UGC issues guidelines for dual-degree programmes, says not applicable for PhD

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has on Wednesday issued guidelines for the dual-degree programmes. The UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar made a major announcement in a virtual meeting on April 12 allowing students to pursue two full-time academic programmes simultaneously either at the same university or from different universities.

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As per the UGC guidelines, a student can pursue two full-time academic programmes in physical mode or in online mode or up to two online programmes simultaneously.

“The issue of allowing the students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously has been examined by the Commission keeping in view the proposals envisaged in the National Education Policy - NEP 2020 which emphasizes the need to facilitate multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes,” the commission said in its latest notice.

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UGC guidelines for pursuing two degrees together

The UGC has announced the guidelines for students to pursue two degrees together. Here’s what students must know about the dual-degree rule.

• 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 can pursue two academic programmes, one in full-time physical mode and another in Open and Distance Learning (ODL)/Online mode; or up to two ODL/Online programmes simultaneously.
• Degree or diploma programmes under ODL/Online mode shall be pursued with only such HEIs which are recognized by UGC/Statutory Council/Govt. of India for running such programmes.
• Degree or diploma programmes under these guidelines shall be governed by the Regulations notified by the UGC and also the respective statutory/professional councils, wherever applicable.
• These guidelines shall come into effect from the date of their notification by the UGC. No retrospective benefit can be claimed by the students who have already done two academic programmes simultaneously prior to the notification of these guidelines.

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The UGC also informed universities that the guidelines are applicable only to students pursuing academic programmes other than PhD programmes. It further asked universities to devise mechanisms, through their statutory bodies, for allowing their students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously as per the guidelines.