Bhubaneswar, Aug. 16: The choice-based credit system continues to face opposition from several quarters even as the state universities have gone ahead with their decision to implement it.

The system, introduced by the UGC last year, provides students a choice to select from the prescribed courses. They can select a core, elective or minor or soft skill courses and obtain the required number of credits prescribed for the degree they are pursuing. It is based on semesters and entails awarding grades rather than marks.

The Utkal University that had implemented the system last year on an experimental basis has extended it to its 342 degree colleges this year, becoming the first state varsity to implement the programme.

Other universities, including the Ravenshaw and the Ramadevi, are also implementing the system.

However, many students and teachers feel that the system is being hastily pushed without adequate discussion. There is also an increasing concern that the new system will lead to an additional burden on the teaching faculty resulting in chaos.

"How many institutions have the resources to offer so many choices to the students? Almost all of them are plagued with issues of classroom and faculty shortage," said Sandeep Jena, a senior university faculty.

Piyush Sahu, a first-year student of Utkal University, said he tried reading about the system over and over again, but remained clueless. "I asked my classmates and teachers about it but did not receive convincing answers," said Sahu.

The higher education department, which had sought views from stakeholders on the new education policy, received suggestions requesting the withdrawal of the choice-based system.

Students under the banner of All India Democratic Students' Organisation recently organised a demonstration before the Assembly, seeking the scrapping of the system.

"We are against this cafetaria type of approach that promotes commercialisation of education in the name of interdisciplinary learning. The policy continues to be unclear and inconsistent. Neither the educators nor students have clarity about it," said organisation secretary Shibasis Praharaj.

Utkal University vice-chancellor Ashok Das said that under the UGC it was mandatory for all the colleges to shift to the new semester-based credit system if they needed the grants.

"We have been organising workshops and meetings to help the colleges shift to the new system. There will be difficulties in the beginning, but these will be sorted out gradually as students and teachers get used to the programme," he said.