UGC asks HEIs to implement National Credit Framework

The Government of India Constituted a High-Level Committee in November 2021, to develop a National Credit Accumulation & Transfer Framework for both Vocational and General Education.

The University Grants Commission has issued a public notice asking all higher education institutions to implement National Credit Framework (NCrF). The Report on NCrF jointly developed by the High-Level Committee comprising of members UGC, AICTE, NCVET and NCERT.

The National Education Policy 2020 lays emphasis on the integration of general education and vocational education to enable increased mobility and flexibility in education. A High Level Committee (HLC) constituted by the Government of India has formulated National Credit Framework (NCrF).

As per the UGC, the NCrF is an enabling framework that lays down basic principles of creditization of learning from various dimensions such as academic, vocational, and experiential learning. “All Higher Education Institutions are requested to take necessary steps to implement the National Credit Framework,” reads UGC notice.

The Government of India Constituted a High-Level Committee in November 2021, to develop a National Credit Accumulation & Transfer Framework for both Vocational and General Education. The Credit Framework would enable the integration of academic and vocational domains/components of learning and ensure flexibility and mobility between the two.

According to UGC Chairman, M Jagadesh Kumar there us pressing need that there should be no hard separation among curricular and extracurricular or co-curricular or between vocational or academic streams, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 stressed upon the need for vocational education through integration and mainstreaming of vocational education with general education. This calls for re-engineering of education system.

NCrF will improve mobility between general education and vocational education

The High-Level Committee constituted by the Government to formulate a unified credit accumulation & transfer framework for both vocational and general education, from school education to higher education, has developed "National Credit Framework" encompassing three main components such as credits earned from academic grade, skill programme and relevant experience.

“This framework will enable establishing equivalence and mobility between general education and vocational education so that lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, multiple entry and exit, and continuous professional development are encouraged in the system,” says Prof Kumar.

The Report on National Credit Framework (NCrF) jointly developed by the High-Level Committee comprising of members from University Grant Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), National Council for National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) & Department of Higher Education (DoHE), Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Directorate General of Training (DGT).

Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi Chairman of National Council for Vocational Education and Training(NCVET) and who also headed the high level committee stated that the NCrF provides for creditization of all learning and assignment, accumulation, storage, transfer & redemption of credits, subject to assessment; removes distinction and establishes academic equivalence between vocational & general education while enabling mobility within & between them, and its operationalization through the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC).

The NCrF relies on an integrating approach across the education and skilling frameworks enabling the education and skilling ecosystem in implementing one single credit-based framework in line with the vision of National Education Policy 2020. He writes that while catering to multi-disciplinarity and holistic education across sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities and sports, NCrF enables multiple entry - multiple exit (ME-ME) pathways in general &vocational education; ensures flexibility for students to choose their learning trajectories and career choices, including option for mid-way course correction or modification, as per their talents and interests.

As per the NCrF document, it also recognizes blended and online learning, promoting extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, especially in vocational education, training and skilling. Use of technology in turn helps in removing barriers while improving access and opportunities for Divyangs.

Implementation of NCrF will promote Internationalization of education by enabling equivalence of courses and qualifications, provisions of credit transfer, and encourage international exchange of students and faculty with foreign universities.

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