From classrooms to communities: CUHP’s leap into real-world learning

In a landmark move aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), Dharamsala, is set to introduce a 20-credit compulsory skill-based course for all students starting in the 2025-26 academic session.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Sat Prakash Bansal announced the initiative, describing it as a “historic effort” to bridge the gap between education and society. The course will be mandatory across all departments, schools and study centres. Its core objective is to equip students with practical knowledge rooted in real-life experiences, cultural traditions, local livelihoods and environmental consciousness.

“The aim is not to confine students to textbook learning, but to immerse them in the lived realities, crafts, administration and cultural fabric of society,” Prof Bansal said.

Course content will include topics such as environment and sustainability, folk literature, handicrafts, public administration and tribal life. Students will actively participate in fieldwork, community dialogues, internships and hands-on projects. Traditional examinations will be complemented with innovative evaluation methods such as group work, presentations and folk performances.

Prof Bansal emphasised that the course is designed to nurture socially responsible, locally aware and globally minded graduates. “This initiative will not only help students earn degrees but also inspire them to become local leaders, social entrepreneurs and conscious citizens,” he noted.

The university envisions this participatory learning model as a powerful means of fostering deeper connections between academic knowledge and societal development.