Dr. Ranoj Pegu unveils FYUGP 4th-year roadmap at Gauhati University

OUR BUREAU

GUWAHATI/AZARA: Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Assam’s Education Minister, on Friday released the Guidelines for Operationalisation of the 4th Year of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) for affiliated colleges under Gauhati University, along with the NEP Ready Reckoner 2026 and an FAQ booklet on the FYUGP fourth year. The release took place at the university campus in the presence of Vice Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta, representatives of the Assam College Principals’ Council, and other dignitaries.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Pegu congratulated the university on preparing the guidelines and emphasized the importance of addressing challenges through consultation and careful deliberation. He also reiterated the State government’s commitment to responding promptly to emerging issues in higher education.

The guidelines provide a roadmap for introducing the fourth year through two pathways—Honours and Honours with Research—in line with the vision of National Education Policy 2020. They allow all colleges offering Major programmes to introduce the fourth year, even without postgraduate programmes. Special relaxations for the 2026–27 academic session include admission to the Honours pathway for students with backlogs and simplified provisions for research supervision and infrastructure. Eligible students completing the fourth year will also be able to pursue direct PhD admission.

Dr. Pegu highlighted broader higher education reforms, including the rationalisation of outdated academic programmes, the introduction of industry-designed courses, and plans to regulate self-financed courses to ensure quality and sustainable faculty salaries.

In his inaugural address, Prof. Mahanta acknowledged operational challenges in implementing the fourth year but described them as an opportunity to strengthen the system. He noted that the NEP Ready Reckoner was designed in a pictorial format to help students, faculty, and principals better understand the academic journey under the new framework. He added that stakeholder feedback would continue to be incorporated into the documents.

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