Common curriculum and credit framework implemented in all colleges and universities of Gujarat: Govt

Gandhinagar: Under the new education policy, the state government has taken a decision in the cabinet meeting today regarding introducing common curriculum and credit framework in all private and government universities, colleges and recognized educational institutions of Gujarat.

All first year students admitted from 15th June 2023 will benefit from the implementation of Common Curriculum and Credit Framework. An elaborate resolution in this regard will be issued by the Education Department. The implementation has been made compulsorily in all educational institutions of the state from the current academic year 2023-24. Henceforth, the students who will get the four-year honors/research degree will have to study only one year for the post-graduate degree, said the Spokesperson Minister Rishikesh Patel.

Giving further details, he said that among the various provisions of NEP-2020, this important decision has been taken to strengthen the Common Curriculum and Credit Framework. Under which the structure of 22 credits per semester has been decided. Students can obtain a total of 132 credits at the end of three years and a total of 176 credits at the end of four years.

The Minister informed that the draft of this reference was publicly placed before the Education Department of the Government for all the Universities/Colleges/Vice Chancellors/Principals/Professors/all other publics of various educational associations and student associations of Gujarat.

He said, a total of 197 suggestions have been received from 47 stakeholders. Taking them into consideration the Common Curriculum and Credit Framework Government Resolution has been finalised. Taking into consideration all the suggestions, the Education Department will release the Common Curriculum and Credit Framework Government Resolution in the academic year 2023-24. Subsequently, the standard operating procedure for its implementation will also be declared. It has to be implemented compulsorily in all the educational institutions of Gujarat from the year 2023-24.

The Minister added that UG Certificate, UG Diploma, three-year degree program including Bachelor’s Degree, Bachelor’s Honors, and Graduate Research Degrees will be awarded. Major (Core) will be the main course in this structure. The minor subject will also have a basket of minor electives, multidisciplinary, allied related courses. Apart from this the student can get 4 credits from summer internship courses. A student can obtain a Bachelor’s degree after three years, a Bachelor’s honors degree after four years of study, or a Bachelor’s degree with honors with research with prescribed credits. Students pursuing a four-year Honors/Research degree will have to study only one year for a post-graduate degree.

The structure of credits and course will be applied from 2023-24 onwards for courses not regulated by AICTE,PCI,BCI,COA,NCTE, etc. While the fourth year Honours/Honours with Research Program (Level-06) will be applicable from the academic year 2026-27.

The minister said that the present structure of subjects in colleges/universities gives the student a choice only in the prescribed form. In the new education policy these limitations are removed and the student will be able to choose various subjects according to his choice from the prescribed basket or from the basket of subjects of other universities. Not only this, any student can go for employment according to the circumstances after obtaining a prescribed credit/skill based certificate at the end of the first year of study during entry/exit, a diploma at the end of the second year and can return for re-study within the prescribed time limit.