Mumbai, April 7 The Maharashtra government has approved the implementation of four-year undergraduate programs, introducing honors and honors with research degrees from the 2026-27 academic year, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The decision aims to bring uniformity and ensure the effective implementation of the revised four-year undergraduate structure across all public universities, as well as affiliated and autonomous colleges in the state.
According to a government resolution (GR) issued on Monday, the four-year undergraduate program will be structured into eight semesters, offering two options after the completion of the third year: a standard honors degree and an honors degree with research.
Students opting for the honors degree will be required to complete 160-176 credits over four years, including an internship component in the final year, while those choosing the honors with research track will have to undertake a research project or dissertation, carrying 12 credits in their major subject.
The Higher and Technical Education Department, in the GR, stated that eligibility for admission to the fourth year of the honors program will require successful completion of 120-132 credits in the first three years.
For the honors with research program, students must also secure a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 7.5.
The intake capacity for the research track will be determined based on the availability of recognized PhD guides, with each guide allowed to supervise up to five students.
The GR mandates that all students register on the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) platform to facilitate credit transfer and enable multiple entry and exit options under the NEP framework.
It also allows lateral entry into the fourth year at other colleges or university departments, subject to eligibility, seat availability, and the state's reservation policy.
Colleges offering only three-year undergraduate programs will be required to obtain permission to start the fourth year. However, institutions already offering postgraduate courses in the same subject will be allowed to introduce the fourth-year honors program automatically, while those with recognized PhD centers can also start the honors with research program without additional approvals.
The evaluation system will be semester-based, combining continuous assessment and semester-end examinations, with universities given flexibility to decide the exact assessment pattern.
The GR further permits up to 40 per cent of courses in a semester to be offered through online platforms such as SWAYAM, in line with UGC regulations.
Linking undergraduate and postgraduate education, the government stated that the fourth year of the Honors program would be aligned with the first year of a two-year postgraduate course.
For engineering programs governed by AICTE, the fourth year will follow a separate framework allowing options such as a single major with a minor, a double minor, and honors degrees.
The government said that the implementation of these guidelines will be reviewed periodically through a steering committee to ensure smooth rollout across the state.
