Hyderabad: The proposal from the University Grants Committee (UGC) aims to reduce the credit requirements for English in undergraduate programs from 20 to 12, which has sparked strong opposition from the University of Ottomania and its affiliated colleges.
A proposed deletion of English teaching for the second and third years of undergraduate courses was discussed at an emergency meeting held at the Department of English at the College of Arts of Ottomania. The move is part of an effort to reorganize the UG courses under UGC’s new credit framework.
Faculty and staff from affiliated colleges expressed a consistent concern about the potential academic and career impact this change could have on students. Many warn that this reduction will weaken students’ command of English, a key skill in corporate and academic settings.
A. Elizabeth Paul, head of English at Pragati Mahavidyalaya, said: “The proposal will severely limit students’ language skills. In today’s globalized world, even local markets operate in a global way. Efforts have been made to introduce English to better provide a competitive environment for the competitive environment. Cutting English guidance is the wrong direction.”
She further added that students planning to receive higher education abroad would be at a disadvantage. “Foreign universities usually require 20 or more English credits. If this proposal is implemented, our students will have difficulty meeting these benchmarks,” she explained.
The meeting was chaired by Professor B. Vijaya, Director of the Department of English at OU. She assured the gathering that academic decisions will be made to keep the best interests of the students in mind and that the university will communicate its final position by the end of this month. Most participants at the meeting strongly opposed the proposed reduction, and British faculty rejected the move.
