The University Grants Commission has approved a proposal that may now allow students to take up two degree courses simultaneously at the college and university level, reported news agency PTI. According to the report, only one of the courses can be pursued in the format of a regular degree, while the other course will be taught through online distance learning (ODL).
Exact modalities of the proposal would be clarified when an official notification is issued in this regard.
“The proposal was approved in the recent commission meeting for simultaneous dual degrees for students in India, allowing students to complete courses in the same or different streams at the same time. One of the two degrees, however, has to be through regular mode and the other has to be through online distance learning.”UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain to PTI
The nod comes close on the heels of a committee headed by UGC Vice-Chairman Bhushan Pathwardan last year, which was formed with the goal of looking into ways of introducing dual degrees from the same or different universities through either distance, online or a part-time mode.
Earlier, a similar committee was formed in 2012, but the plan had failed to take off.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)