Sunday, May 19

UGC Chairman Speaks On The Flexibility of Newly Adopted National Credit Framework

Edited by Uzma Parveen
UGC Chairman Speaks On The Flexibility of Newly Adopted National Credit Framework

University Grants Commission announced the National Credit Framework (NCrF) in April 2023 for all regulatory organizations and universities in India. This framework is designed to integrate the credits earned at various educational levels including school, higher education, vocational, and skill education.

UGC Chairman Mamidala Jagdeesh Kumar expressed his views, on Indian Express, about NCrF making the educational system more flexible. According to his views, credit is a fundamental unit to capture learning effort and resultant academic achievement. This is associated with various curricular activities both inside and outside the classroom and acquisition of skills.

According to Mr Mamidala, the existing credit incompatibilities hinder the seamless mobility of students within and among educational institutions and programs in India. Earlier, UGC implemented the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and semesterisation. UGC chairman says that such measures did not fully enhance the options available to students and fell short of providing adequate autonomy to participate in diverse academic pursuits. He says that CBCS was criticized for not allowing students to explore a wide range of learning objectives.

To remove this limitation of credit incompatibility and the deficiency of earlier credit systems, reforms in the design and implementation of credit frameworks became a pressing requirement. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasized on integration of academic and vocational education.

What is the National Credit Framework (NCrF)?

As per the NCrF, an academic year is defined as the number of hours a student puts in, and credits are provided to them accordingly at the end of each academic year. The framework consists of three verticals National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF), National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF), and National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).

NCrF ensures equivalence within and between the two educational streams. Under the credit framework, the total national learning hours in a year for the assignment of credits will be 1200 hours. A minimum of 40 credits may be earned for 1200 hours of learning every year with 20 credits per semester of 6 months. The National hours is the time that an average student would need to attend all classes, study for tests, and do assignments and homework. The total credit earned during the school period is 160 credits. After the completion of 3 years degree course, the student will earn 120 credits. For PhD 320 credits will be given. Under the new system, students will also get credits for participating in Olympiads, science quizzes, internships, and jobs while studying.

It also proposed several levels of credit for school, college, and vocational education and training levels from Level 1 to Level 8.

An Aadhaar-enabled student registration will also take place under the new system. After student registration, an Academic Bank of Credit account will be opened to deposit of degree and credits. There will be a knowledge locker along the lines of DigiLocker.

How beneficial the new credit system will be?

Expressing the importance of the point of view of educators and students, he says that integrating NCrF and ABC creates a more expansive spectrum of learning experiences and promotes a deeper insight into subjects. This enriches the academic proficiency of students and cultivates their skills and competencies essential for real-world applications.

For educators, the integration of NCrF and ABC allows them to design courses that blend experiential learning components to incorporate into curricula, which offers students a more holistic and practical knowledge of their desired fields.

Additionally, the integration of NCrF and ABC will act as the foundational pillar for the multiple entry and exit system and multi-disciplinary education envisaged in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

What is the response of Educational Institutions and Students?

Allowing students to seamlessly transfer accrued credits, provides them with a dynamic and comprehensive educational experience. Such flexibility will encourage students to experience a more diversified and enriched learning environment. Chairman Kumar informs that educational institutes have welcomed the NCrF due to its flexibility and inclusivity. An indication of its success is the “Academic Bank of Credits” (ABC) platform which has seen registration from more than six crore students and the number will soon reach 10 crores.

What are the challenges of NCrF?

The mission of NCrF is to facilitate smooth transitions between India’s various educational programs, both vertically and horizontally. Nonetheless, several obstacles, including adoption, acceptance, standardization, and implementation, may prevent the NCrF from being successfully implemented.