Twice as nice

reboot,which involves changing

administrative structures,giving greater autonomy to colleges and letting students combine courses across subjects. Now,the University Grants Commission UGC has finally approved dual degrees allowing a student to simultaneously work towards two undergraduate or postgraduate degrees,in different subjects,perhaps even from different institutions. This is a welcome step,but only what is minimally expected from the regulator.

Dual degrees double a students chances in the job market. Unlike the model Indian universities have chosen so far,expecting young people to confine themselves to a single subject,with perhaps a sprinkling of smaller electives,this is a chance to work towards two solid credentials. Some schools,like IITs,already offer combined technical degrees,but the UGCs move will let students stretch all the possibilities. It could let them choose one professional degree and one of purely intellectual inquiry. Combining subjects across streams,like law and politics,or engineering and urban planning,or communication and business,can open up new career avenues. This option also acknowledges the fact that creativity often occurs at the cusp of disciplines.

It is not enough to introduce dual degrees,though. Universities must also allow students to sample a range of subjects,understand connections between them,and then choose one or two precise areas of inquiry. There has been great pushback against such a transition in Delhi University,for instance. It has proved difficult to move an umbrella of colleges,with different standards,to a system where courses can be independently designed and recombined,or where credits can be transferred. Meaningful reform entails a reconsideration of all these issues,rather than just granting the easier options.