IGNOU to offer a special three-year programme for ‘Agniveers’

New Delhi: In order to enhance the future career prospects of Agniveers, and equip them for various job roles in the civilian sector, the Ministry of Education is to launch a special, three-year skill-based bachelor’s degree programme for serving defence personnel that will recognize the skill training received by them during their tenure in the defence establishments.

The programme has been designed by IGNOU and will also be executed by them. Under this programme 50 % of the credits required for a graduate degree will come from the skill training – both technical and non-technical – received by the Agniveer, and the remaining 50 % will come from a basket of courses that cover a wide variety of subjects like languages, Economics, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Mathematics, Education, Commerce, Tourism, Vocational Studies, Agriculture and Jyotish, as also Ability Enhancement Courses on Environmental Studies and Communication Skills in English.

This programme is aligned with UGC norms and with the National Credit Framework and National Skill Qualification Framework. It also has provision for multiple exit points – Undergraduate Certificate on successful completion of the first-year courses, Undergraduate Diploma on successful completion of the first and second-year courses, and Degree on completion of all the courses in the three-year time frame.

The framework of the programme has been duly recognized by UGC, All India Council for Technical Education and other concerned regulatory bodies, and will be recognized both in India and abroad for employment and education. Army, Navy and Air Force will sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with IGNOU for implementation of the scheme.