Knowledge of Vedas, Puranas and other ancient Indian texts can now earn students credit under the National Credit Framework (NCRF), according to the final report of the draft document released by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Tuesday. The guidelines under the framework will now be implemented in all higher education institutions across the country.
As per the final report, special expertise in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) can now be “credited” under the NCRF at par with other areas of sports and games-like activities (Olympics, Federation Games, Asian Games, etc.). Master craftspeople of arts (dance, Indian classical music), heritage and traditional skills, and social work in high impact or priority areas among others.
The draft NCRF document seeking public feedback was released in October 2022 and after receiving final comments, it has been notified by higher education regulator UGC on Tuesday. The final version of the draft has added components of IKS for availing credit under it.
“The IKS tradition mentions 18 principal vidyas, or doctrinal disciplines; and 64 arts, applied sciences or vocational subjects, crafts. 18 Vidyas include – Four Vedas, Four Subsidiary Vedas (Ayurveda – Medicine, Dhanurveda – Weapons, Gandharvaveda – Music, Crafts – Architecture), Puranas, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Dharmashastra and Vedanga, Six Subsidiary Sciences, Phonetics, Grammar, Chhanda, Astronomy, ritual and philology – these were the basis of 18 sciences in ancient India,” the report said.
It also clarifies that the learning outcomes will have to be predetermined at the level of the National Credit Framework as appropriate in each case, with specific achievement criteria and methods of evaluation to measure/establish the achievements of the desired outcomes.
NCRF was launched as a part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates that there should be “no strict separation” between vocational and academic streams.
The policy also states that at least 50% of learners through the school and higher education system will experience vocational education by 2025. This will enable students who have dropped out of the mainstream of education to re-enter the education ecosystem.
While a credit-based framework already exists in technical and higher education, this will be the first time it will include school education (Class 5 onwards) and vocational education. Credit will be allotted on the basis of hours of learning from class 5 to PhD level.
NCRF aims to integrate education on all dimensions – academics, vocational skills and experiential learning which includes relevant experience and achieved professional level.
It will be operated through the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) launched by the UGC last year, which till now was only for higher education. ABC works as a digital repository of credits earned by the students.
The NCRF has been developed by a high level committee constituted by the Center with members from all major stakeholders including AICTE, UGC, NCVET, NIOS, CBSE, NCERT, Union Ministry of Education, DGT and Ministry of Skill Development.
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