The Government of India has framed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with  an aim to provide holistic, multidisciplinary, flexible and student-centric education. It  encourages integration of skill education & envisions a detailed National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) as the basis for Recognition of Prior Learning.

In alignment with the objectives of NEP 2020, the Government has approved the National Credit Framework (NCrF) as a comprehensive credit framework encompassing elementary, school,  higher, and skill education. The NCrF provides for creditisation of all learning and assignment,  accumulation, storage, transfer & redemption of credits, subject to assessment; and establishes  academic equivalence among skill, general and experiential education while enabling  mobility within & between them. As reported in AISHE 2023-24, more than 700 Universities and over 7,500 affiliated colleges have adopted NCrF. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified “SOP for Operationalisation of National Credit Framework in Higher Education” as a practical guide for implementation of  NCrF. The SOP allows up to 50% of the total credits for a program to be earned from the skill based courses. 

The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) in its Approval Process Handbook (APH) 2023-27, sets norms for Entry Level Qualifications for the Technical Programmes in accordance with NCrF. It allows 10th + 2-year ITIs students to be eligible for admission to Second Year Diploma course(s) in any branch of Engineering and Technology. Further, lateral  entry to Third Year is available for candidates possessing a 2-year UG Diploma in Engineering (NCrF Level 5.0). 

Further, the National Council of Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) has developed  “Guidelines for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)”. The guidelines delineate a roadmap for  the seamless implementation of RPL, and empower the industrial bodies to conduct RPL assessments for their workforces. This aligns the assessment process in a manner that meets  the industry's needs. Credits are awarded based on assessment of learning outcomes of the specific skills, competencies and knowledge acquired. 

Due to concerted efforts by the Government, India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education increased from 23.7 in 2014–15 to 30 in 2023–24. Female GER rose from 22.9 to 31.2 during the same period. The rise in GER has been accompanied by significant growth in student enrolment, with total higher education enrolment increasing from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.50 crore in 2023–24, adding more than 1.08 crore students to the higher education system. 

NEP 2020 envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all. NCrF aims to contribute to this vision by establishing equivalence and mobility between general and skill education so that lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, multiple entry and exit, and continuous professional development is encouraged in the  education ecosystem. 

This information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Dr Sukanta Majumdar, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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