Recently the University Grants Commission issues directives to Indian universities that require all universities to follow a Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). What do you understand by CBCS? Critically examine its merits and demerits. (200 Words)
Present pattern of higher education in India is rigid; as it does not offers enough flexibility for students to have a greater choice of courses appropriate to their interests, needs and long term goals. CBCS aims to make higher education more student-centric; aims to provide choice to students within an institution as well as “seamless mobility across institutions” in India and abroad by adopting a “cafeteria approach“.
Merits:
- Flexibility: students can take the responsibility of their own education; they can choose their courses as per their needs & aspirations.
- Holistic education: is encouraged as system has an interdisciplinary approach to learning.
- Mobility: CBCS brings uniform examination system throughout the country; making grades/credits portable allowing students to transfer from one university to another even midway through a course.
- Foreign universities: will become more familiar with our higher education; will be comfortable to enter India.
De-merits:
- Does not recognize the radical differences between “standard” in different colleges & universities.
- Uniform structure of syllabi for all universities; hamper institute’s autonomy.
- A uniform curriculum will ensure that research expertise of institute’s teacher will be overlooked; system may lead to uniform mediocrity.
It appears CBCS is being implemented in haste; instead proper consensus should be arrived at after discussions with all stakeholders; any new system should take into account expertise of individual institutes along with evolving uniformity in higher education.