West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) government has announced that the four-year undergraduate program under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will be implemented in the state from the 2023-24 academic session.
“After consulting various stake holders and keeping the future of students in mind, it has been decided by the competent authority in the state government that the 4-year UG level programme will be introduced in all government/ government aided/ government sponsored higher education Institutions from the academic session 2023-2024,” the government said in a press statement.
The students will be awarded degrees in accordance with the UGC national curriculum and credit framework for UG-level programs, the statement added. Students seeking admission this year will have to apply online through stand-alone portals of the colleges as was done last year, the statement said.
In Bengal, students pursuing graduation with honors (specialisation) in one subject so far had a three-year course while those with no specialization passed out after two years. The March 17 order was sent to the registrars of all state-aided universities by the higher education department.
The state’s decision came as a shock to students and teachers because chief minister Mamata Banerjee had opposed NEP since the day it was announced by the Centre. She had alleged that it was an effort by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “saffronise” the country’s education system and open up the sector to private players.
Academics said lack of infrastructure and funds would make it difficult for Bengal’s universities to launch the new program at such short notice. Bengal has 20 state-run universities that offer general degrees. There are 49 government-owned and 433 government-aided degree colleges under these 20 universities. In addition, there are 11 private universities that offer degree courses.
Since education is a subject in the Constitution’s Concurrent List, which gives a state government the power to have a say in the implementation of central policies, Mamata Banerjee formed an expert committee to examine the NEP.
“The expert committee has recommended the implementation through optimum utilisation of existing resource or self-mobilisation of additional resources, pending receipt of additional financial assistances,” the press statement said.
The decision was criticized in academic circles.
Partha Pratim Roy, general secretary of Jadavpur University Teacher’s Association said: “Almost all private colleges started preparing for new admissions months ago. The order has left government colleges in a precarious position. This will only help private institutions prosper. People in the higher education department know very well how much time and infrastructure is required to start a new system.”
Courtesy The Hindustan Times
