Undergraduate Honours programme will now be a 4-year course, thanks to NEP 2020

Replacing the National Education Policy of 1986, the Union Cabinet of India launched the National Education Policy 2020, better known as NEP 2020 in July of the same year. The key objective was to redefine India’s education system and introduce brand-new changes into it to further the career of the new-age kids. 

Since its inception, the NEP 2020 has been truly transformational and is currently implementing various changes in the field of academics in our country, something that will only expand over the next few years. Besides proposing some firm ground rules in our value-based education system, NEP 2020 has also come up with exciting ideas for the youth of our country, for their seamless career growth.  

One such initiative is the Honours programme, a four-year undergraduate programme with multiple entries and exit options that has been recently launched by the University Grants Commission based on NEP 2020. Here’s a low-down on the programme. 

What is this 4-Year undergraduate programme? 
As per the recommendations made by the committee, all universities should retain the usual three-year honours degree but integrate a fourth year wherein they will be able to conduct research. These courses have already been introduced in the current academic year and are designed to be both skill-based and choice-based, alongside being cross-disciplinary and multidisciplinary.  

This allows the students to opt for electives across various disciplines. One of the crucial features of these four-year courses is the option to exit at the end of every academic year. For instance, the students exiting the system at the end of the first year get a certificate in their elected stream, a diploma if they leave it at the end of the second year, a degree in the third year, and the successful completion of four years will fetch them an undergraduate BA/BSc Honours. Each year is divided into two semesters. 

These courses are offered in both in arts and pure science disciplines. Students who choose to study arts can pick from history, economics, sociology, political science, and journalism and can choose to minor in psychology, visual and performing arts, women's studies, etc., besides electives in engineering, commerce, and management.  

Science students can choose a combination of mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, and statistics and can go for arts, commerce, and science electives. Students who have completed 10+2 with mathematics as a core subject can join the science discipline.  

How will it benefit students? 
The super-flexibility offered by these courses facilitates an introduction to various academic disciplines. Students who are on their way to finish grade 12, but not inclined towards the usual career paths such as engineering and medicine can now avail better opportunities to study courses that are multidisciplinary and backed by research.  

With NEP 2020 scrapping MPhil, Indian students will now have an opportunity to have their respective academic credit bank. The students will have the flexibility to move between different universities to earn more credits based on their work. After collecting credits, students can make the final degree.  

Advantages of the 4-year undergraduate programme 

• The students at their undergraduate level get to choose subjects as per their interests.  
• Being introduced to multidisciplinary topics besides vocational training helps them gain practical knowledge to attain relevant jobs and fulfil real-world work challenges.  
• This new programme aligns with the international education system and syncs with the career plans if they choose to study abroad. 
• The option of switching between courses reduces the drop-out ratio in the student community. 
• Students can have a degree of choice – an eclectic mix of minor and significant subjects that would reflect their interests and expertise.  

Is it really multidisciplinary? 
Absolutely. The core idea behind offering a 4-year undergraduate course with multiple entries and exit points is to make it multidisciplinary. Students can pick a study that would benefit them in getting better opportunities. For instance, a Biotechnology or a pure science student can choose data science as it helps them land a job in Pharma companies. Similarly, mass communications students can also take a marketing course to understand customer behaviour and hone relevant skills. Win-win, isn’t it? 

If you are a class 12 student hoping to join an undergraduate programme in arts or science, do refer to the newest changes as proposed in National Education Policy 2020.  

The author is Br. Maheshwara Chaitanya, the Director of Admissions, Dy. Controller of Exams (Amritapuri campus) and Director (ICPC Asia Amritapuri) of Amrita University.