While the University Grants Commission (UGC) is facing never ending protest over its initiatives in higher education like the much talked about Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), Central, State and private universities across the country have been provided with detailed syllabi under the new system in a form of template for 107 undergraduate courses. The UGC has called it a step towards “facilitation of implementation of CBCS across universities.”
A letter issued by the UGC Chairman, Prof Ved Prakash to the Vice-Chancellors and directors of universities across States that it is contemplated that CBCS would be adopted by all the universities without any delay. The template gives a broad framework of uniformity of the syllabi which the UGC insists to be 70 per cent same across the universities.
“It is hoped that 70 per cent curriculum can be uniformly the same across universities as this would ensure seamless mobility of students as well as transfer and mutual recognition of credits across the higher education institutes in the country. The template gives a broad framework of uniformity while simultaneously providing for the flexibility needed to take into account the diversity of the areas of expertise available to a particular university,” states the letter.
The UGC Chairman said that the UGC has brought out detailed syllabi in consultation with various stakeholders.
“Your university must already have initiated steps to implement CBCS. We should become part of a wider CBCS approach to qualitative improvement of higher education...with the details of syllabi in the form of template can be a source of expediting the pace of implementation,” Prakash said in his letter.
Delhi University spokesperson Malay Neerav said the university was committed to the UGC directive in implementing the CBCS in toto. “We have made sure there is no confusion at all. Our university was the first implement the CBCS without any dilution,” Neerav added.
Prakash has sought cooperation from the universities in implementing the reform at and faster pace and asked for a response to know the status of implementation.