UGC Draft UG Curriculums: Key Features and States’ Objections Explained

UGC Draft Curriculum Latest News

• The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently released draft undergraduate curriculums for feedback. 
• However, Opposition-ruled states such as Karnataka and Kerala have raised objections. 
• Both states have formed expert panels to review the drafts before submitting their formal responses. 
• The UGC has invited comments nationwide, but these objections highlight federal concerns over curriculum design and its alignment with state priorities.

Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF)

• The Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) is an educational model designed to enhance higher education by focusing on outcomes — what students should know, understand, and achieve — rather than just content delivery. 
• It was developed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and similar bodies to promote quality, skill-based, and holistic learning.

Key Components

• Graduate Attributes: Broad qualities such as intellectual curiosity, problem-solving skills, ethical conduct, and adaptability expected after completing studies.
• Programme Outcomes: Defined learning outcomes for the entire degree program.
• Course Outcomes: Specific, measurable outcomes for individual courses, describing what students can do upon completion.

Goals of LOCF

• Shift in Focus – Moves away from passive memorisation to active construction and application of knowledge and skills.
• Student Empowerment – Encourages active learning where teachers act as facilitators rather than mere instructors.
• Skill Development – Builds critical 21st-century skills like analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving for a tech-driven world.
• Enhanced Employability – Equips students with industry-relevant knowledge and competencies, improving workforce readiness.
• Holistic Development – Promotes not only academic knowledge but also values, attitudes, ethics, and lifelong learning, ensuring all-round growth.

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Key Features of UGC’s Proposed Undergraduate Curriculum

• The UGC has released draft curriculum frameworks for nine subjects, including anthropology, chemistry, commerce, economics, geography, home science, mathematics, physical education, and political science. 
• Designed as Learning Outcomes-Based Curriculum Frameworks (LOCFs), they define the concepts and skills students should acquire. 
• Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the drafts envision flexible four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate programmes with multiple exit options. 
• They also integrate Indian Knowledge Systems into higher education. 
  • Mathematics electives include ‘Kala Ganana’ (timekeeping traditions) focusing on India’s lunar, solar, and lunisolar calendars.
  • Similarly, ‘Philosophy of Indian Mathematics’, introduces the study of Vedas, Vedangas, Puranas, and Darshanas as branches of learning. 
• These additions aim to blend traditional knowledge with modern education.

Integration of ‘Bharatiya’ Knowledge in Draft Curriculum

• The new UGC draft LOCFs place strong emphasis on incorporating Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into undergraduate courses. 
• For instance, the chemistry curriculum includes a unit on traditional Indian dietary practices from Ayurveda under “food chemistry”, recommending texts like Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing. 
• Similarly, the draft commerce curriculum introduces a course on Indian management principles, featuring lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Vedantic perspectives alongside modern concepts. 
• Earlier frameworks lacked such components. Officials clarified that while UGC had issued LOCFs for 38 subjects since 2019 under the choice-based credit system, the rollout of NEP 2020 has prompted a fresh framework. 
• According to NEP, a future Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will ultimately set outcome-based frameworks, though it is yet to be established.

Opposition from States over Draft Curriculum

• The draft UGC curriculum has drawn sharp criticism from opposition-ruled states. 
• Kerala’s Higher Education Minister labelled it “obsolete,” “unscientific,” and influenced by Hindutva ideology.
• Experts cited references like Ram Rajya in commerce (as part of CSR discussions) and the inclusion of V D Savarkar’s The Indian War of Independence as recommended reading in political science, alongside a separate elective on Savarkar. 
• Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister alleged that the framework aims to impose central government ideologies and objected to UGC’s interference in state curriculums. 
• However, UGC clarified that universities retain autonomy to adapt or redesign modules. 
• In fact, during earlier LOCF rollouts, universities, including the University of Kerala, had revised their courses in line with UGC guidance.

Source: IE | TH | LS