The National Education Policy 2020 highlighted the significance of offering multidisciplinary courses in higher education. Hence, to implement the NEP, universities can design, develop and introduce multidisciplinary courses. Further, the NEP proposed technical courses in regional languages to build creativity and encourage innovation, especially among the rural youth.

At present, a few publicly funded technical institutions have started offering engineering courses at the graduate level in regional languages.

Further, a few edtech companies have partnered with public/ private universities to customise and offer multidisciplinary programmes for online degrees. However, the UGC has announced that students can pursue double-degree programmes, especially in arts and social sciences, to help equip themselves with industry-ready skill-sets while completing graduation.

Many standalone autonomous institutions do offer specialised higher educational programmes, especially in engineering and management. But such autonomous institutions can offer only diplomas and PG diploma/certificate programmes.

These institutions may not be able to offer multidisciplinary programmes; they are not authorised to offer degree programmes.

A new trend

Meanwhile, a few autonomous institutions became private universities independently, and a few through mergers and acquisitions with established private universities. A new trend of setting up private universities by corporate houses has emerged over the last decade. All these institutions can offer multidisciplinary, double-degree and online degree programmes.

In addition, cash-rich private universities can collaborate with foreign universities and offer double-degree programmes. This may result in the emergence of more private universities. Autonomous institutions, both in the public and private domains, will struggle as they do not have university status and cannot offer multidisciplinary and double-degree courses.

Public universities, though beset by severe faculty shortages, funding constraints and infrastructure issues, play a big role in offering single degree programmes. Double-degree and four-year UG programmes will be an additional burden on their resources and may dilute the quality of education.

At the same time, there exists a massive opportunity for private universities to create innovative double-degree, four-year UG and online degree programmes; these might be offered at a high price, though. So pursuing higher education could become costlier, as in the West. It may lead to students falling into a debt trap, too.

Many public universities in the country are known for their post-graduation programmes. A student who finishes a double-degree programme and four years of undergraduate studies may not be interested in pursuing a post-graduate programme.

Further, under the new UGC guidelines, after four years of under-graduation, a student can pursue a PhD programme. This may further lower students’ interest in pursuing PG programmes. To overcome this challenge, public universities must look to adopt Western educational practices and offer courses like one-year MS and MS research programmes.

Public and private universities must look to deliver industry-ready human capital. The government should provide the funding, faculty and infrastructure to public universities.

Otherwise, higher education will become unaffordable for the average person. Students belonging to the middle class may fall into the debt trap in the case of double-degree programmes. In the case of online degree programmes, edtech companies, in collaboration with private universities, may put in place pricing strategies and restrictions on access to educational content on e-commerce and OTT platforms.

Finally, students pursuing higher education must choose a degree programme that interests them and provides employment.

The writer is Assistant Professor, Program Head – PGDMBIF, Institute of Pubic Enterprise, Hyderabad

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