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By:

Bhaskar Nath Biswal

13 May 2026 at 3:00:30 pm

The New PG Playbook

Last month, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a landmark circular that promises to transform the postgraduate education landscape in India. By allowing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) already approved for two-year Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online postgraduate (PG) programmes to offer a one-year version in the same discipline, the UGC operationalized a major vision outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. For students holding a four-year bachelor’s...

The New PG Playbook

Last month, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a landmark circular that promises to transform the postgraduate education landscape in India. By allowing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) already approved for two-year Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and Online postgraduate (PG) programmes to offer a one-year version in the same discipline, the UGC operationalized a major vision outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. For students holding a four-year bachelor’s degree with Honours, this creates a direct, accelerated one-year route to a master’s degree via online or distance modes. While framed around flexibility and student choice, this reform prompts a deeper question: how should 21st-century India balance depth, speed and access in higher education? Structural Safeguards This shift originates in NEP 2020’s framework of flexible entry and exit points, seamless credit mobility and international academic alignment. The policy established that a four-year undergraduate degree with research or Honours should be considered equivalent to the traditional three-year degree plus additional coursework for pursuing advanced studies. The UGC’s directive gives structural backing to this equivalence within the ODL and online sectors. Crucially, this is not an open permission. Institutions may only offer the one-year postgraduate option if they already maintain an approved two-year programme in that subject. Furthermore, the curriculum, credit system, assessment rigor and instructional material must strictly adhere to UGC guidelines and institutional approvals. Admission remains restricted to four-year Honours graduates, while professional degrees like the MBA or MCA must continue meeting their respective regulatory criteria. Thus, the framework acts as a targeted parallel track rather than a dilution of academic standards. The advantages of this policy shift are considerable, particularly in a developing economy where time and financial constraints often determine educational outcomes. First, reducing postgraduate duration directly lowers tuition costs and living expenses. For a working professional or student balancing household budgets, entering the job market or qualifying for doctoral research a year earlier makes a meaningful impact on career trajectories. Second, it brings Indian qualifications closer to global norms. One-year master’s degrees are standard across Europe, the United States, Australia and parts of Asia, and this change eliminates credit transfer hurdles for Indian graduates seeking global academic or employment opportunities. Third, it harnesses online and distance learning formats to expand opportunities across underserved regions where physical postgraduate seats are scarce and migration costs are prohibitive. Finally, it provides a tangible reward for students who opted for four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate degrees, reinforcing the incentive to pursue specialized academic depth early on. Operational Risks However, translating policy into practice introduces operational challenges. The primary concern revolves around quality assurance. Compressing a postgraduate curriculum into a single year, even with equivalent credit requirements demands intensive academic focus from both educators and learners. In distance and online learning, where independent study dominates, there is a distinct danger of turning advanced degrees into mere module-checking exercises. To prevent this, institutions must invest in rich digital resources, active mentorship and secure evaluation systems. A second obstacle involves public perception and institutional acceptance. Traditional employers, particularly within state agencies and conservative industries, long equate a two-year master's with comprehensive capability. Academic circles may similarly question whether a twelve-month framework provides sufficient time for specialized research and practical skill acquisition. While the UGC circular limits entry to four-year Honours graduates, communicating this distinction to recruiters and international universities requires active, transparent outreach to ensure the degree is viewed as accelerated rather than shortened. Finally, professional degrees governed by specialized bodies like the AICTE must carefully align internship and accreditation requirements so that graduates face no disadvantage during recruitment drives. Addressing these challenges requires building a supportive institutional ecosystem around the new model. Universities should publish detailed credit frameworks demonstrating how the accelerated curriculum corresponds to two-year standards, incorporating capstone projects or research modules to maintain analytical depth. Quality assurance bodies like NAAC and the UGC should make evaluation criteria for online programmes transparent, helping candidates make informed decisions. Simultaneously, recruitment regulations across public and private sectors must explicitly recognize a one-year postgraduate degree following a four-year undergraduate degree as fully equivalent to traditional qualifications. The UGC’s circular represents a vital step toward modernizing Indian postgraduate education. Executed with institutional discipline and rigorous oversight, it offers a powerful mechanism for social mobility, financial relief, and global integration. On the other hand, its superficial implementation may reduce high-level education to paper credentials. (The writer is a former college Principal and Founder of Supporting Shoulders, an Odisha-based non-profit Trust. Views personal.)

India working on logistics of Tahawwur Rana's extradition

  • PTI
  • Feb 14, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 18, 2025

Tahawwur Rana

Washington: India is working on the logistics of Tahawwur Rana's surrender and extradition from the US, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said, as President Donald Trump announced that his administration has given the go-ahead to extradite the 26/11 terror attack accused “to face justice".

“This is an issue on which the US authorities have taken very clear decisions. I think you've seen the President announce it himself from the White House podium" the decision of the US to extradite Rana, Misri said at a press conference here on Thursday.


During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House, US President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Tahawwur Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.


In response to a question by PTI on the timeframe by when Rana will be extradited to India, Misri said: "We are working on the logistics of his surrender and extradition to India. There are a few final steps to be completed. The two sides are in touch on this particular issue.”


The India-US joint statement issued during the Prime Minister's visit to the US notes that Modi and Trump reaffirmed that the global scourge of terrorism must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated from every corner of the world.

“They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba in order to prevent heinous acts like the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021," the joint statement said.


“Recognising a shared desire to bring to justice those who would harm our citizens, the US announced that the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved," it said.


The leaders further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks.

"The leaders also pledged to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors,” the joint statement added.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks.

Speaking at the joint press meet, Trump said "Today I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and very evil people of the world, and having to do with the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, to face justice in India. So, he is going back to India to face justice."


The extradition of Rana was cleared by the US Supreme Court in January as it rejected his review petition in the case.


India last month said it was working with American authorities for the early extradition of Rana.


"The US Supreme Court on January 21 declined to hear a petition from the accused. We are now working with the US side on procedural issues for early extradition to India of the accused in the Mumbai terror attack," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.


In November 2012, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman among the Pakistani group, was hanged to death in Yerawada Jail in Pune.

-PTI

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