According to University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar, around 200 universities across the country, encompassing public, private, central, and deemed institutions, have embraced the four-year undergraduate program in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Kumar made these remarks during a media interaction in Mumbai on Tuesday. He noted that some states have directed all their universities to initiate four-year undergraduate programs, indicating a trend towards its adoption nationwide.
During his visit to Mumbai for Mumbai University’s annual convocation on Wednesday, Kumar, serving as the chief guest, highlighted Maharashtra’s significant strides in effectively implementing the NEP across various domains. He commended the state’s initiative in establishing cluster universities and emphasized this point during his speech at the convocation.
UGC Chairman M Jagdish Kumar further emphasized Maharashtra’s commitment to implementing the National Education Policy, highlighting the state’s efforts in fostering small-scale ‘group universities’.
This year, over 1.51 lakh students graduated from Mumbai University, with approximately 53% of them being female. Despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic in the past two years, the university has consistently witnessed a higher number of female graduates compared to male counterparts. Additionally, the university awarded 24 medals to 21 students who demonstrated exceptional performance in various examinations, with 12 of them being female.
State Governor Ramesh Bais, presiding over the convocation, expressed his aspiration for the university to rank among the top 10 institutions nationally within the next decade. He also regarded the higher number of female graduates as a positive indicator.
