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EXAMINATION EVALUATION

CREDIT BASED SYSTEM (CBS)

PREAMBLE

Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) (Formerly known as Punjab Technical University), Jalandhar was established in the Year 1997 under the Punjab Technical University Act, 1996 (Punjab Act No. 1 of 1997) to enhance technical education and development in the State of Punjab and for related issues. The University is aware of the urgent need to move towards Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) Grading system as per guide lines of UGC. The university has already implemented Credit Based System from the Academic session- 2015-16 and is committed to implement CBCS in future.

WHY CHOICE BASED CREDIT SYSTEM

The Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) enables a student to obtain a degree by accumulating required number of credits prescribed for that degree. The student also has a choice in selecting courses out of those offered by various departments. The grade points earned for each course reflects the student’s proficiency in a particular course. The CBCS enables the students to earn credits across departments and provides flexibility in the duration to complete a study program. The CBCS facilitates transfer of credits earned in different Departments/Centers of other recognized / accredited universities or institutions of higher education in India and abroad.

APPLICABILITY OF CHOICE BASED CREDIT SYSTEM

The Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) shall apply to all Under Graduate/Post Graduate Courses of PTU’s Campus, Autonomous Institutions and affiliated Colleges/institutions. Under CBCS the requirement for awarding a degree is prescribed in terms of number of credits and students are given choices from the pool of elective courses.

DEFINITIONS OF KEY WORDS

 Hon’ able Vice Chancellor (VC): Means the Hon’ able Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.

 Dean (Academics): Means the Dean (Academics) of the Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.

 Academic Year: Two consecutive (one odd + one even) semesters constitute one academic year.

 Credit Based System (CBS): The CBS provides choice for students to select from the prescribed courses (core, elective and inter-disciplinary courses).

 Program/Discipline: An educational program/discipline leading to award of a Degree/Diploma/Certificate.

 Course: Usually referred to, as ‘subject’ is a component of a program/discipline. All courses need not carry the same weightage. The courses should define learning objectives and learning outcomes. A course may be designed comprising lectures/tutorials/laboratory work, Field work, Outreach activities/ project work, Vocational training/viva/ seminars/ term papers/assignments/ presentations/ self-study etc. or a combination of some of these.

 Credit: A unit by which the course work is measured. It determines the number of hours of instructions required per week. One credit is equivalent to one hour of teaching (Lecture or Tutorial) or two hours of practical work field work per week.

 Credit Point: It is the product of grade point and number of credits for a course.

 Credit Based Semester System (CBSS): Under the CBSS, the requirement for awarding a degree/diploma/certificate is prescribed in terms of number of credits to be completed by the students.

 Grade Point: It is a numerical weightage allotted to each letter grade on an IO-point scale.

 Letter Grade: It is an index of the performance of students in a said course. Grades are denoted by letters O, A+, A, B+, B, C, P, and F.

 Semester: Each semester consists of 15-18 weeks of academic work equivalent to 90 actual teaching days. The odd semester may be scheduled from July to December and even semester from January to June.

 Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA): It is a measure of performance of work done in a semester. It is the ratio of total credit points secured by a student in various courses registered in a semester and the total course credits taken during that semester. It shall be expressed up to two decimal places.

 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): It is a measure of overall semester cumulative performance of a student. The CGPA is the ratio of total credit points secured by a student in various courses in all semesters and the sum of the total credits of all courses in all the semesters. It is expressed up to two decimal places.

 Grade Card or Certificate: Based on the grades earned, a grade certificate is issued to all the registered students after every semester. The grade certificate displays the course details (code, title, number of credits, grade secured) along with SGPA of that semester and CGPA earned till that semester.

 End Semester Examination: The examination conducted by the University at the end of the semester.

 Internal Evaluation: The Midterm Session Tests (MST) quiz/ group discussion/ class discussion/ attendance/ seminars / projects/ case studies etc. comprise the internal evaluation.

 Degree: An award conferred by university signifying that the student has satisfactorily completed a program/discipline of study.

COURSE STRUCTURE/ PATTERN

The Under Graduate/ Post Graduate degree courses consists of three major components i.e., Core Courses, Elective Courses and Inter Departmental Courses.

 Core courses: These are offered by the parent department and are totally related to major/discipline course. The core courses also include subjects related to Basic Sciences and Humanity. The components like Practical’s, Projects, Group Discussions, Viva, Field Visits etc. are part of the core course. The credits for Basic Sciences/Humanity and Core courses will be 10%-20% and 55%-75% of the total credits of a program/discipline respectively.

 Elective courses: These are also offered by the parent department. These courses provide choice and flexibility within the department. The student can choose his/her elective paper. Elective is related to the major course. The difference between core course and elective course is that the core course is a regular course as the part of the curriculum whereas in elective course, there is choice for the student. The credits for Elective course will be 10%-15% of the total credits of a program/discipline.

 Inter Disciplinary Elective courses: The department is at liberty to offer three to four Inter Disciplinary Elective courses and these courses are called as interdepartmental courses. These courses are offered by a department for the students belonging to other departments. The objective is to provide mobility and flexibility outside the parent department. These courses are introduced to make every course multi and inter-disciplinary in nature. These are to be chosen from a list of courses offered by various departments. The credits for Inter Departmental Courses are 5%-10% of the total credits of a program/discipline.