Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Department of Higher Education (DHE) continues to make one or the other blunder in implementation of National Education Policy 2020 in institutions of higher learning.
The latest one is a goof-up in granting admission to students in honours degree courses even though the students will become eligible for it only after completing three years in graduation.
As per NEP, admission to honours degree can be granted to only those students who clear three years of UG course with CGPA of at least 7.5.
NEP provides for three years and four years of UG degrees. The student admitted to a UG course would be granted a degree after successful completion of three years of studies. The students who score on or above CGPA of 7.5 are eligible for fourth year of degree. The students who then successfully complete the fourth year of studies will be granted honours degree.
Interestingly, the who’s who of DHE did not pay attention to this important aspect of NEP and put BCom (Hons) and BSc (Hons) also as choices for admission.
Students took admission in honours courses and started studies. The colleges also started classes for honours courses like BCom (Hons) and BSc (Hons).
However, the DHE now has realised the blunder and transferred students of honours degree courses to plain degree courses.
Taken aback by the development, the students are now crying foul. They are stating that they had to bear the brunt of DHE’s failure to understand the NEP-2020 properly.
Amit Mishra, who took admission in BCom (Hons), said that he got admission in the honours course as his percentage in Class XII exam was 89.
“I did not want admission in BCom plain whose cutoff was 56 per cent. Instead, I would have taken admission in some specialisation course like foreign trade, computer application, taxation etc. It’s cheating that I was first given admission in honours courses and now transferred to a plain course,” he added.
Another student Niharika Kaushal said that there was a huge difference in the fees of honours courses and plain courses. “We paid the high fees as we wanted to study in an honours course. Now, they have shifted us to a plain course. I am not sure if my college will even refund the additional amount. However, it is also not about the money alone. It’s about students admitted in honours courses being cheated mid-stream,” she added.
Take note: While DHE scraped direct admission in honours course, the courses with the option of specialisation continue in colleges even though NEP is against such courses as well.
