Universities set to facilitate major changes, college and inter-university transfers under FYUGP
Kerala's universities are set to implement a series of major reforms under the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) starting from the upcoming academic year.
The changes, aimed at enhancing flexibility and student mobility, were approved during a high-level meeting chaired by Higher Education Minister R. Bindu at Kerala University on Tuesday.
Attended by Vice-Chancellors, Registrars and senior education officials, the meeting also approved a unified academic calendar for implementation across universities.
Among the key reforms is the introduction of a standard operating procedure (SOP) for students to change their Major subjects and seek transfers before the third semester. Colleges will now be required to publish vacancy details, including up to 10% additional seats, if needed within the statutory limit, to accommodate such changes. Only subjects previously taken as a Minor or multidisciplinary course (MDC) in the first or second semester will be eligible for a programme change. A rank list, based on the weighted average of grade points earned in the relevant subject, will determine eligibility. Reservation norms will apply to any newly created seats.
To facilitate college transfers, universities will publish details of available seats and invite applications. The transfers will be finalised on the basis of rank lists. Students must submit a certificate from their current college principal, confirming they have not been involved in ragging or misconduct. The SOP will also apply to autonomous colleges. Students from such institutions will be allowed to transfer to non-autonomous colleges as well.
Inter-university transfers will be permitted for students who have successfully completed all courses in the first two semesters. Applications within Kerala will be reviewed and ranked before being forwarded to the respective colleges. Requests from students enrolled in universities outside the State will be examined by the relevant Board of Studies, or by the department council in cases involving university teaching departments. All applicants must submit a conduct certificate from their current institution.
According to Dr. Bindu, a faculty upskilling drive will be rolled out for all faculty. Master trainers will be appointed to conduct subject-wise workshops in all universities to ensure effective delivery of the new curriculum.
Universities have been directed to collect feedback from students and faculty on the current syllabus to enable course modifications.
The Minister added that the Kerala State Higher Education Council will launch an internship portal in collaboration with Keltron. The initiative is aimed at providing up to 1 lakh internship opportunities, including free, paid and stipend-supported internships.
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