The University Grants Commission has introduced transformative initiative that allows undergraduate students to complete their degree programmes at either a shorter or extended length of time. This came after the approval of the standard operating procedures for the Accelerated Degree Programme and Extended Degree Programme.
The draft norms are going to be put out soon for stakeholder feedback in the very near future as a major step toward personalized learning pathways in higher education institutions across India.
Shift Toward Flexibility
The ADP and EDP frameworks are designed to accommodate the different learning paces and preferences of students. While explaining the initiative, UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar said, “Students can use this option to shorten or extend their study durations based on their learning abilities. ADP allows students to complete a three-year or four-year degree in reduced time by earning additional credits per semester, while EDP enables an extended timeline with fewer credits per semester.
Such programs will treat the degrees granted under them as equivalent in case of both academic and recruitment criteria as compared to standard ones. The degrees will include a self-contained note pointing toward the completion of academic needs during a non-standard duration of study.
How ADP And EDP Work
For students who wish to take the ADP, additional credits earned per semester could help reduce the time duration of a three-year or four-year undergraduate program. The student will be eligible to do this only after having completed the first or the second semester.
For example:
- If a student is joining ADP after having completed the first semester then they will start earning the additional credits from the second semester.
- If they join after the second semester, then the extra credit load starts from the third semester.
In a similar way, the EDP also offers the choice to extend the course duration up to two additional semesters. In this case, the students will get fewer credits per semester, thus reducing their academic burden while completing the total credit requirements.
The curriculum and total credits for ADP and EDP will be the same as the regular-duration programmes, and the only difference will be in the time taken,” Kumar said.
Implementation Guidelines
To ensure smooth implementation, HEIs will:
- Provide for up to 10% of the intake capacity for ADP.
- Form committees to decide on the eligibility of the students based on their performance during the first or second semester.
- Decide the credit structure for each semester for EDP.
Transcripts for ADP and EDP students will contain only courses taken in each semester, thus retaining parity with standard programmes. Procedures for Examination and Evaluation will be the same.
This move makes Indian higher education align with international best practices, as many top universities worldwide offer this kind of flexibility in course durations. Kumar said that this will give students the power to craft their academic journey while keeping intact the quality and rigor of higher education.
Degrees Delivered Without Delay
UGC has clarified that HEIs can award degrees to students after completion of their opted duration without waiting for the standard programme duration to complete. For example, in a four-year ADP, degrees will indicate completion in six or seven semesters, as the case may be.
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