Prayagraj: The Executive Council of the Allahabad University (AU) has decided to adopt four-year undergraduate degree programmes for BA, BSc, and B Com courses in line with the New Education Policy from 2025-26 academic session.

The decision, including other academic and administrative decisions, was taken in a meeting chaired by vice-chancellor Prof Sangita Srivastava on Thursday. The new structure already received approval from the Academic Council in its meeting held on Aug 26.

Emphasising on skill development, the VC informed the council that 192 short-term courses of 60 days have been launched as skill enhancement, ability enhancement, and value-added elective for undergraduate students. The EC also approved the conferment of the honorary Doctor of Letters degree (Honoris Causa) on renowned Indian folk singer Malini Awasthi to be presented on the AU Foundation Day on Sept 23.

The council also approved fresh recruitment in three departments and promotions in five departments under the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS). Recruitments will include assistant professor and professor positions in Family and Community Sciences, Commerce and Business Administration, and Early Childhood Care Center. In addition, 31 promotions were sanctioned in departments including English, Chemistry, Zoology, Commerce and Business Administration, and Electronics and Communication. Eight new appointments were approved.

The meeting also finalised the procedure for PhD admissions from 2025-26 academic session onwards. Instead of the earlier CRET-based admissions, candidates will now be admitted based on their UGC NET scores. The VC emphasised that this change would broaden the admission base, enabling students from across the country to secure entry into doctoral programmes easily.

The council was also informed about the appointment of three sports coaches in athletics, tennis, and football, all of whom have represented at the national level.

The VC further noted that the university’s admissions are increasingly pan-India and international in nature, with students from states such as Kerala, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan enrolling, alongside those from six countries including Kenya, Korea, Nepal, and Afghanistan.