Poor response: Only 3% students opt for fourth year in UG prog under NEP

Indore: The fourth year of the four-year undergraduate programme introduced under the National Education Policy once again saw a limited response from students in the city. In its second year after rollout, only around 3% of third year students opted to continue into the fourth year.Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) figures show that nearly 1300 students took admission this session. The response was modest even in the first year of implementation, when around 2,950 students enrolled. The numbers indicate that the additional year is yet to gain wide acceptance among the student community.
For many students, the decision is closely linked to career timelines. Those planning to pursue professional courses such as MBA, BEd, BPEd, MPEd and LLB say the fourth year does not offer a clear advantage in terms of time. Admission to these programmes after the third year leads to a two-year course and completing the fourth year does not reduce that duration. As a result, several students prefer to move directly towards entrance preparation.A BCom student, Krati Rathore said, "I chose to skip the fourth year to focus on management entrance exams as it would not shorten my postgraduate studies."University officials maintain that the fourth year has a distinct academic purpose. It is structured as honours or honours with research and is meant for students interested in research and academia. Those who complete the fourth year and qualify the National Eligibility Test may become eligible for direct PhD admission, potentially saving a year.Commenting on the trend, DAVV professor Ashesh Tiwari said the fourth year is designed for serious research aspirants and that awareness about its long term academic benefits is still evolving. It is also beneficial for students who want to pursue PG abroad. Stream-wise data show that around 400 BA, 350 BCom and 300 BSc students enrolled this year.For now, most students appear to be choosing quicker professional routes, while the research focused pathway under the new structure continues to find limited takers.