SHILLONG, MAY 25: The All India Save Education Committee (AISEC), Meghalaya Chapter, has appealed to the Academic Council of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) to review the implementation of the fourth year at the undergraduate level, citing lack of clarity and inadequate preparedness in affiliated colleges.
In a statement issued by Convener Samborlang Dkhar on Monday, the committee said it “would like to appeal to the Academic Council of NEHU to take serious note of the implications of the implementation of the Fourth Year at the Under-Graduate level.”
The AISEC argued that ambiguity remains over how the fourth year under the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) would sync with a proposed one-year Post Graduation course.
“As the matter surrounding the synchronization of the fourth year at the under-graduate level and the one year Post Graduation lacks clarity, it is advisable in the interest of the student community to end with the third year at the under-graduate level and continue with two year post graduation,” the statement said.
The committee flagged infrastructure and faculty constraints in colleges.
“The introduction of the fourth year at the college level needs an up-gradation of the capacities of the colleges both in terms of faculty positions, infrastructure and library without which students will be the sacrificial lambs,” it said, adding, “NEHU should avoid making false promises to the students.”
AISEC also sought clarity on outcomes for students.
“NEHU should specify what additional benefits the students gain by doing the Fourth-Year under FYUP in the UG colleges and indicate the prospects of career and growth, so that the students and parents decide whether they need to go for the Fourth-Year Degree or not,” the statement stated.
The committee further cautioned against starting a one-year PG programme at NEHU without addressing existing gaps.
“It would be overwhelming on the PG departments in NEHU to start one-year PG immediately unless and until the vacant teaching positions are filled, CAS promotions are completed, and additional teachers are recruited in the departments where there are less than eight teachers,” it said.
“To run two streams of PG simultaneously, the University should enhance its infrastructure also. Given that there are hardly any reputed universities in the country which have been running two types of PG, NEHU should wait and watch before it takes the decision,” the AISEC added.
The Meghalaya Chapter of AISEC said it “expects the members of Academic Council to deliberate the pros and cons of the FYUP and ensure that the decisions they arrive at are beneficial to the UG students of NEHU.”
