Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
When higher education is adjusting to structural changes under NEP 2020, the Delhi University Academic Council, in its 1026th meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh, approved a set of decisions that indicate a shift in how postgraduate education, research output, and student mobility are being reorganised within the university system.
ONE-YEAR POSTGRADUATE COURSES ALIGNED WITH NEP STRUCTURE
One of the central approvals relates to the introduction of one-year postgraduate courses, a move directly linked to the rollout of the four-year undergraduate programme, as the first batch approaches completion, creating the need for a shorter postgraduate route for eligible students.
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Based on the Postgraduate Course Framework 2024, these programmes will be introduced across multiple departments, including Philosophy, Hindi, English, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Mathematics, and Computer Science, along with courses in journalism and mass communication, including the Master of Journalism and Mass Communication under the Faculty of Social Sciences.
PUSH TO FORMALISE RESEARCH PUBLICATION STANDARDS
Alongside curriculum restructuring, the council also addressed concerns related to research publication, particularly from faculty members in Social Sciences and language disciplines, who pointed to the limited availability of Scopus-indexed journals, making it difficult to meet publication requirements.
In response, the Vice-Chancellor directed all departments to prepare a list of their top 20 journals within a period of 30 days, asking them to define evaluation parameters, assign scores, and submit ranked preferences, a step that attempts to formalise research benchmarks across departments.
MEDICAL AMND EDUCATION PROGRAMMES RECIEVE APPROVAL
The meeting also included approvals for specialised medical programmes, with Lady Hardinge Medical College set to introduce a DM course in Paediatric Nephrology and Maulana Azad Medical College approving a DM in Medical Genetics, both with an intake of two seats per year, indicating a continued expansion of super-speciality education within affiliated institutions.
In the field of teacher education, Maharishi Valmiki College of Education has been cleared to start a two-year M.Ed. programme with 50 seats from the 2026–27 academic session, subject to the fulfilment of faculty recruitment requirements and renewal of accreditation within the specified timeline.
In a parallel development, the council approved the renaming of the Research Council to the Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Council, a change that reflects a broader institutional direction toward linking research with innovation and applied outcomes rather than limiting it to academic output alone.
SOL AND ONLINE PROGRAMMES TO EXPAND FROM 2027-28
The Academic Council also granted in-principle approval for a range of new programmes to be offered through the School of Open Learning and the Centre for Open Learning from the 2027–28 session, covering offline, ODL, and online modes, although the Vice-Chancellor clarified that these programmes will be launched only after the necessary academic and infrastructural preparations are completed.
The proposed offerings include undergraduate and postgraduate courses in English, Commerce, Computer Science, and Multimedia, along with an MBA programme, and a set of foreign language diplomas and certificates across departments dealing with European and Asian languages.
Another key discussion during the meeting focused on the proposed Semester Away Program under UGCF-2022, which aims to allow students to spend one semester at a foreign higher education institution, with the credits earned during that period being counted toward their degree at Delhi University, provided there is no overlap with existing coursework, thereby retaining the degree structure while introducing an external academic component.
Registrar Dr. Vikas Gupta, while presenting the agenda, noted that such measures reflect a gradual shift in higher education, where institutional boundaries are becoming less rigid and students are being given greater flexibility to navigate their academic journeys across different formats and locations.
– Ends
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
