The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sanctioned a significant change in the admission process of Indian universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) by allowing them to offer admissions twice a year, akin to the system followed by many foreign universities.
UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar announced the development, stating that the two admission cycles will be July-August and January-February, starting from the 2024-25 academic session.
Highlighting the advantages of this move, Kumar said, "If Indian universities can offer admission twice a year, it will benefit many students, such as those who missed admission to a university in the July-August session due to a delay in the announcement of board results, health issues, or personal reasons."
He further maintained that biannual admissions will help maintain student motivation as they do not have to wait a full year to secure admission if they miss the initial cycle.
Kumar also pointed out the benefits for industries, noting that "with biannual admissions in place, industries can also do their campus recruitment twice a year, improving employment opportunities for graduates."
The UGC Chairman explained that biannual admissions would enable HEIs to plan their resource distribution, such as faculty, labs, classrooms, and support services, more efficiently.
This, he said, would result in better functional flow within universities. He remarked, "Universities worldwide already follow a biannual admission system.
If Indian HEIs adopt the biannual admission cycle, our HEIs can enhance their international collaborations and student exchanges. As a result, our global competitiveness will improve, and we will align with global educational standards."
Kumar acknowledged that implementing biannual admissions would require HEIs to address various administrative intricacies and engage in good planning for the increased use of available resources. He stressed the importance of providing seamless support systems for students admitted at different times of the year.
"HEIs can maximise the usefulness of biannual admissions only when they sufficiently prepare faculty members, staff, and students for the transition," he added.
However, Kumar clarified that offering biannual admissions would not be mandatory for universities. Only those HEIs that have the requisite infrastructure and teaching faculty can utilize this opportunity.
"Offering biannual admissions will not be mandatory for the HEIs. It is the flexibility that UGC provides to the HEIs which want to increase their student intake and offer new programmes in emerging areas. To be able to admit students twice a year, HEIs must make suitable amendments to their institutional regulations," he said.
Currently, universities and colleges admit students annually in July-August in the regular mode. Consequently, all HEIs in India follow an academic session that begins in July-August and ends in May-June.
Last year, the UGC allowed students to take admission in open and distance learning (ODL) and online modes biannually in January and July during an academic year.
Kumar noted that this decision had a significant impact, with nearly half a million students joining their degree programs without waiting for a full academic year.
"After the UGC permitted two-cycle admissions in a year for ODL and online modes, as per the information furnished by the HEIs on the UGC portal, a total of 19,73,056 students were enrolled in July 2022, and an additional 4,28,854 students joined in January 2023 in ODL and online programs," he said.
Kumar concluded by saying that biannual admissions could substantially increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio and make India a "Global Study Destination" as envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
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