Kerala’s Higher Education Minister, R. Bindu, recently addressed growing concerns regarding the job eligibility of students who opt to complete the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) after just three years.
During a session in the Kerala Assembly on Monday, September 29, 2025, Dr. Bindu explicitly stated that these three-year degrees would hold the same validity as traditional degrees. This crucial clarification confirms their acceptance for various applications, including competitive examinations conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), as well as admissions to professional courses like Bachelor of Education (BEd) and Bachelor of Laws (LLB). She further elaborated that students successfully completing three years and accumulating 133 credits will indeed be granted a valid degree.
The Minister’s announcement came in response to queries from MLA K.T. Jaleel, who highlighted the widespread uncertainty among students and parents regarding the recognition of these three-year degrees for crucial competitive exams.
Dr. Bindu assured the legislative body that any necessary adjustments to policies concerning eligibility for PSC and other examinations would be addressed promptly. She noted that the first batch of the FYUGP is currently only in its second year, implying there is ample time for such policy fine-tuning.
Furthermore, the Minister highlighted the successful implementation of a unified academic calendar across all State-run universities. This initiative, she explained, has significantly streamlined academic and extracurricular schedules throughout Kerala’s educational institutions. She proudly stated that ‘there has been no compromise in the timely conduct of examinations or the publishing of results. In fact, the universities have been releasing results at a record pace during the last two years,’ reinforcing the stability and efficiency of the new system.