'My 4-Year Psychology Course at Xavier's Ended in Three. Now I Face a Gap Year'

(This article, originally published on 19 June, has been updated with a detailed response from Dr Karuna Gokarn, principal of St Xavier's College, Mumbai.) In April this year, the Maharashtra government approved the rollout of four-year undergraduate programmes across all public and autonomous universities. In line with the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, the government notification stated that students who complete three years will graduate with a standard bachelor's degree, and those who continue for a fourth year can opt for an honours or an honours with research degree. In that sense, the fourth year will align with the first year of a two-year postgraduate programme.At institutions like St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, this set off a chain of decisions that has altered the academic trajectories of thousands of students.I am one of those students—who was, until recently, enrolled in a four-year BA in Psychology.Following the implementation of the NEP, 2020, and before the recent government notification, St Xavier's had already introduced a four-year BA programme for Psychology students in the 2023-24 academic year. I took admission the very same year.In the fourth year, the college's syllabus included subjects like neuropsychology, psychological assessment, clinical child psychology, and advanced research methods.After the government notification, it was found that this syllabus was very different from that of the Master's curriculum.So, when the Maharashtra government mandated that colleges merge the fourth-year syllabus with the first year of the Master's programme, St Xavier's scrapped the fourth year—and asked us to apply for a Master's programme instead through an entrance test.Within a matter of days, our four-year BA programme was cut short. We were informed that our course will end after three years—and that this change would take effect within a matter of weeks.This news was deeply unsettling.What made it worse was the timing. The college made the announcement after the CUET-PG examinations—the gateway to a large number of colleges across India—were over. It was also too late in the year to apply to foreign universities or scholarships.So, students, like me, who had been planning on studying the fourth year in the college, were left stranded. At this point, we have almost no other educational avenues to pursue for an entire academic year.'I Gave 10 Years to French. CBSE's 3-Language Policy Puts My Livelihood at Risk'I want to pursue an MA in Clinical Psychology from an institution recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Under RCI guidelines, students need either a four-year BA/BSc Honours in Psychology or a three-year Psychology degree followed by a one-year bridge course or by an MA in Psychology to be eligible for admission.I chose the first option by enrolling in St Xavier's as it allowed me to save a year. But, because of this sudden change, I've lost that option. Through official communications, the college constantly reassured us that ours was a four-year programme. And I believed them, because I had no reason to not to. Even before the government notification, they had circulated a Google Form to assess the number of students who will be continuing in the fourth year.'Online Classes Can't Replace Real Learning. They Only Add Strain on Families'Now, rather than taking accountability for their actions, the college has placed the burden of planning for this sudden change entirely on the students.What has made the situation worse is that, as a solution, St Xavier’s offered its students their Master’s course. They have also told students that they can exit after one year, with a certificate that would count either as an honours degree or a PG diploma. But there's a catch.The fourth-year aspirants will now have to compete for a limited number of seats. For instance, MA in Lifespan Counselling has only 30 seats. Many psychology students, like me, want to become clinical psychologists. For them, leaving the MA course in between, in case they get a seat, would be the faster option.Now, if a student is not interested in pursuing an MA in Lifespan Counselling but feels compelled to do so due to the existing RCI guidelines (which are currently under challenge before the Delhi High Court), they may occupy a seat in a limited-intake MA programme for a year and then leave.This creates a wasteful cycle that is confusing and disruptive for students, while also potentially disadvantaging applicants who genuinely intended to pursue a Master’s degree.HPSC Hiring: 'I Qualified for Asst Prof Job. Then the Court Scrapped the Exams'Another option offered by the college was its one-year PG Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy, which costs Rs 2.7 lakh. The fees for both the MA programme and the PG Diploma are substantially higher than the proposed fee for the fourth year of the undergraduate programme.As a student from Bihar, I cannot afford the additional financial burden of higher tuition costs alongside the expenses of living and renting in Mumbai.Even when I wanted to apply for the Xavier’s Entrance Test (XET), the application deadline fell on 17 April, just days after the cancellation of the fourth year. The application fee was around Rs 3,000—allowing the college to benefit financially from a large number of students applying for a limited number of seats. Moreover, the fourth-year aspirants, who were forced to sit for the entrance exams held on 5-6 May, were left with little time to prepare compared with other aspirants across the country who had been preparing for months.When students requested that the college increase intake or create a separate division for the existing students, the administration responded through personal communication that it would consider these measures only in the following academic year.'Andhra Scholarship Delays Are Leaving SC, ST, and OBC Students Without Degrees'Another concern is the inconsistency in admission procedures across different courses. The existing students for some courses—such as Economics—only had to go through an interview. Others, like Psychology, had to go through XET. How is that fair when I, as a student, have pursued my degree with utmost sincerity, achieving a CGPA of more than 9.5?The institute has provided no official support, no safety net, and taken no accountability. Many questions still remain unanswered. Like, if the syllabus for the fourth-year was not designed in line with the NEP 2020, how else did they decide the syllabus?Why was a four-year programme promised only to be abruptly cut short?'I Met All Rules as a Foreign Medical Graduate, But My Practice Still on Hold'Were colleges given any advance notice of the government notification to help prepare students decide their future? And who will take responsibility for the gap year that students like me will now be forced to undertake?In a telephonic conversation with The Quint, Dr Karuna Gokarn, principal of St Xavier's College, Mumbai, said the college was simply implementing the resolution issued by the University of Mumbai."Even though we are an autonomous college, we are affiliated with the University of Mumbai. I agree that it came late. We only got to know about this notification in March-April."Dr Gokarn explained that the college had prepared the fourth-year syllabus for all courses. But, since the notification asked them to align the fourth year with the first year of the respective postgraduate programmes, the college had to put those plans aside."We had our syllabus kept ready for the fourth year, thinking that at some point they would be implemented. But now, we will have to follow the government resolution. If we don't follow and go ahead with our plan, the students will face eligibility issues with their degrees, which will not be in line with that of the university we are affiliated with. Then what will our students do?"Dr Karuna GokarnDr Gokarn said, in this scenario, students were given the option to take admission in the postgraduate courses, for which students would have to clear XET, and then exit in the first year with an honours or postgraduate diploma degree. When questioned about the short notice given to the students to appear for an all-India entrance test, Dr Gokarn reiterated, "This is not our fault. Even though we are autonomous, we are affiliated with the University of Mumbai. We have to follow the norms laid down by the university. I also tried speaking to the honourable Vice-Chancellor. Students wanted to join the fourth year, but after the notification, we didn't have an option. We sympathise with the students. But if I go out of my way to get them admitted, that will also backfire against their degrees."Dr Gokarn said she is expecting reforms to happen next year.(The Quint has sought a response from the University of Mumbai. This article will be updated as and when they respond.)(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)

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'My 4-Year Psychology Course at Xavier's Ended in Three. Now I Face a Gap Year'

'We sympathise with the students, but must ensure their degrees remain valid,' St Xavier's principal told The Quint.

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