By Mehboob Inamdar
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Now, aspirants of undergraduate courses can pursue a ‘Dual Degree’ simultaneously within the jurisdiction of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) with approval given by the Board of Deans for the proposal. The youths will be able to take admission to two courses at the same.
It may be noted major changes are taking in the job sector in the country. The students tend to do more than one course to get the required skills with the emergence of distance and online mode courses.
Considering this, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed students to pursue two academic degree courses simultaneously.
The Commission envisaged the provisions in the National Education Policy- NEP 2020 which emphasises the need to facilitate multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes.
It framed the guidelines some years ago. The UGC instructed all the universities and affiliated colleges to implement the guidelines for the benefit of the students.
Despite this, many universities have failed to implement the guidelines and provide the facility for dual degrees.
However, the UGC recently sent a reminder to all the universities including Bamu, to establish mechanisms through their statutory bodies to facilitate students to avail of the opportunity.
Talking to this newspaper, Pro-vice chancellor Dr Walmik Sarwade said that the university is all set to make available the dual degree facility on the demand of students.
He said that the Board of Deans approved the proposal of a dual degree recently.
“The guidelines are being prepared to facilitate the implementation of the ‘dual degree’ facility to the students in the departments and affiliated colleges. We have not yet received any requests from students for this facility. Since the first session of the academic year is over. So, those who wish to avail the facility can do so from the next academic year,” he said.
Box
What are guidelines?
The following guidelines will apply only to the students pursuing courses other than Ph.D. The universities can prepare a mechanism through their statutory bodies, on the basis of the guidelines.
---A student can pursue two full-time academic programmes in physical mode provided that in such cases, class timings for one programme do not overlap with the class timings of the other programme.
-- A student can pursue two academic programmes, one in full-time physical mode and another in open and distance learning modes simultaneously.
--Degree or diploma programmes under online mode will be pursued in recognised institutes
--Degree or diploma programmes under these guidelines will be governed by the regulations notified by the UGC and also the respective statutory and professional councils, wherever applicable.