AICTE and NCVET Unite for Groundbreaking NCrF Workshop
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) joined hands with the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) to organize a pivotal Capacity Building Workshop on the operationalization of the National Curriculum Framework (NCrF) at the AICTE Headquarters on September 22, 2023.
The workshop, themed ‘Training to Trainers,’ witnessed an impressive turnout of over 200 faculty members from diverse educational institutions across the nation. Dr. Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi,Chairman,NCVET, Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, Sr. AbhayJere, Vice Chairman, AICTE Prof. Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary, Dr. Mamta R Agarwal, Adviser-I, AICTE graced the event.
The event commenced with a warm welcome address by Prof. Rajive Kumar, Member Secretary, AICTE, who emphasized the crucial role this workshop plays in NCrF implementation. Dr. AbhayJere, Vice Chairman of AICTE, contributed his insights on creditization in startups via video conferencing, a notion enthusiastically embraced by NCVET Chairman, Dr. Kalsi. This initiative is set to be encapsulated in forthcoming guidelines.
AICTE Chairman, Prof. Sitharam, lauded NCVET Chairman, Dr. Kalsi, for the hands-on training provided to faculty members through this workshop. He highlighted the transformative potential of NCrF and AAPAR, envisioning them as new QR codes for learners, offering students newfound flexibility and empowerment. Prof. Sitharam illuminated the three integral components of NCrF: academic grade credits, skill program credits, and relevant experience credits.
Dr. Kalsi’s comprehensive, exhaustive presentation on NCrF underscored its pivotal role in both school, higher, technical, vocational and skill education, thereby creating an integrated education system. He emphasized on the critical need for ground-level operationalization before full-scale implementation.
The National Curriculum Framework (NCrF) was conceived in line with the National Education Policy 2020, aimed at integrating and mainstreaming vocational education into the broader educational spectrum. NCrF, the brainchild of a distinguished government committee, establishes a unified credit accumulation and transfer framework for both vocational and general education, spanning from school to higher education. It encompasses academic grade credits, skill program credits, and credits for relevant experience, enabling equivalences and mobility between these educational domains. This framework fosters lifelong learning, recognition of prior learning, multiple entry and exit options, and continuous professional development.
To ensure seamless implementation, the Ministry of Education established a High-Level Committee, tasked with overseeing NCrF integration across various sectors. This committee’s purview includes issuing clarifications, resolving unforeseen use cases, and bridging any policy gaps. Additionally, it aims to foster regulator-to-regulator and inter-institutional discussions to harmonize SOPs and guidelines. The committee is also committed to addressing any arising issues or grievances related to the framework.
In its inaugural meeting, the committee resolved to initiate ‘Train the Trainer’ program, targeting faculty members from Higher Education Institutions, Skill Institutions, and School Education. The first of these training sessions was successfully conducted by AICTE today.