The Maharashtra state higher and technical education department has issued new guidelines regarding the offering of fourth-year Honours programmes in colleges. Effective from the academic year 2026-27, only institutions that provide postgraduate courses or have a PhD research centre in the same subject will receive automatic approval for these programmes. The new structure is part of the broader implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). Students wishing to enter the fourth year must accumulate 120 to 132 credits during their first three years. Those who complete the fourth year will receive an Honours degree, while students opting for a research track must complete a dissertation. Colleges already offering postgraduate courses can implement the fourth year without additional approval, whereas others must follow university procedures. The guidelines also allow students to transfer to another college for the fourth year, depending on seat availability. Additionally, these guidelines will affect professional courses such as Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech), which will also adopt a four-year structure.