DU's 28-credit rule explained: Credits, promotion and 2025-26 exemption

Delhi University has exempted the 2025-26 undergraduate batch from the 28-credit promotion rule after one year of study. The one-time relaxation changes only the promotion benchmark and does not clear failed papers or pending academic requirements.A credit represents the academic value assigned to a particular course or learning component. (Photo by Qamar Sibtain/ India Today Group/ Getty Images)New Delhi,Oct 6, 2026 13:10 ISTDelhi University has relaxed its 28-credit promotion requirement for the 2025-26 undergraduate batch. Here is what DU credits mean, how students earn them, and what the one-time exemption means for promotion.Delhi University’s decision to exempt the 2025-26 undergraduate batch from the 28-credit promotion requirement has raised questions among students about how the university’s credit system works.What are these credits? How are they earned? And does the new exemption mean students can move to the next year without clearing all their papers?Here is everything students need to know. WHAT ARE CREDITS AT DELHI UNIVERSITY?Under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework (UGCF) 2022, Delhi University’s undergraduate programmes follow a credit-based system.A credit represents the academic value assigned to a particular course or learning component. Depending on the programme and semester, students take different types of courses, including Discipline-Specific Core (DSC), Generic Elective (GE), Ability Enhancement Course (AEC), Skill Enhancement Course (SEC) and Value Addition Course (VAC) papers.Under the relevant UGCF structure, students have 22 credits in each semester, adding up to 44 credits across the first year.Students earn these credits after successfully completing the relevant courses and meeting the applicable examination and assessment requirements.WHAT IS DU'S 28-CREDIT RULE?The 28-credit rule is linked to promotion to the next academic year.Under the earlier requirement, students had to earn at least 28 of the 44 first-year credits to be promoted to the second year.For example, a student earning 30 credits would cross the required threshold.A student earning 27 credits would fall short.The rule therefore set a minimum credit requirement for promotion. It did not mean students had to earn all 44 first-year credits before moving ahead.WHAT HAS DU CHANGED FOR THE 2025-26 BATCH?Delhi University has announced a one-time exemption from the 28-credit requirement for students admitted in the 2025-26 academic session.This means students from this batch will not be denied promotion solely because they have earned fewer than 28 credits after their first year.For instance, a student with 27 credits can now be promoted under the exemption, despite falling below the earlier threshold.WHAT DOES THE EXEMPTION MEAN?This is the key point students need to understand.The exemption applies to the promotion requirement. It does not automatically convert failed or incomplete papers into passed courses.Students will still have to meet the applicable academic and examination requirements for any outstanding courses.In simple terms, promotion does not necessarily mean that every first-year paper has been cleared.HOW DO DU STUDENTS EARN CREDITS?Students earn credits by successfully completing the courses prescribed for their programme and semester.This involves fulfilling the relevant academic requirements and clearing the applicable examinations or assessments.The exact combination of courses and credits varies across programmes. Students should therefore check their individual course structure and university result to determine how many credits they have earned.IS 28 CREDITS THE SAME AS PASSING THE FIRST YEAR?No.The 28-credit requirement was a minimum promotion benchmark, while the total first-year structure provides for 44 credits.A student could cross the 28-credit threshold without having completed all 44 available credits.Similarly, the new exemption does not mean students automatically receive the remaining credits.WHAT DOES THE 2025-26 EXEMPTION MEAN FOR STUDENTS?The decision gives the 2025-26 batch additional flexibility to progress to the next academic year.However, students should not assume that their outstanding academic requirements have been waived.The one-time relaxation changes the condition for promotion. It does not erase failed papers, award unearned credits or change the requirements for completing the undergraduate degree.DU 28-CREDIT RULE: KEY POINTS44 credits: Total credits available across the first year under the relevant UGCF structure.28 credits: Earlier minimum required for promotion after the first year.2025-26 batch: Exempted from the 28-credit promotion requirement as a one-time measure.Failed papers: Not automatically treated as passed.Outstanding credits: Still need to be completed as per applicable DU rules.For students, the simplest way to understand the change is this: DU has relaxed the condition for moving to the next academic year, not the requirement to complete their degree.- Ends