Chennai: In an effort to reduce academic stress and encourage self-learning among students, Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education is considering reducing credit requirements for engineering, arts and science courses.
State varsities including University of Madras, Bharathidasan University and Bharathiar University have a minimum of 140 credit requirements for BA, BSc and BCom, while Anna University has 165 to 175 credit requirements for BE and BTech. As per UGC regulations, a student needs 120 credits to obtain a three-year arts and science degree, while AICTE mandates a minimum 160 credit requirement for a BE/BTech.
“By reducing credit requirements, academic stress and mandatory classrooms can be reduced. Students and faculty can focus more on core concepts, extracurricular activities, projects, and self-learning,” a Tansche official said. Fewer mandatory courses will ensure that an engineering student, who needs to spend more than 400 hours per semester in classrooms and labs, gets more opportunities for internships or other practical experiences, he added.
Tansche plans brainstorming sessions with universities. “By reducing number of credits, educational institutions might allow students to adjust their studies to better match current trends and job market demands, rather than sticking to rigid curricula,” an official said.
Many PG programmes have more minimum credits than prescribed by UGC or AICTE. Professors, however, say credit requirements need to be rationalised without compromising the quality of learning. “Emphasis on self-learning should not undermine importance of classroom learning, critical for foundational understanding of subjects,” an Anna University professor said.