UGC Academic Bank of Credit: Design Your Own Degree

Design your own degree. Yes, the UGC has introduced the Academic Bank of Credit. According to the UGC notification, the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) will be a national-level facility for students. Through ABC, students will be able to design their own syllabus.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is taking revolutionary steps in higher education. Imagine a student studying subjects of their choice from different colleges and universities simultaneously. This wasn't possible before. Now, by implementing a key suggestion from the National Education Policy, the UGC is making it happen.

The UGC has notified the Academic Bank of Credits system. Every student can open their own academic credit account. This will help students pursue subjects they are passionate about. The Ministry of Education has named this system the UGC (Establishment and Operation of Academic Banks of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021. Its notification was issued recently.

What is the ABC of this big change? According to the UGC, the Academic Bank of Credits will be a national-level facility. It will give students the flexibility to pause their studies, receive a certificate for completed work, and later resume from where they left off.

Through the 'Design your Own Degree' facility, students can modify their syllabus. They can change subjects. They can even switch disciplines entirely. A commerce student could take science. An arts student could study physics. The best part? Previous studies won't go to waste. The credit score will be added to their account.

A record of these credits will be kept in the Academic Bank. An account will be created for every student, storing all study-related information. This introduces wide flexibility into the curriculum structure.

The Academic Bank of Credit will provide a choice of subjects. Students will have access to new subjects, new methods, and attractive courses. Overall, this grants significant autonomy to students for their studies. They will have the option to study at many institutions across the country.

This move by the UGC aims to let students choose the best courses or combinations based on their aptitude. Students can now craft and modify their degree as they wish. Previously, a student was often stuck with boring, uninteresting courses from a single university.