Starting next semester, students pursuing four-year undergraduate courses will have the option to study two additional subjects of their choice at another college. This new system will be available across government, self-financed, and aided colleges. An order detailing the fees and criteria for this facility will be issued soon.
The initiative aims to allow students to take minor and major subjects not offered at their primary institution. These courses will incur a separate fee, and exams must be taken at the college where the course is conducted.
To accommodate this change, colleges will adjust their course offerings to maintain faculty workload. Additionally, subjects that are challenging to offer in-person will be available online. Universities will soon provide a list of quality online courses from central government bodies, UGC, MHRD, IITs, and international institutions. The government has instructed universities to recognize credits earned from these online courses.
This flexibility comes as a response to attempts by some colleges to restrict the range of subjects available to students. Previously, students had to choose from a set list of subjects, such as mandatory physics and mathematics alongside chemistry. Now, students can select more tailored combinations like physics-electronics or literature-music.
The first-semester exams for the new four-year degree program will take place from November 2 to 22, with results published by December 22, according to the Uniform Academic Calendar. Additionally, if classes are missed due to adverse weather or natural calamities, they can be rescheduled to the following Saturday to ensure academic continuity.
Dr. K. S. Anilkumar, Registrar of the University of Kerala, emphasized, “Facilitation will be provided to choose courses according to the taste of the children. A subject or two can be studied elsewhere.”
