Dr Asangba Tzudir
Under the new Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) colleges in Nagaland now have two fresh batches of students (2023, 2024). While the fresh first batch began the FYUGP journey, colleges were given the freedom to decide whether those students studying under CBCS (Choice Based Credit System) should continue with the CBCS or merge into FYUGP, and accordingly the colleges made their own decision, and except for the fresh batch under FYUGP, many colleges decided against merging, and continued with the CBCS for those students who had started under CBCS. So, Nagaland University had to handle three systems – Old course (the last of the batch under it has graduated recently); the CBCS, and the new FYUGP as part of NEP 2020 and will continue until the old system students and the CBCS batch students are all cleared.
So much has happened in the academic arena while having to deal with many new things in the new system within a limited time frame starting from syllabus, assessment both internal and external, and the grading system. One of the end result being the surprisingly poor results declared recently, and understandably so. That, the ANCSU had to intervene which resulted in NU giving a one-time relaxation to promote students to the next semester carrying three backlogs instead of the usual 2 backlogs for promotion with backlog.
Now certain developments have taken place in the form of a major move in the Indian education System. The University Grants Commission (UGC) by its Chairman Jagadesh Kumar Informed that students with four-year bachelor’s undergraduate degrees can now directly appear for NET and pursue PhD. As such, candidates with four-year undergraduate degrees can now directly pursue PhD after clearing NET (National Eligibility Testing) exam. Such candidates are allowed to appear for tests in a subject in which they want to pursue a PhD irrespective of the discipline in which they have obtained the four-year bachelor’s degree. However, for this, there is a certain requirement of 75% with a relaxation of 5% for certain sections of people. In another functional change, from 2024-2025, the universities across the country will have the opportunity to utilise NET scores for admissions to PhD programmes, replacing the need for separate entrance tests conducted by individual universities and higher education institutions (HEIs). As such, NET has been decided to make it as “one national entrance test” for PhD admissions and taking a step towards ending the entrance examinations conducted by universities for the PhD program.
However, all these developments are not without criticisms. Nonetheless, the point is not to draw into the critique of the system and the new developments, but the intent is to highlight the new developments in Nagaland University and which will bring out the issues in a new vein. As per the recent Nagaland University Notification No. NU/ACAD-236/2021-1931 Dt: 16.7.2024, point No. 2 states thus, “For starting the fourth year course in colleges under ongoing Four Year Undergraduate Program will be allowed to the colleges who are offering PG Courses.” Whereas the FYUGP has provisions for multiple entry exit points during the course of the study and it is also not the case that every student has to undergo the four years Under Graduate Program. However, the recent notification which requires having PF course in a college to undergo the 4th year UG program has come as a shock. Not all the students will go for the fourth year but what about those students who wants to study the 4th year especially the 4th year with research component and which is necessary to go for Direct Ph.D? So colleges that do not have PG courses will not be eligible for the 4th Year. This then becomes a serious issue and concern mainly for students who wants to study the 4th year.
Under the present notification, students will find themselves in a contradictory situation where, they are enrolled in the Four Years Undergraduate Program but except for the very few colleges that offer PG course in some departments, they will find themselves not being able to complete the four years program. As such, this notification seems to have defeated the very essence and objective of the FYUGP while also delimiting those who have plans to go for direct Ph.D after the completion of the Four Years UG program.
Under the present circumstances, either the Nagaland University revokes the notification or all the colleges be made to start PG (Masters) program. The latter is a humongous task because it is not easy for all the colleges in Nagaland to introduce PG program in all the departments considering the scope of expansion, infrastructural set-up, and the need for more teachers. As such, in the larger interest of the students, the solution is for Nagaland University to revoke this self defeating notification.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
