Try GOLD - Free
Fyup 2.0: Is Indian Education Prepared For It?
Careers 360
|September 2019
The 4-year undergraduate programme, which was aborted five years ago, appears to be making a comeback. Will it be a game-changer now? What are the pros and cons?
Two recommendations that came in recently are likely to bring about dramatic changes in India’s undergraduate education. The latest one by a University Grants Commission (UGC) Committee headed by Prof. P. Balaram, the former Chairman of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), proposes reintroduction of Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP). Earlier, the Draft National Education Policy (NEP) had also recommended the same with a slight difference.
These recommendations come five years after the same proposal was scrapped by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) after it ran into controversies regarding the manner in which it was introduced, limitation of electives, lack of infrastructure and faculty to teach, among others.
The argument in favour of FYUP is that it will improve the quality of research in colleges and universities and help Indian degrees get more international acceptance. “If properly implemented, the FYUP shall allow each student a chance to discover his true calling in life,” says Prof. Dinesh Singh, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Delhi.
“In addition, it shall then give the students a chance to develop their talent in a unique combination of knowledge and skills using transdisciplinarity and real world connections. In other words, deep and also practical knowledge,” he adds.
On the other hand, the NEP has recommended 3-year and 4-year courses to co-exist, with multiple exits and entry options. The Draft reads ”Students will graduate with a four-year Liberal Arts Science Education degree with Honours, or may graduate with a B.Sc, BA, B.Com or B.Voc after completing three years with a suitable completion of credits within their subject.”
Whatever be the pros and cons, the FYUP will mean a shift from the current 10+2+3 scheme to a new programme with multiple exit points and freedom to complete the programmes later.
What is FYUP?
This story is from the September 2019 edition of Careers 360.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Careers 360
Careers 360
'Exposure does not pay the rent'
Unpaid 'donkey work, lack of opportunities or guidance, quiet sexism tarnish the early careers of young lawyers - unless they have family connections
6 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
The mindset about Northeast is changing¹
Established in 2022, National Law University (NLU) Tripura is among the newest NLUs in the northeastern region of the country. Currently functioning from the Tripura Judicial Academy, the law college is expected to move to its permanent campus within a year. In a conversation with Pritha Roy Choudhury, VC Yogesh Pratap Singh shares his firsthand experience of building a new NLU, the challenges of setting up an institution in the Northeast, and the steps being taken to ensure academic quality, regional relevance, and student diversity. Edited excerpts:
4 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
'State support integral to keep education affordable'
Established in 2018, Dharmashastra National Law University (DNLU), Jabalpur, is one of the younger entrants in India's growing list of NLUs. As the institute navigates its transition from its temporary BSNL building to a sprawling 125-acre permanent campus, VC Manoj Kumar Sinha spoke with Musab Qazi, discussing the progress of the new campus, the university's unique success with its PhD and LLM programmes, and why he believes the government must continue to fund public institutions to prevent the burden of costs from falling on students. Edited excerpts:
5 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
Women still a minority in top NLUs
Despite most NLUs providing 30% reservation for women, they make less than half the roll-strength at most top-ranked ones. At some though, like NLU Delhi, gender ratio is improving
3 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
A helping hand for law students
Law Firm Ready, soon to be rechristened 'All for Law', is giving students in regional law schools NLU-grade professional skills, jobs and internships, and exposure to new fields
5 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
Why lawyers are embracing flexible PhDs
More lawyers and professionals are pursuing flexible doctoral programmes as universities expand part-time options, but fee disparity a concern
3 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
How legal education is adapting to Al era
Premier law schools, including NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Tripura, Jindal Global Law School and BITS have established AI centres to prepare students for tech-driven legal practice
5 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
100 Best Law Colleges for 2026
Careers360 has ranked the 100 top law colleges and rated over 232, listing them by zone and state
4 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
Environmental Law: Teaching land before litigation
National law universities in Odisha and Northeast are weaving tribal and forest rights into core curriculum, making them central to environmental law courses, not just electives
5 mins
January 2026
Careers 360
‘Decentralising power to restore trust’
OV Nandimath, the recently appointed vice-chancellor of West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), in a conversation with Pritha Roy Choudhury, reflects on steering the institution through a phase of transition and renewal. Having assumed office amid recent unrest, he speaks about restoring trust, decentralising governance, strengthening the university's finances, and addressing long-standing infrastructure challenges. Edited excerpts from the conversation:
4 mins
January 2026
Translate
Change font size