Alarmed by a sharp rise in undergraduate failures, the University of Calcutta is considering a major academic overhaul, including the possible return of attendance-based marks and a restructuring of semester-wise syllabus load.
The move comes after worrying data revealed that only 219 students have cleared all major and minor papers in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics across 142 affiliated colleges. In contrast, the university has 817 postgraduate seats in these subjects, indicating that nearly 74% of seats could remain vacant.
Under the National Education Policy (NEP), students must pass all papers up to Semester VI to progress to Semester VII. However, the current failure rates suggest a bottleneck that could severely impact postgraduate enrolments by 2027.
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Key meeting to decide roadmap
Vice-Chancellor Ashutosh Ghosh is set to chair a crucial meeting with the Boards of Studies (BOS) heads on Monday to evaluate corrective measures. The agenda includes:
Reintroducing attendance marks in internal assessment
Redistributing academic load across semesters
Revising undergraduate syllabus structure
Teachers flag uneven academic pressure
Faculty members have highlighted structural issues under NEP. Arpita Bhattacharya of Lady Brabourne College noted that early semesters repeat higher secondary content, while later semesters are overloaded, leaving little room for comprehension.
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Physics teacher Partha Ghosh from Bangabasi College pointed out that identical syllabi for major and minor courses, coupled with multiple papers in a single semester, are overwhelming students. He suggested reducing the burden of IDC, CVAC, AEC, and SEC courses and distributing the core subject load more evenly.
Rumpa Das, Principal of Maheshtala College, observed that while Semester I is relatively light, pressure spikes in later semesters. Many students fail in minor subjects and gradually disengage from classes.
University weighs structural changes
Vice-Chancellor Ghosh said the university will assess whether syllabus revisions are necessary, examine reasons behind mass failures, and explore ways to improve attendance and learning outcomes. A final decision will follow a detailed review.
