Kolkata, April 19 -- Calcutta University has aligned its undergraduate degree structure with the National Education Policy 2020 and set up a committee to review affiliation fees for private colleges, decisions taken at a recent Syndicate meeting.

Under the revised framework, students exiting after the first year of undergraduate studies will receive a certificate, while those leaving after the second year will be awarded a diploma. Three-year honours programmes will confer a "three-year graduation with a single major" degree, while general courses will be termed "three-year graduation with two core subjects and one minor". Four-year programmes will lead to either honours or honours with research degrees.

Officials said the revised nomenclature aims to standardise degree structures and ensure compatibility for students seeking higher education or employment in India and abroad. The proposals were adopted unanimously by the Syndicate. The university has also constituted a three-member committee to examine whether affiliation fees for private colleges should be increased. At present, institutions pay Rs 10,000 as affiliation fee and Rs 1,000 for inspection, with renewals carried out periodically.

Officials said the review is being considered in view of rising expenditure and reduced government support. Any revision, if approved, may also apply to certain self-financing courses, while government-aided colleges are unlikely to be affected.

Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh said the committee would assess all aspects before submitting its recommendations, after which a final decision would be taken.

In a separate decision, the university approved the implementation of NEP 2020 and the State Education Policy 2022 at the postgraduate level. For university students, merit lists will be prepared based on entrance examination scores and marks obtained up to the fifth semester, while external candidates will be selected solely on entrance test performance.

An academic calendar has also been introduced for postgraduate courses, with classes scheduled from July to June.

The calendar mandates at least 90 days of classes per semester and fixes timelines for admissions, examinations and semester completion, aimed at ensuring uniformity across departments and affiliated colleges.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.