UGC Urges Higher Education Institutions to Accelerate ABC Scheme Implementation

The ABC scheme offers students the ability to learn at their convenience through multiple entry and exit points.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all the universities and colleges across India to expedite the implementation of the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) scheme.

This directive aligns with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aiming to provide students with the flexibility to accumulate, transfer, and redeem academic credits online.

The ABC scheme, officially notified in the Gazette of India on July 28, 2021, offers students the ability to learn at their convenience through multiple entry and exit points. This approach is expected to significantly enhance the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by allowing students to pause and resume their education within a seven-year period.

Despite significant progress in learner registrations and the creation of ABC accounts, the UGC noted that the process of credit mapping with ABC accounts has been slower than anticipated. To address this issue, the UGC and DigiLocker are working to support institutions in making the ABC portal user-friendly.

In its communication, the UGC emphasized that ABC IDs should be made a mandatory field in admission and examination forms, and if possible, included on student ID cards. Institutions are also encouraged to increase the visibility of ABC-related information by displaying posters and templates in high-traffic areas such as canteens, libraries, notice boards, and playgrounds. Organizing seminars and workshops to promote awareness about the ABC scheme is also recommended.

In its notice, UGC has stated that institutions that have not yet on-boarded with the ABC are urged to do so and upload academic data, including students' earned credits from the academic year 2021-22 onwards, along with students' ABC IDs. The UGC will regularly share the status of HEIs on the ABC portal with State Governments to ensure continuous progress and motivate institutions to upload necessary data, thereby fully operationalizing the ABC portal.