UGC Good News: Now Two Old Degrees Can Be Counted!

Have you ever heard of people studying for two degrees at the same time? Like, getting a Bachelor's in History and another one in English, all at once? Well, the University Grants Commission (UGC), which is like the big boss for all universities in India, made a rule a while ago saying you could do that.

But what about people who did this before the rule came out? Until now, their second degree might not have been fully recognized. But guess what? That's changed!

The Big Change!

On June 5, 2025, the UGC said something very good. They had a meeting on April 3, 2025, and decided to change one small part of their old rule (it's called Point No. 5).

What Was the Old Rule?

Before this change, if you studied for two degrees at the same time before the UGC made its official rule, they wouldn't really count as two degrees. It was a bit sad for those students.

What's the New, Happier Rule?

Now, the UGC says that if you studied for two degrees at the same time before their rule came out, it's okay! They will count both your degrees, but only if a few things are true:

• You followed the rules for normal degrees (like a Bachelor's or Master's).
• You followed the rules of your university.
• You followed any special rules from other big groups that oversee certain jobs (like doctors or engineers), and also rules from the Distance Education Bureau (for online or distance learning), if those applied to your studies.

Why is This Great for Students?

This is super helpful for many students! If you worked hard to get two degrees at the same time before this new rule, you can now be happy because both your hard-earned degrees can be officially recognized. It means your efforts won't go to waste just because of when you studied.

What Do Universities Need to Do?

The UGC has told all universities and colleges to make sure they follow this new rule. This way, all students can benefit from this happy change.

Professor Manish R. Joshi, who is the Secretary of the UGC, signed this important notice. He wants to make sure that students are not left out just because of when they did their studies.

The Commission in its 589th meeting held on 3rd April 2025 has approved a partial modification of
the UGC Guidelines for Pursuing Two Academic Programmes Simultaneously. The details of the
same are as follows:  Read PDF