The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) of the Ministry of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has issued a draft for Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credit in Vocational Education, Training and Skilling (VETS) on April 2 and invited comments/ inputs/ suggestions on the draft guidelines. These guidelines aim at detailing the various aspects of Academic Bank of Credits ensuring seamless credit accumulation, storage, transfer, and redemption through a single window and shall apply to all recognized Awarding bodies and entities involved in implementing VETS and related activities.
Comments, suggestions and inputs can be sent to NCVET at comments.ncrf@gmail.com by 30th April 2024.
In a notification, the apex vocational education body has said that in pursuance of the inclusive principles of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and provisions of NCrF, draft notification for (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Vocational Education, Training and Skilling (VETS)) Guidelines, 2024, has been formulated. And, the draft notification for ABC has been finalized after extensive consultation as well discussions in the High-Level Committee and is being placed for public consultation.
The Draft Guidelines can be accessed here.
Additional useful info:
The National Credit Framework (NCrF) notified by UGC shall act as the broad enabling and guiding frameworks which shall be supplemented by these SOPs and guidelines for all organizations and institutions. The NCrF is available at https://www.ugc.gov.in/Ncrf.aspx.
The following references in the NCrF may be referred to and read with this document for detailed understanding of this SOPs/Guidelines:
- Section 3.2.5- learning hours- components of learning- detailing components that need to be considered as part of the notional learning hours for counting credits.
- Section 3.2.5, Table 2- elaborates the learning hours per year across the various academic grades in Higher Education, School and Vocational Education, Training and Skilling.
- Section 3.2.9, Table 3-details out the NCrF levels for different academic Grade/Vocational Education, Training and Skilling and the Assessment Bands and equivalence. I
- Section 3.2.10, Figure I- the NCrF caters to creditization of three dimensions of learnings i.e Academic Education (School and Higher), Vocational education, Training and Skilling and relevant experiential learning & proficiency/professional levels achieved.
- Section 3.3.2, para I-Table 4; Para – II, Table 5; Section 3.3.3 -Table 6: Detail the NCrF levels and credit assignment in School education, Higher education and Vocational Education, Training and Skilling respectively.
- Section 3.3.4, Table 7- Credit Assignment for Relevant Experience and Professional/ Proficiency Level Acquired including the calculation of overall credit earned.
- Section 3.4.1, Table 8- refers to National Credit Framework Levels (NCrF) and corresponding Academic Levels (National School Education, National Higher Education Qualifications Framework), and Vocational Education and Skills Levels (National Skill Qualifications Framework) and conditions for academic equivalence. 2. Apart from the provisions of NCrF, the following provisions of various other Guidelines may also be referred to:
- 2.1. Relevant Guidelines notified by NCVET: i. National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) Notification (https://ncvet.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/National-Skills[1]Qualification-Framework-notification-June-2023.pdf)
Major Relevant Guidelines notified by School Education/NCERT
National Curriculum Framework for school education (https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/NCFSE-2023-August_2023.pdf) a. Section 1.4 on stage design refer to how the school curriculum in divided into 4 stages including curricular areas. b. Chapter 9 refer vocational education and integration ii. Guideline issued for 10 bagless days by PSSCIVE for class 6th to 8th for school education
