The University Grants Commission, as a significant reform in Higher Education, has taken the decision to allow students to pursue 02 full-time degree programmes of the same level simultaneously.

Chairperson of UGC M Jagadesh Kumar informed that this reform is in consonance with the NEP (National Education Policy) 2020 which envisages a holistic and multidisciplinary education across the streams including Sciences, Arts, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Sports.

The Commission clarified that the students must choose the two programmes at the same time of the same level i.e. 02 Undergraduate/ 02 Postgraduate/ 02 Diploma Degrees.

He further added, "The students can also pursue the second programme from the same university or college from where they are pursuing the first one if the respective university allows them to do so".

According to the guidelines of the draft, two full-time degrees can be pursued in three ways:

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  First - Both academic programmes can be pursued in the physical mode but the class timings of both the programmes must not overlap with one another.

  
  


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  Second - the students can pursue one programme in physical mode and on in online/ distance mode.

  
  


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  Third - Both academic programmes can be pursued in online/ distance mode simultaneously.

  
  

Kumar also added that this provision will be applicable to UGC-affiliated non-technical programmes, excluding Medical and Engineering courses.

Kumar also clarified that it will not be mandatory for the universities to adopt these guidelines. He further clarified that the students will also not have the provision to use the credits earned in one course to achieve the requirements of another course.