Ahmedabad: Gujarat University has extended the application process for affiliated colleges seeking approval to offer honours degree programmes under the New Education Policy (NEP), following confusion among college managements regarding the guidelines. Colleges can now submit fresh applications over the next two days by paying a revised fee of Rs 5,000 per faculty.
NEP Honours Degree Framework
Under the NEP framework, students who wish to continue their studies after completing three years of undergraduate education are eligible to pursue a fourth year and obtain an honours degree. To implement this structure, the university had earlier invited applications from colleges interested in offering honours programmes.
Low Response from Aided Colleges
Sources indicate that around 70 colleges initially applied, with a majority being self-financed institutions. In contrast, only three govt-aided colleges expressed willingness to introduce honours courses. The low participation from grant-in-aid colleges is reportedly due to infrastructural and logistical challenges.
Earlier, the university had specified a fee of Rs 5,000 per course. However, it has now clarified that the fee is applicable per faculty, leading to discrepancies and confusion among institutions. As a result, the university has decided to reopen the application window and allow colleges to resubmit their proposals along with the revised fee structure.
Infrastructure Constraints
Many aided colleges are hesitant to implement honours programmes due to space constraints and existing infrastructure designed for three-year courses. Accommodating fourth-year students could pose practical difficulties, officials noted.
The university is expected to announce the final list of colleges offering honours programmes after the revised application process concludes.
