MUMBAI, Aug. 27 -- Engineering students at the University of Mumbai will now have an opportunity to pursue research alongside their regular BE degree, with the university approving an 'Honours with Research' programme from academic year 2026-27. The university's Academic Council recently approved the programme under the faculty of science and technology in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The initiative is aimed at giving meritorious students practical experience in research, including research methodology, paper writing, presentations and publications. Under the new programme, students will need a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 7.5 after completing three years of their undergraduate degree to opt for the research track. They will have to complete 18 additional credits over and above the regular BE requirements-four credits for research methodology, 10 credits for research publication and four credits for the final evaluation. In the sixth semester, students will have to undertake an individual research project and submit a research proposal, which will be evaluated by the respective Board of Studies. Those who want to will be allowed to withdraw from the research programme during the fourth year and will earn a regular BE degree. As part of the programme, students will have to present two research papers at conferences or publish one paper in a 'Scopus' or 'Web of Science'-indexed journal. Scopus and Web of Science are the world's leading academic citation and indexing databases used to evaluate scholarly research. The final research project will be evaluated through a viva conducted by an external examiner with a PhD. Only recognised PhD supervisors will be allowed to guide students, and each professor can supervise a maximum of five students. The 'Honours With research' programme can be offered only by recognised research centres or colleges having PhD supervisors. Colleges with a PhD centre should have a base capacity of 10 students, with five additional seats for every PhD supervisor. "Engineering education should not be limited merely to technical knowledge and the acquisition of a degree; it must foster a research-oriented mindset, a spirit of innovation, and the ability to approach problems critically," said Prof Ravindra Kulkarni, vice-chancellor, University of Mumbai. The university has also approved the Apprenticeship Embedded BE programme, under which up to 15% of final-year engineering students will be allowed to undergo a one-year apprenticeship....