The higher education regulatory body, University Grants Commission (UGC), has asked the universities to devise facilitative mechanisms through statutory bodies to allow students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously.
Students, as per UGC, are able to pursue two full-time academic programmes simultaneously in the physical mode provided that class timings for one programme do not overlap with the other. A student can pursue two academic programmes, one in full time physical mode and another in open and distance Learning (ODL), online mode; or up to two ODL and online programmes simultaneously.
However, UGC notification issued on January 10, says that it has come to the notice of the commission that students are facing difficulties as higher education institutions insist on migration certificates and school leaving certificates to admit students to dual degree programmes.
In the absence of these certificates, UGC added, the students are not granted admission and that defeats the facility of pursuing two academic programmes simultaneously.
"It is, therefore, once again requested that the universities may kindly devise facilitative mechanisms through statutory bodies to allow the students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously," read the UGC notice. The commission previously asked the universities to make statutory changes for dual-degree programme in September 2022.
