Pondicherry University began the process of implementing the National Education Policy in courses run on its campus and at all affiliated colleges from the current academic year. Announcing the decision at a press conference here, Vice-Chancellor Gurmeet Singh stated one of the key features of the NEP was the multiple entry and exit options accessible to undergraduate students. The students are permitted to get a certificate if they wish to exit the course after one year. Students who drop out midway could re-enter the academic stream after some time at any university or college of his/her liking or convenience. The NEP allows students to create an account in the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) portal, he said.

The ABC, he said, would act as a storehouse of information on course details and grades of students. A student who wishes to get back to education after a break could carry forward his/her credit while joining the university or college. Several institutes are connected to the portal, and the student will have the option of doing a different course during the mid-entry. The Pondicherry University and affiliated colleges have started the process to create the ABC portal, he added. “The policy recognizes the importance of holistic development to foster the cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical skills of students. It promotes a multidisciplinary approach that encourages students to explore various subjects. The NEP lays the right kind of emphasis on the mother tongue. It does not impose any language, and there is complete freedom to the student to choose the language,” he added.

On the criticism that the NEP was an attempt to impose Hindi, the Vice-Chancellor said, “It is not at all true. The NEP gives maximum importance to the mother tongue. The policy gives students the option to learn more than one language. The Tamil language is the oldest and richest, and we should promote the language. The students should encash the opportunity. There is no scope for any hatred towards any language,” he said. Mr. Singh said the new policy integrates vocational education with general education, integration of skills across disciplines, helps technology-enabled learning, entrepreneurship, continuous evaluation, development of skills in regional languages and experimental learning through internship and apprenticeship.

Asked about the demand for the implementation of 25% reservation for local students at Pondicherry University, the Vice-Chancellor said the quota system was followed in admission to several courses. Even in courses wherein the reservation policy was not implemented, the representation of local students was 35% to 40 %, he said. “So there is no need to restrict the quota to 25%. Anyway, we have taken up with the Ministry the demand for reservations for local students. The Ministry is considering it,” he said.