Delhi University (DU) has announced a significant change in its promotion criteria for undergraduate courses. The new policy raises the passing percentage required for promotion from 50% to 63% across all undergraduate programs.
New Promotion Criteria:
- Minimum Percentage Required: Students must now secure a combined total of 63% in their first and second semester exams to qualify for promotion to the next academic year.
- Credit Requirement: Students must obtain a minimum of 28 credits, up from the previous requirement of 22 credits, to be promoted.
Exceptions and Exemptions:
- Students participating in sports, extracurricular activities, the National Cadet Corps (NCC), and the National Service Scheme (NSS) may be exempt from the new criteria, subject to approval from their respective college’s competent authority.
Reason for Change:
The adjustment is part of a broader effort to align DU’s policies with the National Education Policy (NEP) Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022. The previous rule allowed students to be promoted with just a 50% score, which sometimes resulted in a student moving to the next year with significantly lower marks due to unequal credit distribution across subjects.
Background:
- Previous Criteria: Under the old system, students needed to pass 50% of their exams and obtain a total of 22 credits across their first and second semesters to advance.
- Committee Recommendations: A 12-member committee, including principals from prominent DU colleges and academic officials, reviewed the criteria and highlighted discrepancies with the NEP-UGCF 2022. Their recommendations aimed to address these issues and ensure fair academic evaluation.
- Approval: The revised criteria were approved by DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on May 28, following the committee’s recommendations made during their meeting on May 7.
The new policy aims to enhance academic standards and ensure that students meet a higher threshold of academic performance before progressing to the next year.
