Vice-chancellors meeting at Gauhati University endorsed a policy to deliver at least 20% of every course through project-mode learning outside traditional lectures, a substantive step to embed experiential pedagogy and deepen student engagement in line with NEP 2020. The resolution promotes faculty as mentors guiding team projects, community research and capstones, supplemented by e-materials and digital collaboration tools to reach students across campuses. Delegates recommended paring down excessive course content to make space for problem-solving work, and urged creation of university cells to curate open resources, run faculty development and provide micro-grants for exemplary projects.

The plan includes forming a vice-chancellors’ peer group to share best practices and quick-start models for assessment rubrics that capture team contributions fairly. Advocates argue project-mode learning yields authentic assessment evidence—portfolios, employer feedback and demonstrable skills—and can strengthen regional employability if linked to industry mentors and seed funding. Technology is seen as an enabler, not a substitute: low-bandwidth modules, shared labs and collaborative platforms can make cross-institution projects feasible. Challenges include faculty workloads, equitable access to resources, and the need for accreditation frameworks that value experiential outcomes.

Universities plan phased pilots, employer partnerships and iterative evaluation to refine implementation and ensure project-mode complements disciplinary depth. If carefully resourced, the shift could produce practice-ready graduates and deepen research that addresses local problems while enhancing NAAC and NIRF indicators through measurable learning gains and innovation outputs.