TGCHE urges universities to go for academic reforms aligned with NEP 2020

The Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) held a meeting with Vice-Chancellors of universities in the State on Saturday to deliberate on key academic and policy matters concerning higher education, and urged them to strengthen academic standards and implement reforms in accordance with the National Education Policy 2020.

TGCHE chairman V. Balakista Reddy said such decision was in view of strengthening academic quality and enabling universities to derive greater benefits in accreditation and rankings systems such as the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), National Board of Accreditation (NBA), and the National Credit Framework (NCrF).

Implementing NEP 2020 is also expected to enhance institutional performance in national competitive grants, attract research funding, and strengthen the overall academic and research ecosystem of the universities, he said.

Accordingly, the agreed credit framework includes a minimum of 120 credits for a 3-year under-graduate degree, 160 credits for a 4-year under-graduate degree (honours/honours with research), and a minimum of 80 credits for post-graduate programmes.

It was also decided to constitute a committee comprising Vice-Chancellors to prepare comprehensive guidelines on credit structure, minor degrees, credit transfer policy, multidisciplinary programmes, and the implementation of the multiple entry–multiple exit system.

An official release from TGCHE stated that the Vice Chancellors unanimously resolved to implement the NEP-2020 framework for both under-graduate and post-graduate programmes from the academic year 2026–27.

The meeting also decided that Kakatiya University will conduct the Common Post Graduate Entrance Test (CPGET) for the academic year 2026–27. Universities will also coordinate with TGCHE in preparing a common academic almanac for under-graduate programmes and implement the Education Department’s Praja Palana – Pragathi Pranalika 99-day action plan at the university level.

The meeting was attended by TGCHE Vice Chairmen E. Purushotham and SK. Mahmood, Secretary Sriram Venkatesh; Vice Chancellors: Kumar Molugaram (Osmania University), Karnati Pratap Reddy (Kakatiya University), T. Yadagiri Rao (Telangana University), Khaja Altaf Hussain (Mahatma Gandhi University), G.N. Srinivas (Palamuru University), Umesh Kumar (Satavahana University), and Surya Dhananjay (Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University).