(Pooja Pal; Intern Journalist): One of the two degrees pursued has to be via regular mode and the other via online distance learning (ODL). UGC Secretary alleged, “the proposal was permitted in the latest commission meeting for concurrent dual degrees for India’s students, allowing them to complete assorted courses or streams at the same time.
NEW DELHI: Soon, students will be allowed to pursue two-degree courses or streams on a concurrent basis, with the University Grants Commission (UGC) approving the proposal for the same, according to the officials.
One of the two degrees pursued has to be via regular mode and the other via online distance learning (ODL). UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain alleged, “the proposal was permitted in the latest commission meeting for concurrent dual degrees for India’s students, allowing them to complete assorted courses or streams at the same time.
The UGC, last year, set up a panel governed by its Vice Chairman, Bhushan Patwardhan, to interrogate the issue of pursuing two-degree programs on a concurrent basis from the same university or different universities either through distance mode, online mode, or part-time mode. He further stated that an official announcement would be made for pursuing 2 degrees simultaneously.
However, this is not the first time the commission was interrogating the issue. The UGC had set up a committee in 2012 also and suggestions were taken into consideration but at last, they backed-out.
The 2012 committee headed by then Vice-Chancellor of the Hyderabad University, Furqan Qamar, recommended that a student enrolled in a degree program under regular mode may be allowed to pursue a maximum of one additional degree program simultaneously under open or distance mode from the same or a different university.
The Panel report then stated that two-degree programs via regular mode should not take place on a concurrent basis as it may favor assorted issues. A student already pursuing a degree program via regular mode can pursue only a maximum of 1 certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, PG diploma program concurrently which can be either via regular or via open and distant mode in the same university or from any other institution.
The UGC officials alleged that the commission at that time, sought the feedback of the statutory councils on the committee’s report and the responses received did not favor the students to pursue multiple degree programs on a concurrent basis leading the idea to be junked.
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