Telangana mandates fieldwork for degree, PG students
HYDERABAD: Degree and postgraduate students in Telangana will have to complete mandatory fieldwork as part of their courses from the current academic year, under a new Experiential Learning policy being introduced by the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE). The initiative aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience by making students industry-ready before graduation.
Under the new framework, students must earn 15% to 20% of their total academic credits through fieldwork, projects and other experiential learning activities, in line with the National Education Policy guidelines. These credits will be recorded in the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and will be mandatory for the award of a degree or postgraduate qualification.
The policy offers 38 experiential learning pathways, including startup idea development, hackathons, community service, internships, field studies and project-based learning. The objective is to combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills and improve graduates’ employability.
Colleges to arrange industry and institutional partnerships
The experiential learning activities will be conducted without disrupting regular classroom teaching. Students will undertake field assignments during semester breaks and other designated periods.
Colleges will sign agreements with local industries, government offices, hospitals and non-governmental organisations to provide field exposure. Students will not be required to bear any additional expenses for these activities.
The new system will be implemented at the end of every semester in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Students who fail to complete the prescribed experiential learning credits will not be awarded their degrees.
Separately, four new postgraduate courses will be introduced during the first phase of the Common Post Graduate Entrance Test (CPGET) admissions. The Telangana Council of Higher Education has approved a total of eight new courses for introduction
