The Academic Council of North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) has officially finalized the syllabus for the fourth year of its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP). The crucial emergency meeting was chaired by Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sumarbin Umdor in the absence of Vice-Chancellor Prof. P.S. Shukla.
Addressing recent student anxieties, NEHUTA President Prof. Lakhon Kma firmly dismissed rumors that students would forfeit their three-year bachelor’s degree if they failed their final fourth-year papers. Under the National Education Policy (NEP), qualifications are progressive: students earn a certificate after one year, a diploma after two, and a degree after three. Kma emphasized that completing the third year secures a student’s right to a standard degree, which cannot be revoked if they opt out of or fail to complete the fourth year.
However, entry into the fourth year will not be automatic. Students scoring 75 percent and above can pursue “Honours with Research,” while those scoring below that threshold can enroll in the standard FYUP Honours track.
The transition highlights ongoing structural challenges at NEHU. Prof. Kma criticized Vice-Chancellor Shukla for rushing the FYUP implementation back in 2023 despite widespread opposition. He revealed that while the university is moving forward to streamline the system, NEHU is currently not ready with its one-year postgraduate framework. Consequently, when the first FYUP batch graduates in 2027, a one-year master’s option may not yet be viable, leaving students to choose between the traditional 3+2 year model or waiting for the new 4+1 system to fully mature.