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The University Grants Commission (UGC) today approved the guidelines for the introduction of short-term skill development courses in higher educational institutes. The guideline has been prepared in line with the New Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
The objective of this guideline is to formulate the premise for integrating skilling into higher education at all levels and for introducing short-term industry-relevant courses (certificate courses) in the Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) to bridge the skill gap, and to provide holistic and specialised education with a focus on practical training, enabling individuals to acquire hands-on experience.
Anyone who has passed the 10+2/ senior secondary exam or its equivalent will be eligible for admission to any undergraduate programme of the HEI.
As per the draft guidelines, HEIs will offer credit-linked short-term skill development certificate courses of 3-6 months. A credit mechanism will be used by HEIs to design the course structure. A short-term skill development course in any stream will have to be at least 12 credits and a maximum of 30 credits. The short-term skill development course must have a greater focus on practical learning.
UGC also emphasised that the maximum student intake in one short-term skill development course should not exceed 60 for each cohort, and the minimum faculty-student ratio shall be 1:30 or whatever is applicable in the respective HEI.
As per the guideline, HEIs can consider offering short-term skill development courses in several areas such as Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics, IoT (Internet of Things)/ Industrial IoT/Smart Cities, Data Science and Analytics, Cloud Computing, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Extended Reality, Cyber Security and Digital Forensics, 5G Connectivity, Digital Fluency/ Digital transformation, Industrial Automation and Robotics Process Automation (RPA), Electronic System Designs/ VLSI Designs, Electronic Manufacturing, Basic Coding in Computing Language, 3D Printing, Digital Marketing, soft skills, health and wellness, Mobile Communication, Mobile Repairing and Basics of DTH Installation, Yogic Sciences, Fashion Technology, Fashion design, stitching, etc.
Additionally, the institutes will also be asked to develop a plan to facilitate employment opportunities and internships for the successful students completing the short-term skill development course. “The HEI may collaborate with the relevant Sector Skill Councils/Awarding Bodies and industries to gain credibility, access to placement opportunities, funding schemes and training, and ensure up-to-date course content,” the guideline stated.
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