Enabling provisions for a one-year postgraduate programme in ODL/online mode ought to be evaluated for consistently upholding the academic standards as prescribed for postgraduate qualification. A quicker and easier route to obtaining degrees will be of advantage only when the academic rigour and scholarship are not compromised.
As per AISHE statistics, Indian higher education has an enrolment of 3.5 crore at under graduate level and 57.9 lakhs at the postgraduate level. There are evidences of unemployable degree holders due to inadequate quality and a demand-supply gap. While access to higher education is a right of every citizen, the quality of education, integrity and worthiness of degrees, and academic qualifications are a shared responsibility of the regulatory framework and education providers together.
After around six years since NEP 2020 came into effect, the apex higher education regulator notified regulations enabling a one-year postgraduate programme under Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and/or online mode. Indisputably, there is a perennial demand for flexibility, affordability, and expanded access to formal qualifications, but access without quality assurance neither helps the individual nor society.
It should not be forgotten that every qualification derives value from the virtuousness, integrity, and credibility of the academic processes through which it is earned. The rationale behind enabling such a one-year programme deserves scrutiny before adoption, as there are already general concerns regarding the credibility and academic value of degrees from the employability and competency perspective.
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Despite the applicability of this one-year postgraduate programme through ODL/online provision being subject to certain conditions prescribed therein, the moot point to be seen is its effectiveness and the competency levels of beneficiaries acquiring such qualifications. Also, the regulator’s assertion that the higher education institutions (HEIs) must maintain the same academic standards while offering such programmes may be difficult to realize on the ground. Because the rigour level of teaching-learning-evaluation in classrooms with students present physically is difficult to replicate through technology-driven teaching-learning processes happening virtually.
The target to give greater flexibility to students to continue their higher education online without compromising on quality appears justified from the viewpoint of flexibility and ease of getting a postgraduate qualification only. There are pedagogical limitations in online learning as it can certainly transmit the course content, but the desired knowledge outcome depends upon the seriousness of the teacher-student interaction and mentoring, feedback, authentic evaluation, research indulgence, and experiential learning. In light of the higher expectations from a postgraduate, it is imperative to critically examine the quality aspects of the modalities of the programme pragmatically.
Further, as a degree certificate happens to be a public assurance of its holder possessing the prescribed level of knowledge, competence and intellectual capability, let us look at the graduate attributes prescribed by the UGC’s Curriculum and Credit Framework for Postgraduate Programmes – 2024 from a pedagogical standpoint. Graduate attributes call for a postgraduate to meet the following expectations.
- Have demonstrated knowledge and understanding that is founded upon and extends and/or enhances that typically associated with the first cycle, and that provides a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and/or applying ideas, often within a research context;
- Can apply their knowledge and understanding, and problem-solving abilities in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their field of study;
- Have the ability to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, and formulate judgments with incomplete or limited information, but that include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments;
- Can communicate their conclusions, and the knowledge and rationale underpinning these, to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously;
- Have the learning skills to allow them to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous.
Delving deep into the above shows that the postgraduate education does involve advanced knowledge integrated into the research context, which is difficult to achieve in the absence of iterative interaction and one-on-one discussion with the mentor(s). In view of the technology coming in between the learners and teachers, online education restricts interpersonal communication, free debates, and discussions with colleagues and teachers. At times, the opportunity for self-paced learning and independent learning in online education puts students in a precarious situation on account of the absence of peer learning, teacher supervision & support, and the digital divide.
Enabling provisions for a one-year postgraduate programme in ODL/online mode ought to be evaluated for consistently upholding the academic standards as prescribed for postgraduate qualification. A quicker and easier route to obtaining degrees will be of advantage only when the academic rigour and scholarship are not compromised.
Indisputably, the NEP 2020 has advocated for continuous learning, but a cue must be drawn from the quality of postgraduates passing out from HEIs nationwide and their commensurate productive engagement in the economy. The higher education framework should always expand opportunities while considering the on-ground limitations and without diluting academic standards. Because the erosion of the credibility of any degree programme will be primarily felt by the learners these programmes aim to empower and, ultimately, by the education system as a whole.
Under the prevailing circumstances, it is important to assess whether India faces a general shortage of master’s degree holders. Prima facie, the employment opportunities indicate that there is a severe shortage of competent, high-quality, and job-ready postgraduates and not merely master’s degree holders.
Therefore, it is imperative to have a comprehensive assessment of the country’s requirements of postgraduate degree holders and figure out discipline-wise capacity of postgraduate degree programmes across the HEIs. This will help in preventing credential inflation and assessing the need for such short-duration ODL/online postgraduate programmes and reorganizing higher education programmes for effective human resource planning by aligning them with contemporary workforce requirements.
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