NEP have to wait for 2 more years in Telangana

Hyderabad: Lakhs of undergraduate and postgraduate students, studying in colleges affiliated to the State universities, will have to wait, for one to two more years, to avail the exit and entry option provided for them under the New Education Policy-2020. The Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) sources said the preparation of a report on the modalities of implementing the NEP has been given to the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS).

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior TSCHE official said, "there is no clarity yet from the Centre itself on how to go about it. It is a policy decision taken at country level. Everyone is waiting for some clarify on its implementation from the Centre."

Another aspect of delay in implementation is the student-centric NEP needed mopping up additional resources to add new facilities. "Whether the Centre provides funding or the States will have to bear the entire burden is not clear," the sources added. However, some Central, national universities and deemed to be universities and private varsities have already rolled out the exit and reentry system.

Accordingly, a student enrolled in a three or four-year honors undergraduate course can take a break after a year of study using the existing option under NEP. They can get a certificate or a diploma-level completion certificate for the period studied. They can take the re-entry route to complete the remaining course to earn a degree.

Meanwhile, said the sources in the Telangana State Technical Education Department (TSTED)the majority of engineering and management institutions are not interested in implementing the exit and re-entry option. The reason---a student who joins a four-year B Tech programme can opt for an exit option after one or two years of study. This makes the college lose fee of the student for remaining period of study. Secondly, the NEP allows credit transfers from one institution to another, one university to another. A student is free to choose another college other than which he studied earlier. To complete the remaining years of study to earn his undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, he added.

In turn, implementing the exit and re-entry option under NEP. will have a direct impact on the economic viability of running the institutions.

Against the backdrop of all these intricate issues, the CESS is asked to study and come up with a report on implementing NEP in Telangana. It will be discussed before sending it to the government.

Education Minister Sabita Indra Reddy said a vice-chancellors' meeting will be called to discuss NEP implementation, and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will take a final call.