Pondicherry University to implement NEP from this academic year

Pondicherry Univ. starts NEP implementation in courses. Multiple entry/exit options, Academic Bank of Credits for mid-entry, holistic dev. for cognitive/socio-emotional/physical skills, multidisciplinary approach, mother tongue freedom, no Hindi imposition, 25% local student quota considered.

The Pondicherry University has started the process of implementing the National Education Policy in courses run on its campus and at all affiliated colleges from the current academic year.

Announcing the decision at a press conference here on Tuesday, Vice-Chancellor Gurmeet Singh said one of the key features of the NEP was the multiple entry and exit options available for undergraduate students.

The students are allowed to get a certificate if they wish to exit the course after one year. Students who drop out midway could re-enter the academic stream after sometime at any university or college of his/her liking or convenience . The NEP allows students to create an account in the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) portal, he said.

The ABC, he said, would act as a store house of information on course details and grades of students. A student who wishes to get back to education after a break could carry forward his/her credit while joining the university or college. Several institutes are connected to the portal and the student will have the option of doing a different course during the mid-entry. The Pondicherry University and affiliated colleges have started the process to create the ABC portal, he added.

“The policy recognises the importance of holistic development to foster the cognitive, socio-emotional and physical skills of students. It promotes a multidisciplinary approach that encourages students to explore various subjects. The NEP lays the right kind of emphasis on the mother tongue. It does not impose any language and there is complete freedom to the student to choose the language,” he added.

On the criticism that the NEP was an attempt to impose Hindi, the Vice-Chancellor said, “It is not at all true. The NEP gives maximum importance to the mother tongue. The policy gives students the option to learn more than one language. The Tamil language is the oldest and richest and we should promote the language. The students should encash the opportunity. There is no scope for any hatred towards any language,” he said.

Mr. Singh said the new policy integrates vocational education with general education, integration of skills across disciplines, helps technology-enabled learning, entrepreneurship, continuous evaluation, development of skills in regional languages and experimental learning through internship and apprenticeship.