National Credit Framework Released for Public Consultation

The Ministry of Education has appealed to all institutions, schools, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) - affiliated engineering colleges, centrallyfunded higher education institutions, state universities, and regulatory authorities to host public consultations on the National Credit Framework (NCrF) on their websites. Comments and observations can also be sent to: comments.ncrf@gmail.com

            The Ministry of Education has launched the draft National Credit Framework (NCrF) for public consultation. The framework seeks to enable the integration of academic and vocational domains so that there is flexibility and mobility between them. Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has said the framework would be a gamechanger by opening numerous options for further progression of students and inter-mingling of school and higher education with vocational education and experiential learning. It will also enable students who have dropped out of mainstream education to re-enter the education ecosystem. It will serve as an umbrella framework for skilling, re-skilling, up-skilling, accreditation, and evaluation encompassing people in educational and skilling institutions and workforce. NCrF will seamlessly integrate the credits earned through school education, higher education and vocational and skill education by encompassing the National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF), National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF). It also supports educational acceleration for students with gifted learning abilities and recognition of prior learning for the workforce that has acquired knowledge and skills informally through the traditional family inheritance, work experience or other methods. While catering to multi-disciplinarity and holistic education across sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities and sports, NCrF enables Multiple Entry - Multiple Exit (MEME) 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. The NCrF has been jointly developed by a High Level Committee constituted by the Government with members from UGC, AICTE, NCVET, NIOS, CBSE, NCERT, Department of School Education and Learning & Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, DGT, and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship. Proposed benefits for various stakeholders are as follows:         

For Students

·         NCrF will ensure flexibility in the duration of study/ courses through provisions of multiple entries and exit/work options while paving the path for creditisation of all learning hours, including academic, vocational and experiential learning.

·         It will have the provision for lifelong learning – any time anywhere learning.

·         It will help students by establishing multidisciplinary and holistic education with flexible curricula.

·         Allow acquiring more than one award (degree/diploma etc) in the same period.

·         Remove the distinction between arts, science, social sciences, commerce, etc.

·         Give student credits for every academic/skill/ experience.

·         Enhance the scope of core learning to include foundational as well as cognitive learning.

For Institutions

·         The framework will bring about a unification of higher education institutions to promote multidisciplinary education, creating a diverse and rich students knowledge base.

·         Promote stronger collaboration between institutions.

·         Make credit mechanism simpler and uniform.

·         Increase focus on research and innovation.

·         Promote digital learning, blended learning, and open distance learning.

·         Leverage the institutional infrastructure.

For the Government

·         The framework is expected to assist the government to increasing the enrolment of students, thereby helping to fulfil the national vision of complementing the demographic dividend and transforming India into the Skill Capital of the World.

·         Make vocational education and training / skilling aspirational

·         Create a pool of highly educated and trained workforce for Aatmanirbhar Bharat

For the Industry

·         The framework will allow students to attain the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) - approved foundational skills developed by industry.

·         Create a multi/cross-sectoral skilled pool of employable youth.

·         Integration of quick educational upgradation/upskilling will ensure ample industry-ready workforce.

·         It will also help in re-skilling and up-skilling of existing employees/ engineers.

·         By enabling a more holistic design of the study, the framework will create a talent pool with precise expertise.

Source: PIB