'Dual-use' learning

The University Grants Commission (UGC) proposal to allow undergraduate and postgraduate students to pursue two degrees simultaneously is a progressive step forward in the higher education universe. The broad proposal is to allow students to take up specialisations in two disciplines of their choice — for example, maths and history — in either full physical class mode, a hybrid of online and physical classes, or fully online. This is a practical suggestion for two reasons. First, this policy will help high-school students who are often unsure of whether to pursue the sciences or humanities stream in higher education. Indeed, the