Why is the NEP undergrad course in chaos?
SOCIAL – EDUCATION
1 MARCH 2026
Four-Year Undergraduate (UG) Programme under NEP 2020
- The four-year UG programme was introduced under the National Education Policy 2020 to reform India’s higher education system and align it with global standards.
- Traditionally, most bachelor’s degrees in India were three years.
- NEP 2020 expanded this to four years with multiple Entry–Exit options
- After 1 year → Certificate
- After 2 years → Diploma
- After 3 years → Bachelor’s Degree
- After 4 years → Bachelor’s Degree with Honours / Honours with Research / Entrepreneurship
- It focussed on interdisciplinary learning, research exposure, skill development and academic flexibility.
- It was designed to match international degree structures.
- The guidelines were issued by the University Grants Commission in December 2022.
Universities that implemented it
Several major institutions began implementation in 2022–23, including:
- University of Delhi
- Aligarh Muslim University
- Ambedkar University Delhi
- Karnataka also adopted it initially, but later decided to revert to three-year model from 2024–25.
Challenges Faced
1️. Infrastructure Shortage
- Lack of laboratories for science research
- Limited library access for undergraduates
2️. Faculty Overload
- Research supervision not counted in workload
- No proportional increase in staff
3️. Changing Guidelines
- Frequent revisions created confusion
- Initial requirement of Scopus-indexed publications was later relaxed
4️. Funding Issues
- No significant additional funding from UGC
- Universities struggling to manage the extra academic year
5️. Equity Concerns
- Critics argue the extra year may increase financial burden, reduce access for poorer students and affect rural and socially disadvantaged groups
Conclusion
- The four-year UG programme aims to modernise Indian higher education with flexibility and research focus.
- However, successful implementation requires better funding, infrastructure, faculty support, and policy clarity.
