Monday, Jan 05, 2009
The University Grants Commission (UGC) expects deemed-to-be-universities to take the lead in carrying out reforms during the 11th Plan period (2007-12) in admission policy, examination reforms including continuous internal assessment, introduction of credit-based courses, semester system, mobility of students, and credit accumulation/ transfer.

Advocating student admissions on all-India basis to all courses, based on past academic records and/or performance in entrance examinations with due provision for the government policy on reservation, the academic reforms call for discontinuation of the informal methods of admission to M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes adopted by some of the deemed-to-be-universities. “The admission methods to these research courses should be made formal and transparent. There is a need to introduce course work in Ph.D., rather than making it only dissertation/thesis-based,” it states.

Grading
The other academic reforms meant for implementation on a priority basis are:

1. Attracting talent from throughout the country to reflect all-India character in staff strength.

2. Introduction of semester system, and gradually moving to a system which emphasises continuous internal assessment and reduces the written examination component to a reasonable level.

3. Introduction of Grading System, preferably on a nine-point scale and Cumulative Grade Point Score to put the evaluation system at par with best practices.

4. Addressing the issue of curricular flexibility and students’ mobility by introducing credit-based courses and credit accumulation.

5. Ensuring curricula development exercise leading to major revision in course content and curricula once in three years.

6. Streamlining the examination process in accordance with the uniform academic calendar such that students do not suffer on counts of career mobility and academic progression due to delays in declaration of results and issue of mark sheet.