North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) president Prof Lakhon Kma has informed that eight schools under the university have already approved the syllabus for the seventh and eighth semesters (fourth year) of the four-year undergraduate programmes introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“Now this will get the final approval of the Academic Council (NEHU),” Kma said, adding that every department has done its best to formulate the best syllabus for the fourth year as per the structure given by the University Grants Commission.
According to the NEHUTA president, the association had demanded from the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof SM Sungoh, that the Academic Council be convened before her retirement on May 31.
He said that the Sungoh can convene an adjourned Academic Council meeting or an emergent Academic Council meet to discuss on the syllabus for the fourth year of the undergraduate programme and renewal of existing and new affiliations of colleges.
Kma said that he hopes that these issues will be approved by the Academic Council within a week. According to him, the Acting Vice-Chancellor has assured that she will convene the Academic Council meeting.
Kma also said that the syllabus for the fourth year is not for every student; only those students who achieve 75 per cent in the first six semesters can apply for the fourth year.
According to him, those students finishing the four-year programme are eligible for the one-year postgraduate (PG) course.
“We are not yet ready in the university. If any student joins after the fourth year programme and they come to do master’s degree (for one year) in NEHU, where will we accommodate them in the first and second semester of the third and fourth semester?” he asked.
Kma said that this can be thoroughly debated in the Academic Council.
The main difference between the regular three-year courses and four-year ones is that students who complete the three-year undergraduate programme can opt for a two-year PG course, while those finishing the four-year programme are eligible for the one year PG course.
The NEHUTA president pointed out that accommodating those students coming after the fourth year in NEHU would be difficult since classrooms are small.
The fourth year of four-year programmes is typically research-intensive, focusing on advanced-level learning.
Under the four-year programme, a student will receive an undergraduate certificate after completing one year, an undergraduate diploma after two years, an undergraduate degree after the third year and an undergraduate degree with a research specialisation after the fourth year. After the fourth year, the students could complete their Master’s in a year.
“We have not built that bridge which will connect those finishing the four-year programme and who are eligible for the one-year PG course,” Kma said.
