Pune: SPPU Releases Draft Framework For Fourth-Year Undergraduate Programmes Under NEP 2020
Pune, March 30, 2026: Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has issued draft guidelines outlining the implementation of the fourth year in undergraduate courses as part of the National Education Policy 2020.
The proposed framework details academic structure, eligibility requirements, and administrative procedures for colleges affiliated with the university. The move aligns with a Maharashtra government resolution dated April 20, 2023, under which the revised curriculum has already been introduced in phases beginning with autonomous institutions and university departments in the 2023 -24 academic year, followed by affiliated colleges from 2024–25.
According to the draft, the fourth year offering Honours and Honours with Research options is scheduled to be introduced from the 2026–27 academic year in autonomous colleges and from 2027-28 in affiliated institutions. The university has stated that this additional year will be academically equivalent to the first year of a postgraduate programme, reflecting a major structural change in undergraduate education.
To be eligible for admission into the fourth year, students must complete a three-year undergraduate degree with a minimum CGPA of 7.5, have no academic backlogs, and be registered on the Academic Bank of Credits-National Academic Depository (ABC-NAD) platform. Reservation policies will continue to follow state government norms.
SPPU has also indicated that colleges already offering postgraduate programmes in the same discipline may introduce the fourth-year Honours courses without undergoing additional approval processes.
The final version of the guidelines will be released after incorporating inputs from the Maharashtra State Academic and Research Council (MAHASARC) and any further directives issued by the state government.
