4+1 format advantageous for students: Mamata on Bengal govt adopting Centre's higher education policy

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that her government decided to adopt the Centre’s four-year honours course policy at the undergraduate level starting this academic year so that the students from Bengal could compete at the national level.

While several teachers' bodies slammed the decision, a pro-Trinamool Congress professors' body said the state should not lag when the same 4+1 formula (four-year UG and one-year PG) is being rolled out in the rest of the country from this academic year.

Mamata said that her government had to follow the Centre’s policy because other states were starting to adopt it.

“Earlier, one could graduate in honours course in three years. However, in the new policy, those pursuing graduation in the ‘pass course’ will need three years to complete while those in the honours course will require four years as suggested by the UGC. There is an advantage. You will require only one year to complete your Masters degree. So the matter remains the same,” said Mamata in a programme felicitating the toppers of board examinations.

Sources in the state administration said the decision to follow the UGC’s suggestion was taken after holding dialogues with all stakeholders and on the recommendation of a state-appointed expert panel which had suggested rolling out a four-year undergraduate course from the 2023-24 academic year.

She was speaking at a programme to facilitate the toppers of the board examinations.

"If other states are accepting it and we do not, then our students will not be able to compete with them (at the national level). That is the reason we had to adapt to it," she said.

The West Bengal government on Wednesday announced the introduction of a four-year honours course at the undergraduate level in all government and state-aided higher educational institutions from this academic session.

It said that the decision was taken after holding talks with all stakeholders and on the recommendation of a state-appointed expert panel which had suggested rolling out a four-year UG course from the 2023-24 academic year.

It will replace the existing three-year course.

The key features of the National Education Policy, 2020, include a four-year honours course at the UG level in place of the existing three years and a one-year postgraduate course instead of two years, or 4+1 format in place of the erstwhile 3+2 format.

(With inputs from PTI)