distance or online mode. The committee feels that this will offer better career opportunities to the students.