NEP (Sciences)

Introduction to NEP as per UGC Guidelines for B.Sc. (4-year course)

 

University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to bring qualitative improvements to the national higher education system. The main aim of this policy is to develop good, thoughtful, well-rounded and creative individuals. It states, “Assessments of educational approaches in undergraduate education that integrate the humanities and arts with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have consistently shown positive learning outcomes, including increased creativity and innovation, critical thinking and higher-order thinking capacities, problem-solving abilities, teamwork, communication skills, more in-depth learning and mastery of curricula across fields, increases in social and moral awareness, etc., besides general engagement and enjoyment of learning”.

To adopt the mandate of NEP, the Curriculum and Credit framework of integrated UG-PG courses offered by the Science Departments of Panjab University Chandigarh under the framework of the Honours School system have been revised since 2023-24. The curriculum of the 4-year UG programme of departments of Anthropology, Botany, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Biophysics, Chemistry, Geology, Microbiology, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computing, Physics, Physics and Electronics, Zoology and Fashion Technology are dedicated to the objectives and goals of NEP. The new curricula have the following features:

Flexibility of movement from one discipline to another
• Choice of studying courses of interest
• Multiple entry and exit options
• Degree in major and minor discipline after acquiring desired credits in the course

Under the NEP curriculum, students can opt for value-added courses and interdisciplinary courses along with regular and minor discipline courses. Further, to follow the vision of the new policy, special emphasis has been given to ability enhancement and skill development of students through elective courses developed under different domains. The UG courses are designed with a student-centric curriculum and credit framework incorporating a flexible choice-based credit system, multidisciplinary approach, and multiple entry and exit options as follows.

• UG certificate after completing 1 year (2 semesters) of study and acquiring 48 credits in the chosen discipline
• UG diploma after 2 years (4 semesters) of study and acquiring 96 credits in the chosen discipline
• Bachelor's degree after a 3-year (6 semesters) programme of study and acquiring 144 credits in the chosen discipline
• 4-year bachelor's degree (honours) after eight eight-semester programs of study and acquiring 192 credits in the chosen discipline. If the student completes a rigorous research project of 12 credits in their major area(s) of study in the 4th year of a bachelor's degree (honours with research).
• A degree in Minor discipline after acquiring 20 credits during a 3-year or 4-year degree.

This will facilitate the pursuit of students' career paths by choosing the subject/field of their interest. The courses are defined in terms of learning objectives and focus more on intended learning outcomes. The teaching-learning methodology comprises lectures/tutorials/ laboratory work/field work /outreach activities/project work/seminars/internships/term papers/assignments/ presentations/self-study or a combination of these.