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Giving more breathing space to the universities in implementing the proposed Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) from the 2015-16 academic session, the University Grants Commission announced that universities can customize the model syllabi by 30 percentage depending upon their areas of specialization on Thursday. The UGC also clarified the concern of teachers saying there will be no inter-institute/ inter-college migration transfer of teachers. 

Initially UGC uploaded the model syllabi stating that 20 percentage leverage for modification is allowed. There has been growing protest from various teachers' groups including Delhi University Teachers' Association and students' groups as well. In fact, even the right-wing National Democratic Teachers' Front from DU has been questioning the feasibility of implementing the system. On the other hand there are many state universities who informed the ministry of human resource development about their preparedness. 

Concerns were also raised on the model syllabi and how it could dilute the strength of individual universities. Historians have been some of the loudest in their resistance to and criticism of CBCS and other higher education reforms with even Romila Thapar saying these will reduce India's universities to teaching shops and coaching centres. 

Giving 30 percentage leverage in modification of the syllabi, UGC said that this is not deviation from the earlier practice where inter-university migration requires a minimum 70 percentage equivalency as such implying that the syllabi all over India in undergraduate level are similar to the extent of 70 percentage. Under the CBCS system the elective subjects so offered will only be from the subjects which are available in the Universities/ Institutes. 

Jaspal S Sandhu, secretary, UGC, said that the commission in order to ensure fairness in assessment and evaluation has also given template of procedures to be followed so that the standards of education are equally maintained. Numerous communications have been sent to the vice-chancellors of all universities for effective implementation of the system. Eight workshops have been held all over India in which VCs of all central, state and private universities participated. The VCs of central universities, in the conference held in February 2015, have given their commitment to the Visitor to implement the same from the academic year 2015-16. 

Another major concern of the protesting teachers has been the prospect of inter-college/ institute transfers under the system, which the commission said will not happen. UGC also said that it will not suppress the academic liberal environment of the university as nothing contrary has been suggested in the template of the syllabi so designed by the experts.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/UGC-allows-universities-to-customize-syllabi/articleshow/47727033.cms