New Delhi: Indian universities and higher education institutions can admit students twice a year from academic sessions 2024-25, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar said on Tuesday.
The two admission cycles will be July-August and January-February.
“If Indian universities can offer admission twice a year, it will benefit many students such as those who missed admission to a university in the July-August session due to a delay in the announcement of board results, health issues, or personal reasons,” Kumar told PTI.
With biannual admissions in place, industries can also do their campus recruitment twice a year, improving employment opportunities for the graduates.
However, Kumar also clarified that it will not be mandatory for universities to offer biannual admissions but those institutes that have the required infrastructure and teaching faculty can utilise the opportunity.
“Offering biannual admissions will not be mandatory for the HEIs, it is the flexibility that UGC provides to the HEIs which want to increase their student intake and offer new programmes in emerging areas. To be able to admit students twice a year, HEIs must make suitable amendments to their institutional regulations,” he said.
The commission’s decision is in synchrony with global practices of biannual admissions prevalent in many countries. It is thus likely to boost international relationships and student exchange programmes, bolstering their competitiveness on global stage. But to implement the biannual admission system, universities will have to strategise and mobilise their resources effectively, including faculty, infrastructure and support services.
“If HEIs adopt biannual admissions, they need to work on administrative intricacies, good planning for increased use of available resources, and providing seamless support systems for the smooth transition of students admitted at dissimilar times of the year,” Kumar said.
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