Students struggle to pursue dual degrees; UGC urges HEIs to take steps 2 years after policy launch

NEW DELHI: Two years after the implementation of UGC guidelines on pursuing two academic programmes simultaneously, the University Grants Commission noted that some universities are yet to execute the policy. In this regard, the commission urged all universities to create supportive measures to ensure compliance with the UGC regulations.

“It has come to the UGC's attention that many students continue to face challenges in enrolling in two academic programs at the same time, primarily due to HEls' insistence on the submission of migration certificates or school leaving certificates for admission. This requirement limits students' ability to secure admission to two programmes and undermines the purpose of the guidelines,” the commission said.

Despite several reminders from the UGC, some universities are yet to facilitate the implementation of these guidelines, the statutory body observed.

The UGC reiterated that universities should “create supportive mechanisms through their statutory bodies to ensure compliance with UGC's guidelines for pursuing two academic programs simultaneously”.

Also read Explainer: How UGC’s dual-degree programme will work – admissions, exams, credits

The UGC issued the dual-degree guidelines on April 13, 2022. It had asked the higher educational institutions (HEIs) to permit students to pursue two degrees simultaneously as outlined in the UGC letters dated September 30, 2022 and January 10, 2023.

As per the UGC regulations, “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 will also be allowed to pursue two degrees simultaneously, one in full time physical mode and another in open and distance learning or online more. They will also have an option to pursue two ODL or online programmes simultaneously.