Jamia Millia Islamia has set up a committee to look into implementation of the University Grants Commission’s directive on rolling out four-year undergraduate honours degrees from the next academic session, a senior university official has said.

The committee’s report will be presented during a meeting of the Academic Council in January following which the Executive Council, the varsity’s highest decision-making body, will take up the matter.

At present, students become eligible for an honours degree after completing a three-year undergraduate programme.

“We have formed a committee to look into implementation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) directives on four-year undergraduate degrees. The committee is looking into the matter and it is expected to submit a report in this regard soon,” Registrar Nazim Husain Al-Jafri said.

The committee is strategising ways to divide the three-year syllabus into four years, he added.

“The Academic Council will discuss the matter during a meeting in January. After that, the Executive Council will discuss the matter,” Al-Jafri added.

Earlier this month, the UGC notified the curriculum and credit framework for undergraduate programmes which will provide students with multiple options for entry and exit, a choice between single major and double major and interdisciplinary choices of subjects.

It has asked all higher education institutions to take the necessary steps to adopt the curriculum and credit framework for undergraduate programmes.

The framework has been developed by revising the existing Choice-Based Credit System.

According to the programme, students will only be able to pursue a four-year honours degree rather than a three-year course like at present. Honours degrees will also be offered in two categories — honours and honours with research.

The Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes also allows multiple entry and exit options for students. If they leave before three years, they will be allowed to rejoin within three years of their exit and will have to complete their degree within a stipulated period of seven years.

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