Telangana: Students in two minds over new bucket system

Hyderabad: Will the new changes brought in offering different courses at the undergraduate level give any real choice to students to study what they like and interests them?

State universities and the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) claim that this time they have come up with a real Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) for students, which they rechristened as Bucket of Courses System (BCS).

According to TSCHE officials, the students would be given a choice to select their favourite subjects that are listed in the proposed subject buckets. Unlike earlier where the students were forced to study particular subjects in the courses offered in the degree colleges under BA, BSc and others, this time, with the help of bucket system, a student can select his choice of subjects offered in the subject buckets.

Students can even select a subject though it is not available in the college where he or she gets admission and can learn the same from an online source such as Swayam or the State's own virtual classroom being set up for the purpose.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior official from the Directorate of Collegiate Education said, "Under each degree course there will be four subject buckets where the students are allowed to take one subject each from four subject buckets."

The issue now concerns the students is that they cannot opt for two or more subjects from a single subject bucket. That is if a student intends to study mathematics, statistics, physics and computer applications, he has to choose the mandatory mathematics and statistics. He cannot choose physics and computer applications, if they both are placed in a single bucket. Either he has to choose physics or computer applications.

This arrangement by the TSCHE needs to be addressed immediately, feel many of the students as the present bucket system will not serve the intended purpose if various subjects are placed in one bucket and they are given a choice to select only one subject from the subject bucket.