CBCS won't suppress academic liberty: UGC

Amid a row over the roll out of the CBCS from the ensuing academic session, UGC today asserted the programme will not "suppress" the academic liberal environment of universities or lead to inter-college transfer of teachers.
It said the syllabi finalised will give leverage to the universities to modify the same to the extent of 30 per cent.
Futher, the elective subjects offered will only be from the subjects which are available in the universities, it said in a statement issued today.
A section of teachers in some universities including Delhi University had raised concerns over the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) arguing that the programme would infringe upon the autonomous status of the universities and is detrimental to the future of students.

Dismissing such contention, UGC said CBCS "will not suppress the academic liberal environment of the university as nothing contrary has been suggested in the template of the syllabi so designed by the experts".
"As such the teaching load of the teachers is not likely to increase beyond the norms stipulated by UGC. Also there will be no inter-institute/inter-college migration transfer of teachers," it said.

CBCS is already in vogue in numerous private universities and this is an endeavour of the government to bring State and Central universities on par with international standards so that the pass outs of these universities are not at any disadvantage in comparison to the private universities, it underlined.

The statement also reminded of the commitment given by vice chancellors of central universities in February this year to the Visitor to implement the same from the academic year 2015-16.
To ensure fairness in assessment and evaluation, UGC has also given template of procedures to be followed so that the standards of education are equally maintained.
Numerous communications have also been sent to the VCs of all universities for effective implementation of the system.
Eight workshops have been held all over India in which VCs of all Central, state and private universities participated, it said.