Patna: Students in Bihar’s higher education institutions are expected to benefit from the introduction of more than seven new professional and vocational courses that are being developed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.
The courses are being prepared by a committee of experts under the direction of Governor and Chancellor Syed Ata Hasnain. The initiative seeks to expand skill-oriented education while ensuring uniformity in course delivery across universities and colleges.
New Courses Under Development
The proposed programmes include Blended Master of Business Administration (BMBA), Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Digital Science and Business Management, Integrated Programme in Management (IPM), Data Science and Business Studies, and IT and Management Studies.
According to directions issued by the Governor, these courses will be introduced uniformly across state universities, constituent colleges and affiliated colleges. Standardised tuition fees will also be implemented for these programmes.
Focus On Infrastructure And Faculty
The Governor has directed universities to strengthen infrastructure required for the new vocational courses before their rollout.
Instructions have also been issued to engage qualified teachers and experienced professionals to support academic activities. Officials said the curriculum is being designed to align with the objectives of NEP 2020 and to equip students with industry-relevant skills.
The proposed programmes will include internship opportunities as part of the curriculum, providing students with practical exposure alongside classroom learning.
Course Committees To Be Formed
To facilitate the implementation of the new programmes, the Governor’s Secretariat has directed Vice-Chancellors to constitute dedicated course committees in every university.
These committees will oversee the conduct of vocational courses and ensure uniform academic standards across institutions.
Universities Covered
The initiative will be implemented across the following state universities:
- Patna University
- Magadh University
- Veer Kunwar Singh University
- Jai Prakash University
- B.R. Ambedkar Bihar University
- Bhupendra Narayan Mandal University
- Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University
- Lalit Narayan Mithila University
- Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University
- Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University
- Patliputra University
- Munger University
- Purnea University
- Nalanda Open University
- Aryabhatta Knowledge University
The move is expected to create a common framework for vocational education across Bihar’s higher education system while expanding access to emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and management studies.
