The University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved guidelines for introducing skill-based courses and microcredentials in higher educational institutions (HEIs) across the country to bridge the skill gap and increase student productivity in the workplace. The guidelines, which were approved and introduced by the UGC in its last meeting held on 13 November, will soon be made available in the public domain for feedback from stakeholders, according to sources within the commission.

“In its last commission meeting held on 13 November, the UGC approved and introduced the “Guidelines for the Introduction of SkillBased Courses and MicroCredentials in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) and SOP for implementation, marking an important step in realising the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. These guidelines aim to equip students with practical, industry-relevant skills and help them achieve their academic goals in a chosen discipline.

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These guidelines also aim to address the changing demands of the job market and prepare India’s youth to become key contributors to a globally competitive knowledge economy,” Prof. M Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of the UGC, told The Statesman on Wednesday. “India’s demographic dividend, characterised by its large and youthful population, holds immense potential for economic and global influence.

However, unlocking this potential requires aligning higher education with the evolving needs of industry and society. By integrating skill courses into the existing educational curriculum, HEIs can offer students exposure to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, digital marketing, literary journalism and feature writing, conflict resolution and mediation, digital advocacy and campaigning, logistics and supply chain, sustainable agriculture, digital payments and banking, fashion marketing, e-commerce, and sustainable practices,” Prof. Kumar said.

“Acquiring skills in these and related fields will provide enhanced opportunities for our students to become either self-employed or to seize the new job opportunities emerging in a rapidly digitalising and environmentally conscious global economy,” according to the UGC chief. According to the draft of the guidelines, all universities and other HEIs, with the necessary infrastructure and training capacity, will be eligible to offer short-term skill development courses after obtaining due approval from their statutory bodies or boards of management. The HEIs are expected to establish a “Centre for Skill Development Courses”, headed by a senior professor, for introducing these courses.

The centre shall maintain a profile of local job opportunities, skill requirements for the local industry in the region, and will provide data support for these courses. The centre shall also monitor the design, adoption, and delivery of the short-duration skill development courses, according to the UGC sources.

“The maximum student intake in one short-term skill development course should not exceed 60 for each cohort. The HEI may start multiple cohorts of any course depending on the demand for the course and the suitable infrastructure/faculty availability,” the commission said. “The skill component shall have a minimum of 60 per cent of the total credits and can go up to 70 per cent of the total credits. The skill component will include practical classes in laboratories, workshops, and industry premises, and any other form of hands-on training within the catchment area of the HEI,” according to the commission.