KTU decides to waive year-out system for UG programmes this year
The minimum credit requirement for promotion to the fifth and seventh semesters has been waived following representations from student organisations and affiliated colleges. The issue, which potentially affected several students under the 2019 regulations, had triggered protests recently.
Students were required to earn a minimum of 21 out of 38 credits from the first two semesters to be eligible for promotion to the fifth semester and 47 out of 82 credits from the first four semesters to advance to the seventh semester.
Numerous petitions
While these criteria had been temporarily suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, they were reinstated in the 2023-24 academic year. However, this year, the university received numerous petitions from stakeholders, citing the difficulties faced by a substantial number of students who remain ineligible for promotion due to credit shortfalls.
An analysis by the KTU's Academics Branch revealed that around 4,208 BTech students at present fell short of the required credits for seventh-semester registration. Besides, 6,428 students were ineligible for the fifth semester. These figures represent nearly 15% and 20% from the respective BTech batches.
Students unable to progress to the fifth semester would require to transition to the revised 2024 curriculum, leading to additional academic burden due to transitory course requirements.
Other students too
The university also found that students from other undergraduate programmes face similar risks of losing academic continuity due to unmet credit requirements.
The decision to waive the minimum credit requirement for promotion to the higher semesters will be subsequently reported at the upcoming meetings of the Academic Council and the Board of Governors.
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