THURSDAY, JULY 04, 2024
Siddharth Desai
Indian universities and higher education institutions can now admit students twice a year, similar to the admission process followed by foreign universities. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a biannual admission system for higher education in India. The two admission cycles will commence from the 2024-25 academic session, one in July-August and the other in January-February.
Currently, students are admitted only once a year, starting in July-August. Adopting a biannual system in Indian institutions can enhance international collaboration and student exchanges. However, universities are not required to adopt the new system. Those that choose to do so will need to make suitable arrangements to facilitate biannual admissions.
The key objective of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is to achieve a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 50% in higher educational institutions by 2035. Two other important aspects of NEP 2020 are providing better access and equity. Institutions can achieve this by becoming centres of excellence and increasing their intake to boost the GER.
One way to increase intake is to permit educational institutions to offer admissions in the second cycle. Currently, students are admitted only once in July-August, with the academic session lasting until May or June. With the addition of the January-February cycle, there will be significant benefits for students.
In May 2024, the University Grants Commission explored ways to encourage educational institutions to increase their intake and decided to allow a second admissions cycle in January and February. This decision followed the successful implementation of a biannual admissions cycle in online and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programs last year. In July 2023, about 1.9 million students joined ODL and online programs in around 80 universities. Additionally, nearly 450,000 students joined in the January 2024 session.
Whenever new reforms are introduced, there are always questions about implementation. Therefore, it has been decided to start on a small scale. For example, the UGC NET exam is currently conducted twice a year. Similarly, by admitting PhD students twice a year in July-August and January-February, and conducting audits of infrastructure, classrooms, research labs, teaching labs, and available supporting systems, the necessary groundwork can be done. Additional faculty members can be hired for the second cycle of admissions if needed.
In our country, IITs have been admitting students in two cycles for the past decade, in July and January. This is not a new global process; it is already present in our IIT system. However, this system has never been adopted in universities and colleges because UGC rules did not permit it. Now, this change facilitates more opportunities for educational institutions.
Recently, institutional development plan guidelines were announced, and universities can use these guidelines to plan how to adopt the biannual admission process. It may take a couple of years to plan properly because we cannot compromise on the quality of education. We also need to provide education on a mass scale because millions of students want to be admitted to higher educational institutions. Those who cannot get admission to universities and colleges need an opportunity to come back, and the second cycle of admission will provide that opportunity.
Most international universities have a biannual admission process, and students studying in those countries are accustomed to it. Currently, about 50,000 foreign students study in India. Introducing a biannual admission process could increase the intake of international students in both cycles, benefiting our institutions.
Currently, placements in educational institutions take place only once because admissions occur only once. With biannual admissions, placements can also take place twice, benefiting both students and recruiters.
Regarding entrance exams, the CUET is compulsory for admission into UG and PG programs in central universities, but optional for other universities. Many universities conduct their entrance examinations or use a combination of CUET scores, their entrance exams, or board marks. Therefore, many universities can conduct the biannual admission process using their existing procedures.
Many initiatives are in the process of implementation, such as the National Credit Framework, providing multidisciplinary education, strengthening the research ecosystem, and improving the quality of education.
Another initiative is encouraging educational institutions to undergo assessment and accreditation, which will benchmark education quality. Increasing the use of digital technology in academic governance is also crucial. Every student will now get a unique ABC (Academic Bank of Credits) ID, called the APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) ID, from class one to the PhD level. This ID will make every student’s educational journey digitally available on the ABC platform, enabling employers to verify certificates and learning outcomes using digital technology. This is one of the largest Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) in education being built in India.
Teacher capacity building is essential as they must adjust to changes in higher education, such as improved pedagogical approaches, technology absorption, and better assessment methods. Teachers need to understand that students can learn through various modes, such as classroom learning, online learning, or a combination of both.
Many changes are coming, and teachers must be prepared to understand and adopt these processes and their consequences. Many such initiatives are currently being implemented.
Many of our universities and institutions, such as the IITs, are now ranked among the top universities in the world. Recently, world university rankings were announced, and several of our universities were placed in top-ranked brackets, indicating improved research quality in our universities and higher education institutions.
The UGC has also established R&D cells in each university. These cells train faculty members to write successful projects and proposals, manage these projects, and turn basic research into prototypes and possibly startups.
Many positive developments are happening, and we will start seeing the impact of these initiatives in the coming years in terms of global recognition for our universities and contributions from our students as they graduate. Small but significant steps are being taken now, with results to be reflected in the future.
(The author is an advocate by profession)
