NEP 2020 Explained for Parents: What Changes at College in 2026
By Eduvy Editorial · 25 September 2026 · AI & Education
For a student joining college in 2026, NEP 2020 changes how a degree is counted. Marks become credits stored in a national account, a student can leave after any year with a qualification, and a fourth "honours" year can sit on top of the three-year degree. In Karnataka, though, state universities went back to three-year BA, BSc and BCom degrees from 2024-25, so what your child gets depends on which university awards the degree.
Below: the credit numbers from the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Karnataka position as of September 2026, a table of what each change means, and ten questions to ask a college before paying fees.
The terms, in plain words
- NEP 2020 (National Education Policy): approved by the Union Cabinet on 29 July 2020. Regulators and states turn it into rules.
- FYUGP (Four-Year Undergraduate Programme): the four-year honours degree, set out in the UGC's CCFUP (Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes), December 2022.
- ABC (Academic Bank of Credits): an online account that stores your child's credits.
- APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry): the 12-digit student ID the ABC account runs on.
- SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds): the government's online course platform.
- SEP (State Education Policy): Karnataka's own policy, being framed to replace NEP in the state.
The four-year degree and its exit points
Under the CCFUP, one credit of lectures means one hour of class a week for a semester of at least 15 weeks. Each semester carries at least 20 credits, so a year is about 40. Your child can stop after any year and still leave with something:
| Leave after | Credits needed | What your child gets | Extra condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 40 | UG Certificate | A 4-credit vocational course in the summer after year 1 |
| Year 2 | 80 | UG Diploma | A 4-credit vocational course in the summer after year 2 |
| Year 3 | 120 | Bachelor's degree | None |
| Year 4 | 160 | Bachelor's degree (Honours) | None |
| Year 4, research stream | 160, including 12 from a research project or dissertation | Bachelor's degree (Honours with Research) | 75% marks or above in the first six semesters |
A student who exits with a certificate or diploma may re-enter within three years, and must complete the degree within seven years in total.
Majors and minors. At least half the credits must come from the main subject (the "major"): 60 of 120, or 80 of 160. A minor can be small. In the UGC's example, an Economics student with at least 12 credits in Statistics graduates with a B.A. in Economics with a Minor in Statistics. A double major needs at least 40% of credits from the second subject: 48 of 120, or 64 of 160.
Worked example. Your daughter joins a four-year B.Sc. at a university running the full UGC structure, and the family needs her to stop after two years. With 80 credits plus a 4-credit summer vocational course, she leaves with a UG Diploma, and her 80 credits stay in her ABC account. If she returns within three years, she rejoins in the third year, and must finish within seven years of starting.
Academic Bank of Credits: where the credits are stored
The ABC was set up under UGC regulations notified on 28 July 2021. The college deposits the credits your child earns, and another registered institution can accept them if your child moves. The ABC portal says it "uses this APAAR ID to track and manage academic credits" and that a student without an APAAR ID cannot use ABC services, so the ABC ID and APAAR ID are the same number. Per the ABC's FAQ, credits are valid for up to seven years (or the period set for the discipline), and credits used for a certificate or degree cannot be used again.
What to do: create the APAAR ID on DigiLocker before or at admission and give the number to the college. After each semester's results, log in at abc.gov.in and check the credits have arrived. If they have not, raise it that term, not in final year.
Two degrees at once, and online courses that count
UGC guidelines of April 2022 allow two academic programmes at the same time:
- two full-time programmes in physical mode, if class timings do not overlap; or
- one full-time physical programme plus one in open and distance learning (ODL) or online mode; or
- up to two ODL or online programmes.
The ODL or online provider must be recognised by the UGC, a statutory council or the Government of India for that mode. Each university sets its own process, so ask before assuming.
Under the UGC's 2021 SWAYAM regulations, an institution may allow up to 40% of the courses offered in a programme in a semester to be taken as SWAYAM online courses, with the marks carried onto the marks card. SWAYAM semesters start in January and July, and the college decides which courses it accepts.
The newer UGC rules from 2025
The UGC's Minimum Standards of Instruction regulations for UG and PG degrees, published in the Gazette on 2 April 2025, add three things worth knowing:
- Two admission windows: institutions that are ready may admit in July/August and in January/February.
- Shorter PG after honours: a three-year graduate is eligible for a two-year PG programme; a four-year honours graduate for a one-year PG programme, where offered.
- Faster or slower degrees: a three-year degree can be finished up to one semester early and a four-year degree up to two semesters early, or either stretched by up to two semesters. The choice is made at the end of the first or second semester.
They also say institutions "shall provide multiple entry and exit options". Whether a state university has adopted this is a separate question, which is where Karnataka differs.
Karnataka: what applies to the 2026 batch
- August 2021: Karnataka declared itself the first state to implement NEP 2020. State universities began four-year degree programmes in 2021-22.
- August 2023: the new state government announced it would scrap NEP and frame its own policy. It set up the SEP commission in October 2023.
- 8 May 2024: Government Order No. ED 166 UNE 2023 told universities to revise degree curricula from 2024-25, following guidelines of the Karnataka State Higher Education Council and the SEP commission. Admissions from 2024-25 are to three-year degrees only. Students admitted in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 kept the option of a fourth year, at their own college or one named by the university.
- August 2025: the SEP commission's final report recommended a "3+2" model (three-year UG, two-year PG) for general education, "4+2" for professional courses, and short-term certificate and diploma programmes.
- May 2026: the state cabinet discussed the report and set up a cabinet sub-committee to review it.
What this means now. A student joining BA, BSc, BCom or BBA at a college affiliated to a state university such as Bangalore University, Bengaluru City University or Bengaluru North University should expect a three-year, six-semester degree under an SEP syllabus. Bengaluru City University's SEP B.Com regulation, for example, specifies three years of six semesters, completion within six academic years, and at least 142 credits to pass. As far as we could find, no order has restored a four-year honours option for students admitted from 2024-25.
Private and deemed-to-be universities set their own structures under UGC rules. Read the programme regulation to see whether it is three or four years.
Professional courses are different. Engineering, nursing and pharmacy follow their own regulators, namely the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the Indian Nursing Council (INC) and the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), and their affiliating universities, such as Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS). B.E./B.Tech, B.Sc Nursing and B.Pharm remain four-year degrees, and admission is still through KCET, COMEDK UGET or NEET UG.
Still open: the SEP recommendations are under review, so a future batch could see changes. Check the university's 2026-27 admission notification and keep a copy of the regulation your child is admitted under.
What changed, what it means, what to ask
| What changed | What it means for your child | What to do / ask the college |
|---|---|---|
| UG degree can be 3 or 4 years (UGC) | A fourth year adds Honours. At Karnataka state universities, 2024-25 and later admits get three years. | Ask whether the 2026 batch is on a 3-year or 4-year programme, in writing. |
| Exit after year 1 or 2 | Leaving early can still give a certificate (40 credits) or diploma (80 credits). | Ask whether the university actually issues these, and which vocational courses count. |
| Credits stored in ABC via APAAR ID | Credits can move with your child, valid for up to seven years. | Create the ID on DigiLocker; confirm the college uploads credits. |
| Majors and minors | A minor can be as small as 12 credits in the UGC example. | Ask which minors run this year and whether classes clash. |
| Two programmes at once | A regular degree plus an online or ODL degree is possible. | Ask whether the university permits it and what approval is needed. |
| SWAYAM credits, up to 40% of a semester's courses | Some courses can be done online and counted. | Ask which SWAYAM courses the college accepts. |
| One-year PG after Honours | 4 years UG + 1 year PG, or 3 + 2: both total five years. | Check whether target PG universities offer the one-year route. |
Ten questions to ask a college before paying fees
- Is this programme three or four years for the 2026 batch, and is it governed by UGC/NEP rules or Karnataka SEP? Can we see the regulation?
- If four years, is Honours with Research offered in this subject? The CCFUP requires such departments to have at least two permanent faculty recognised as PhD supervisors.
- If three years, is there any route to an honours year later, here or elsewhere?
- If my child leaves after year 1 or 2, what exactly is issued, and which summer vocational course is needed?
- Is the college registered on the Academic Bank of Credits, and when are credits uploaded?
- Do you need the APAAR/ABC ID at admission, and what if the Aadhaar name differs from the marks card?
- Which minors and multidisciplinary electives are actually running this year, and are seats limited?
- Which SWAYAM courses do you accept for credit, and who approves them?
- Does the university allow a second programme alongside this one, and is written permission needed?
- What will the degree certificate say ("Honours", "with a Minor in")? Can we see a sample?
Related reading: APAAR ID, ABC ID and DigiLocker: How to Create Them in 2026 · Autonomous vs Affiliated vs Deemed vs Private University
Frequently asked questions
Is the four-year degree compulsory under NEP?
No. The UGC framework awards a bachelor's degree at 120 credits after three years and honours at 160 credits after four. At Karnataka's state universities, students admitted from 2024-25 get a three-year degree.
Is a three-year Karnataka degree still valid for a master's?
Yes. Under the UGC's 2025 regulations, a three-year graduate (120 credits) is eligible for a two-year postgraduate programme. The one-year route is for four-year honours graduates.
Does my child need an ABC ID or an APAAR ID?
They are the same number. Without it, credits cannot be recorded in the Academic Bank of Credits, which matters if your child exits early, changes college or takes SWAYAM courses.
Does NEP change engineering or nursing admissions in Karnataka?
Not the way in. Seats are still filled through KCET, COMEDK UGET or NEET UG, and course structure follows AICTE, INC or PCI rules along with VTU or RGUHS.
If you are shortlisting now, sort colleges by affiliating university first, since that decides the three-year or four-year structure: see Bangalore University affiliated colleges, UGC-recognised colleges and VTU-affiliated colleges, then the 2026 admission guide. The Eduvy app lets you compare courses, year-wise fees and hostels and apply to several colleges from one profile.
Sources
- Union Cabinet approves NEP 2020, 29 July 2020 (pib.gov.in)
- UGC Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programmes: credits, exits, honours with research, majors and minors (ugc.gov.in)
- UGC Minimum Standards of Instruction UG and PG Regulations 2025: biannual admission, ADP/EDP, one-year PG (ugc.gov.in)
- ABC Regulations amendment, citing principal regulations of 28 July 2021 (ugc.gov.in)
- ABC and APAAR relationship (abc.gov.in)
- credit validity of up to seven years; credits cannot be reused (abc.gov.in)
- UGC guidelines, April 2022 (ugc.gov.in)
- UGC SWAYAM credit regulations 2021: 40% cap (ugc.gov.in)
- Karnataka NEP timeline and May 2024 decision (news.careers360.com)
- 8 May 2024 order; 2021-24 batches keep fourth-year option (educationpost.in)
- three-year admissions from 2024-25 in state universities (ardorcomm-media.com)
- Bengaluru City University SEP B.Com regulation citing GO ED 166 UNE 2023 (bcu.ac.in)
- SEP final report, August 2025 (news.careers360.com)
- cabinet sub-committee to review SEP report, May 2026 (telanganatoday.com)