The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced the National Credit Framework (NCrF) that permits students to earn credits for their education and learning, regardless of the subject, level or medium, which may include online, digital or blended learning. Moreover, students can also obtain credits for their proficiency in diverse areas of the Indian knowledge system, including the Puranas, the Vedas, and other related components.
“NCrF fully supports educational acceleration for students with gifted learning abilities. It provides scope for creditizing national/international achievers in any field but not limited to Sports, Indian Knowledge System, Music, Heritage, traditional skills, performing & fine arts, Master artisans, etc,” UGC Chairman Prof M Jagadesh Kumar told ABP Live.
Asked if other countries will recognise the NCrF, Prof Kumar said: “The International equivalence and transfer of credits shall be enabled through various multilateral/ bilateral agreements between respective regulators of the countries concerned.”
He added: “NCrF would lend credibility and authenticity to the credits being assigned and earned under various programs in India, making these credits more acceptable and transferable internationally.”
The NCrF aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes the amalgamation of vocational and academic streams. The UGC released a draft of the framework in October 2020, aiming to incorporate the school education system into a credit-based structure. As a result, the NCrF has been launched to implement the recommendations proposed in the NEP 2020.
UGC notified the final report on Tuesday. The updated version of the draft now includes the components of the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), which enables students to earn credits under the framework.
The final report stated that the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) comprises 18 theoretical disciplines called vidyas and 64 practical disciplines, including vocational areas and crafts.
The 18 vidyas consist of the four Vedas, the four subsidiary Vedas (Ayurveda – medicine, Dhanurveda – weaponry, Gandharvaveda – music, shilpa – architecture), Purana, Nyaya, Mimamsa, Dharmasastra, and Vedanga, as well as six auxiliary sciences such as phonetics, grammar, meter, astronomy, ritual, and philology. These disciplines were the foundation of the 18 sciences in ancient India, as per the report.