NEP-2020 provides more flexibility in academic journey: Higher Education Council Chairperson

The State Higher Education Council, in collaboration with Kurukshetra University, organised a daylong sensitisation workshop on “Skill-based courses and micro-credentials in higher education institutions” on Wednesday.

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State Higher Education Council Chairperson Kailash Chandra Sharma said NEP-2020 promoted multidisciplinary education, providing multiple entry and exit options, giving learners more flexibility in their academic journeys.

This was facilitated through the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), which enabled the seamless transfer and recognition of academic achievements, promoting personalised and flexible learning pathways, he added.

The policy also emphasised collaboration with industries to ensure that students developed employable skills in line with the changing demands of the job market, he said.

Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), said the traditional model of higher education — which involved lengthy and expensive degrees spanning several years — had started changing, and had been replaced by shorter, industry-focused programmes.

Micro-credentials and skill-based courses provided a solution to this need, he added, stating that these courses could be completed in a short period of time.

Kurukshetra University Vice-Chancellor Som Nath Sachdeva said the policy had been implemented at the university and its affiliated colleges with all its provisions.

Skill enhancement, vocational, project-based, short-term and other employment-oriented courses were being run by the university, the VC added.

Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM-Nagpur, said the objective of the policy was character building and employment-oriented education.

Ramesh Venkat, Vice President, Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation, gave a presentation on skill-based curriculum in higher education.

Sunil Kumar, Assistant Director, BOAT (Northern Region), delved into an Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme under the National Apprenticeship Training Programme, envisaged in NEP-2020.

Anuj Gangola, NASSCOM, spoke about “Making your Career Future-oriented: Lifelong Learning.”

Dr Raj Nehru, OSD to the Chief Minister of Haryana, spoke about recognition of prior learning in higher education.

He said the National Credit Framework supported recognition of prior learning (RPL) by facilitating crediting of all types of learning — academic, vocational and experiential.