The Academic Council (AC) of the University Of Delhi (DU) has cleared the proposal to allow UG and PG students to pursue two degrees simultaneously. The proposal may soon get a go- ahead from the Executive Council (EC) of the university, however, the experts are still un- sure of the same. As per the proposal, students can opt for a degree course in a regular mode and another course in Online Distance Learning (ODL) mode from any other university. Being in sync with NEP 2020, the proposal aims to broaden and diversify the
Academic base of students, besides offering flexibility. The academics are concerned about the feasibility of the proposal and many claim that this idea may not be in the best interests of the students. Taking two degrees simultaneously will be draining for the students as the schedule followed at DU is quite rigorous. Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teachers' Front, DU also a former member of AC and EC, highlights the flip side of the proposal.
The proposal by the AC was met with resistance from a few members who felt that this might burden the students. "Allowing the students to pursue two degrees simultaneously is not in their academic interest as they will not be able to pay desired attention to their studies. More- over, they will also not get adequate time for self-study and it will not have any qualitative outcomes," says Habib. For each course at DU, there are a lot of different lectures
That are conducted for a course and every subject has multiple readings that require un-divided attention. "DU students generally do reasonably well in their careers, hence, there is no need for them to simultaneously pursue another degree from a different university in an ODL mode for qualitative career progression. Instead, the students should be encouraged to take up internships and summer projects related to their main degree which enhance their practical knowledge and provide them with hands-on learning and experience. This will be a better way to broaden their academic base instead of giving them an option to simultaneously pursue another degree," adds Habib.
Vijaya Venkatraman, professor of Spanish, Department of Germanic and Romance Studies, DU, says, "The UG and PG students at DU will not academically benefit from this proposal. Simultaneously pursuing a full- time degree programme along with an ODL degree will prevent the students from gaining expertise in the subject. It will not allow them to enhance their knowledge." Un- der the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF), students are required to study seven papers in one semester which requires unwavering attention. Also, such an educational ecosystem will not allow students to develop critical thinking and gain deep insights into the stream in which they are pursuing the regular degree," adds Venkatraman.
Published on - Times of India
Date - 04/12/2023
