Fourteen public universities across Gujarat have agreed to allow Class 12 science students to switch to general stream undergraduate programmes, a decision finalised at a Vice-Chancellors' meeting that takes effect from the 2026 academic year.

The move addresses a long-standing problem of varied eligibility criteria that blocked the science-to-general stream switch for students wishing to pivot to Commerce or Arts after Class 12.

Of the 16 public universities in the state, two will not be part of the change: Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU), a distance learning institution, and MS University, Vadodara (MSU), which already admits students through entrance tests across all courses.

"While switching from science to general stream courses was accepted by some public universities, others did not have any such policy. Even among those who admitted students in under-graduate courses allowing science to general stream UG courses, admission process and criteria differed. This year, efforts were underway to break this pattern and bring in uniformity and 14 universities and bring them to a uniform pattern of allowing science to general stream UG courses," said an official in the Gujarat education department.

Universities will choose between two models. Under bridge course integration, students complete a bridge course in the first semester to align with the new curriculum. Under entrance-based admission, universities may grant admission based on entrance examination scores, bypassing stream-specific prerequisites for switching students.

"This is a 'student-first' approach and about fostering interdisciplinary agility. The move aims to ensure that a student's career path is not permanently locked by a decision they made in class 11. This new system will support this mobility seamlessly," the official added.