The Union Ministry of Education has confirmed that 200 more central and state universities will switch to the 4-year undergraduate degree programme under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 framework from the 2026-27 academic session, bringing the total to 650 universities nationally.
Under the NEP framework, the 4-year UG degree allows students to exit at multiple points — after 1 year (Certificate), 2 years (Diploma), 3 years (Bachelor’s Degree), or 4 years (Bachelor’s with Honours/Research). This flexibility is designed to reduce dropout rates and improve employment outcomes.
Jammu University has already rolled out the NEP-compliant curriculum from 2025-26. JU students can now earn an Honours degree in 4 years with a research project in the final year. The university has also launched a credit transfer system compatible with other NEP-compliant universities.
The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) portal at abc.gov.in allows students to store their academic credits and transfer them to another university if they choose to change institutions midway. Over 80 lakh students have already registered on the ABC portal.
The ministry has set a target of full NEP implementation across all 1,000+ universities in India by 2030. Annual reviews will be conducted to assess implementation progress and address challenges reported by institutions.
