The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday announced that students have now been allowed to pursue two-degree courses simultaneously. The development comes after the University Grants Commission (UGC) gave its nod to a proposal in this regard, UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Jagadesh Kumar said as announced in the new National Education Policy (NEP) and in order to allow students to acquire multiple skills, the UGC is coming up with new guidelines to allow a candidate to pursue two-degree programmes at the time from the same or either the different university.

The students will also be allowed to pursue two-degree programmes in physical and online mode simultaneously, Kumar said.

The move will benefit thousands of students. It will have a long-lasting impact on higher education that will pave the way for students to join two academic programmes at the same time and earn multiple degrees.

The commission has also put together a set of guidelines regarding the same, which will be put up on the official website of UGC tomorrow. Earlier, the candidate could only pursue one full-time degree along with online/short-term/diploma courses under the UGC regulations.

In its latest meeting, the UGC approved simultaneous dual degrees for students in India. As per the new regulations, a student could complete courses either at the same university or from different universities at the same time.

The commission will soon issue detailed guidelines in this regard. The guidelines will apply to all the programmes available across the country.

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The All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE) is all sets to launch its model curriculum which is lined with New Education Policy(NEP) 2020. As per the AICTE officials, it will be soon going to launch it for the universities. Earlier, AICTE had introduced the first version of the model curriculum in 2017. It was prepared before the New Educational Policy 2020 as the model was under the process. This is a suggestive model which was prepared by AICTE for the universities.

Why it is still known as model curriculum?

According to AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe, this model is also be known as model curriculum. People usually assume that it is a mandatory model as it came from a regulatory body. Nevertheless, every university is an autonomous body. It can make changes in the curriculum because AICTE has prepared a suggestive model.

What has been said by AICTE official for its release?

AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe said that it has been four years now and AICTE has revised the curriculum again. The universities will soon be going to have the next model. Beside this, he said that all the ingredients in National education Policy (NEP) 2020 are in this model. He is very sure that all the universities will soon be going to implement it. Beside this, he also mentioned that the modern curriculum comes into force from time to time.

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He said this while he was participating in a panel discussion on ‘Multidisciplinary and Holistic Education’. at the International Conference of Academic Institutions. It was a two day conference which was focused on the implementation of National Education Policy. It was inaugurated at Science city on Wednesday.

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Today is the National Education Day and since 2008, November 11 has been recognized as National Education Day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin, India’s first education minister. He was the education minister of independent India from 1947 until 1958 and was known as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

In 1992, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was honoured for India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna.

What are the latest National Education Policies?

In India, National Education Policies (NEP) have completed one year on July 29, 2020. To meet the challenging needs and demands of Indian and International education standards, it was revised after 34 years.

In just one year, there were a lot of changes in the curricula of schools to include the subjects like financial literacy and artificial intelligence.

In schools and universities, the mother tongue or a regional language has been implemented on a temporary basis as the medium of teaching. This was comprised of engineering courses, and a few institutes have been selected to execute this project in the 2021-22 academic year.

The fundamental goal of NEP 2020 was to de-emphasize the importance of Class 10 and Class 12 board exams. As a result, starting in 2022, the Central Board of Secondary Education’s board exams will include a large amount of multiple-choice and analytical questions.

According to those familiar with the situation, the administration will announce a detailed policy framework on the changes in board exams by the end of the year. Multidisciplinary streams have begun across institutes, with holistic education being one of the primary goals of NEP 2020. This means that engineering colleges will offer courses in commerce and humanities in addition to technical areas.

While there has been significant progress on curriculum modifications and the adoption of regional languages, other critical reforms are still pending, such as permitting multinational institutes to establish up campuses in India and allowing flexible entry and exit for college students.

How online and smart classes have changed our life?

Liberated from the centuries-old shackles of books, chalk, and blackboard, knowledge blossomed. On young awakened minds, fresh light of awareness emerged when online and smart classes emerged as a boon to the students. As a new generation of students saw (instead of hearing) the classroom as an exciting place to be, it became a fascinating place to be in.

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Online and smart classes did something no one had ever imagined, they brought technology into the classroom. It provided a comprehensive portfolio of world-class digital modules or lessons (consisting of 2D and 3D animations, graphics, audio, and video) on every subject across the K12 spectrum, which the teacher could easily access and project in the classroom, enlightening and describing abstract and difficult concepts with liquid clarity.

The internet was clearly intended to make learning and research easier. And right now, it’s doing a great job then it’s ever done. Online learning and smart classes have made it easier to understand education better, especially in 2020.

Furthermore, e-learning sites such as Skillshare, Udemy, and others can be seen in a steady increase in their user base, owing to the ease of learning online and the convenience that comes with it.

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The Karnataka Congress has slammed the rulling BJP on the implementation of National Education Policy 2020.

Taking to social media, the Congres also urged the people to register their opinions, views on it.

The party also demanded atleast a year’s postponement in the implementation of NEP 2020. The Congress also said that the BJP was trying to impose the policy without any consultation or debate.

Taking to Twitter, the tweeple demanded the postponement of the National Education Policy for one year with the hashtag #NagpurEducationPolicy.

On the occasion of Teachers Day, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President D.K. Shivakumar appealed to people to come out openly on NEP on Monday. The Congress is opposed to the policy until it is discussed with the stakeholders and in the state legislature, he said.

The 10-day session will begin on September 13.

Terming National Education Policy 2020 as Nagpur Education Policy, Kumar said that though the education is in the concurrent list, it (NEP) was not debated and discussed with the opposition parties. Though the education is in the concurrent list, the NEP was not debated and discussed with the opposition parties, he said.

The RSS is the ideological parent organization of the BJP.

Speaking to reporters, Kumar alleged the Karnataka government for implementing NEP in a hurry without holding discussions with people, teachers, children’s and experts.

Not only the NEP 2020 but also Hindi have been imposed on the people of India without any debate and discussion, Kumar alleged. Though the NEP has some good features, it is pro-urban as there is no infrastructure to implement the interdisciplinary subjects in rural areas, he said.

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Shivakumar has started a debate on NEP raising the question of whether NEP will be a solution or problem in itself.

What is NEP 2020?

The NEP 2020 will give a thrust on early childhood care and education. It will replace the 10+2 structure of school curriculum by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. The 5+3+3+4 structure will comprise 12 years of school and three of Anganwadi or pre-school.

As per the NEP 2020, school students will take exams only for classes 3, 5, and 8. The NEP also proposed that the board exams will continue to be held for classes 10 and 12, but these will also be re-designed with holistic development.

In other India News, Akshay Kumar’s mother admitted to ICU

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday he is “fully committed” to the National Education Policy, NEP, which was launched last month, as he assured it will be implemented fully.

While addressing the conclave on ‘Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under NEP’ PM Modi said, the education policy was approved after extensive discussions for more than three to four years and taking over lakhs of suggestions into consideration.

PM said, It is natural for some people to question that after such a big reform was brought on paper, how will it be implemented at the ground level. All of you are directly involved with the implementation of the National Education Policy and therefore your role is very important. As far as political will is concerned, I am fully committed to it and I am with all of you,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the NEP 2020 is being widely discussed across the country and that people from different fields and different ideologies are giving their views and reviewing the policy.

“This is a healthy debate. The more it is, the more benefit the country’s education system will get,” he said. “It is also a matter of happiness that after the National Education Policy was launched, no one raised any doubt whether it is biased or is leaning towards one side,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the Centre’s New Education Policy stressed on building job creators instead of job seekers and emphasised that the time had come for increased focus on learning, research and innovation in the field of education.

“The 21st century is an era of knowledge. This is the time for increased focus on learning, research, innovation. This is exactly what India’s National Education Policy, 2020 does. We are focussing on the quality of education in the country. Our attempts have been to make our education system the most advanced and modern for students,” PM Modi told students at a virtual interaction last Saturday.

The Union cabinet had passed India’s first new National Education Policy last month in at least 28 years, recommending primary education in local languages, facilitating the possible entry of foreign universities in India, creating a single higher-education regulator, and easier board examinations in wide-ranging reforms aimed at making the Indian education system more contemporary and skill-oriented.

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The policy also sets ambitious targets: increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50% from the current 26%, creating an additional 35 million seats in colleges, and increasing the education budget to 6% of the GDP from the present 4%. The NEP lays down that by 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIs) shall aim to become multidisciplinary. It also says that by 2030 there will be at least one large multidisciplinary institution in or near every district. It also moots Special Education Zones (SEZ) in backward districts. The policy, drafted by a committee headed by former Isro chief K Kasturirangan submitted its report last year.

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The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the new National Education Policy  and renamed the HRD Ministry as Education Ministry. Making the announcement, Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said there would be a single regulator for all higher education institutions and MPhil would be discontinued.

Vocational education will start in schools from the sixth grade and will include internships. The policy seeks to empha-sise learning in regional language or mother tongue.

One of the key announcements of the new National Education Policy, NEP 2020 has been the break-down of the existing 10+2 structure and introduction of the 5+3+3+4 structure of School Education. The policy aims at transforming circular and pedagogical structure from the existing 10 years + 2 years to a more inclusive foundational to secondary stage transition.

Apart from the structure, the NEP also proposes a considerable change in the examination structure. Key stage assessments at Grades 3, 5 and 8 would be conducted to track the development of the child. As for the secondary stage, the board examinations would be reformed. They would be made easier where students would be tested on the core capabilities. Instead of just one board, a more modular model to be explored and is expected to be in place by 2022-23. 

Top 100 foreign colleges will be allowed to set-up campuses in India. Such foreign universities will be given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other autonomous institutions of India.

Standalone Higher Education Institutes and professional education institutes will be evolved into multi-disciplinary education. There are over 45,000 affiliated colleges in our country. Under Graded Autonomy, Academic, Administrative and Financial Autonomy will be given to colleges, on the basis of the status of their accreditation

In a bid to ramp up digital learning, a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) would be created. “E-courses will be developed in eight regional languages initially and virtual labs will be developed. 

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The committee — which suggested changes in the education system under the NEP — was headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan. The NEP was drafted in 1986 and updated in 1992. The NEP was part of the election manifesto of the ruling BJP ahead of the 2014 elections.

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