By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 19: With a wave of anxiety building among students, teachers, and academic stakeholders as North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) prepares to roll out the fourth year of its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) under the National Education Policy 2020, the university has stepped forward to provide clarity.
On Tuesday, Prof. Ghanashyam Bez, Coordinator of the NEP Cell at NEHU, assured that the institution is taking concrete steps to ensure a smooth transition for the first batch of students entering the fourth year.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Tuesday, Prof. Bez confirmed that the university had laid the groundwork long ago by notifying the academic framework and curriculum structure for the FYUP through Ordinance OC-8 and Regulation RC-12 on September 14, 2023. However, he acknowledged that the detailed syllabi for the fourth year are still awaiting final approval from the Academic Council.
While syllabi for six schools were cleared in the last Academic Council meeting held in July 2025, those pertaining to the School Board of Economics, Management and Information Sciences and the School Board of Education are still pending. Prof. Bez expressed confidence that all syllabi would be notified within May.
NEHU has been proactive in addressing doubts. Consultations were held with principals of affiliated colleges on March 23, followed by an interaction with student representatives on May 5. The Director of the College Development Council has also reached out directly to colleges to clear implementation hurdles.
Explaining the structure of the fourth year, Prof. Bez said students will have two options — the regular Honours programme and Honours with Research. All students who complete the third year will be eligible for the Honours stream. However, entry into the Honours with Research programme will require at least 75 per cent aggregate marks up to the third year, along with the availability of sufficient PhD-qualified faculty members in the department.
He admitted that most affiliated colleges currently do not have the required number of qualified supervisors as per UGC norms. As a result, the Honours with Research stream cannot be offered in affiliated colleges for now. Nevertheless, students opting for the regular Honours route will retain full eligibility for higher studies, including PhD programmes, as per the prescribed criteria.
On the postgraduate front, Prof. Bez stated that students completing the four-year undergraduate degree will be eligible for the proposed one-year postgraduate programme, likely to begin from August 2027 once the university returns to normal functioning.
He openly acknowledged the administrative challenges currently facing NEHU, with the offices of the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar not functioning at full capacity.
Despite these hurdles, Prof. Bez emphasised the advantages of the new system, asserting that the FYUP offers students greater flexibility through multiple entry and exit options. After completing three years and earning 120 credits, students can either appear for CUET for a two-year postgraduate programme or continue into the fourth year. Those who complete the fourth year will have the opportunity to either pursue a PhD (in the research stream) or join the one-year PG programme.
Prof. Bez urged colleges to organise orientation programmes to help students better understand the NEP reforms, reminding them that the university had notified the necessary regulations more than two-and-a-half years ago.
