‘4-yr UG honours course will help students compete nationally’

kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the decision to adopt 4-year honours course in the graduation level has been taken to ensure that the students of the state compete at the national-level.

“After passing the 12th standard, we used to get three years to complete graduation. Now, a change has been brought in. Those pursuing graduation in ‘pass course’ will need three years while those pursuing honours courses will require to take the course for four years as suggested by the UGC. However, there will be an advantage as while pursuing Master degree only one year will be required. Hence, the matter remains the same,” Banerjee said, while addressing the Board toppers during the felicitation programme at Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan.

Banerjee added that if the other states in the country adopt the 4+ 1 format and Bengal does not then the students in the state may lag behind. “If other states are accepting it and we do not, then our students will not be able to compete with them (at the national-level). That is the reason we had to adopt it,” she said.The Bengal Education department had clarified on Wednesday that it will introduce a four-year undergraduate programme from the 2023-24 academic year, replacing the three-year one, in compliance with the National Curriculum and Credit Framework (NCCF) recommended by the UGC.

In a statement, the Higher Education department said the decision has been taken after holding talks with all stakeholders and based on the recommendation of a state-appointed expert panel which had suggested rolling out a four-year UG course from the 2023-24 academic year.

State Education minister Bratya Basu had tweeted on Wednesday clarifying that the introduction of the four-year undergraduate programme did not mean the state government had accepted the NEP.

“It is being propagated that the state government has accepted the National Education Policy. This is worse than a travesty of truth. The state government has prepared a state education policy, incorporating the best of practices. The state government will soon upload the policy,” his tweet read. Basu through his tweet further stated that the state is opposed to various elements of the NEP like the 5+3+3+4 design in school education or the too much centralisation of the higher educational institutions and have not inducted these in the state education policy.