Last November, something like an end-of-season sale broke out across several of Delhi University’s colleges. It wasn’t for clothes or gadgets; rather, students were scrambling to “shop” for their vocational electives on the college websites. 

This is because a four-year undergraduate degree demands 160–192 credits. And those come from an elaborate menu: core curriculum, electives, vocational courses, value-added courses, and internships. The idea, at least in theory, is to let students assemble a degree like a buffet.

One particular category, the vocational or skill-enhancement courses (SEC),........

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