Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Jan 12: In a move to bring equity, efficiency and excellence in the higher education system, the state government Saturday announced implementation of the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in all colleges and universities from the coming academic year.
“The CBCS system will help students have a chance to study a wide range of subjects of their choice,” said Durga Prasad Behera, additional secretary, higher education department. CBCS provides a ‘cafeteria’ – type approach in which students can take courses of their choice, learn at their own pace, take up additional courses, acquire more than the required credits, and adopt an interdisciplinary approach to learning.
In a recently held principals’ conference at Utkal University, it has been decided to implement CBCS in its constituent colleges to bring transparency in the education system and allow students choose the right courses they want to pursue.
According to the guidelines issued by University Grants Commission (UGC) for CBCS, a student will undergo three types of courses such as core, effective and foundation. The core course will be available in every semester and is compulsory whereas the effective course will give scope for choosing subjects from their own disciplines or any other of the students’ choice.
However, the foundation course will be of two kinds, such as compulsory and elective. Compulsory foundation courses will be the courses based on the content that leads to knowledge enhancement. They will be mandatory for all disciplines whereas elective foundation courses will be value-based and aim at personality-making education.
The CBCS system will further enhance the examination and assessment system by providing letter grades and grade points to students. It will also bring fairness in assessment by awarding students semester-wise Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA) and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA).
