Admission in universities on half-yearly basis

Reference

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), Indian universities and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) will now be allowed to give admissions biannual on the basis of foreign universities.

Twice a year admission cycle in universities

• From the academic session 2024-25, there will be two admission cycles in universities and higher education institutions – 'July-August' and 'January-February'.
• However, it will not be mandatory for universities to conduct admissions twice a year. HEIs that have the required infrastructure and teaching faculty can do so.

The benefits of this decision

• Twice a year admissions will help HEIs plan the distribution of their resources, such as faculty, laboratories, classrooms and support services more efficiently, resulting in better functional flow within the university.
• Twice a year admissions by Indian universities will benefit students who missed university admissions in the July-August session due to delay in declaration of board exam results, health issues or personal reasons.
• With this arrangement, if students miss admission in the current cycle then they will not have to wait for the whole year for admission and their academic session (time) will be saved from being wasted.
• Under this admission system, employer providing industry sectors can also undertake campus recruitment twice a year, which will improve the employment opportunities for the graduates.

In line with global educational standards

• Universities across the world are already following the twice a year admission system.
• If Indian Higher Education Institutions adopt half-yearly admission cycle, Indian Higher Education Institutions can increase their international collaborations and student exchanges.
• This will improve India's global competitiveness and bring us at par with global educational standards.

Related improvements needed

• If higher education institutions adopt the half-yearly admission system, they need to work on better planning for administrative challenges, better utilisation of available resources and providing a seamless support system for smooth transition of students admitted at different times of the year.
• Higher education institutions can maximize the value of biennial entry only if they adequately prepare faculty, staff, and students for the transition.
• HEIs will have to make suitable amendments to their institutional regulations to be able to admit students twice a year.