In a significant move, universities and other higher education institutions (HEI) in the country can admit students twice a year instead of the existing system of once annually.

The University Grant Commission (UGC), sole body regulating higher education institutes and universities across the country, approves biannual admission for students starting from next academic year. The aim of the move is to boost students’ enrollments and reduce wait time.

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With this decision of the UGC, admissions will now be open in January-February and July-August respectively every year providing more opportunities for students who miss the initial cycle due delays in board results, health issues or personal reasons.

“If Indian universities can offer admission twice a year, it will benefit many students. Such as those, who missed admissions to a university in the July/August session due to a delay in the announcement of board results, health issues or personal reasons. Biannual university admissions will help students maintain motivation since they do not have to wait one full year to be admitted if they miss admission in the current cycle,” Prof M Jagadesh Kumar, UGC chairman, told The Statesman on Tuesday.

“Biannual admissions will also enable the universities as well as the institutes to chalk out their resource distribution, such as faculty, labs, classrooms and support service, more efficiently, resulting in a better functional flow within the institute,” Prof Kumar said.

“Universities worldwide already follow a biannual admission system. If Indian HEIs adopt the biannual admission cycle, our HEIs can enhance their international collaborations and student exchanges. As a result, our global competitiveness will improve, and we will align with the global educational standards,” the UGC chairman said.

“Biannual admissions can substantially increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio and make India a ‘global study destination’ as envisaged in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020,” according to him.

Currently, UGC regulations allow the HEIs to admit students in one academic session in a year starting in July-August. An ‘academic session’ is of 12 months beginning in July-August.

The commission has already approved two-cycle admissions in a year for open and distance learning (ODL) and online modes. There has been tremendous response and interest from the students in ODL and online programmes in biannual admissions in 2023 and this has prompted the UGC to allow the HEIs to introduce the policy of students’ admissions twice a year in regular mode programmes from next academic session.