The University Grants Commission (UGC) has started three schemes namely Community Colleges, B.Voc Degree Programme and Deen Dayal Upadhyaya KAUSHAL Kendras so as to enhance employability of students and make them industry-ready. The objectives of these schemes are the following, namely: (i) to make higher education relevant to learner and community; (ii) to integrate relevant skills in to higher education system; (iii) to provide skill based education to students currently pursuing higher education but actually interested in entering the workforce at the earliest opportunity; and (iv) to provide employable and certifiable skills with necessary general education.
The UGC is also implementing the scheme ‘Career Oriented Courses’ to impart knowledge, skills and aptitude for gainful employment in wage sector in general and self employment in particular to candidates taking these courses so as to reduce the pressure on institutions of higher learning for Master Degree. These courses run parallel to the conventional B.A., B.Com and B.Sc. degree. The courses offered are in the form of Certificate / Diploma / Advance Diploma which students may opt parallel to their convention B.A / B.Com/ B.Sc. degrees.
Assessment and accreditation of quality of University and Colleges in the country is undertaken by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Board for Accreditation (NBA). The details regarding quality assessment by these agencies are available at http://www.naac.gov.in and http://www.nbaind.org.
The Government of India, has initiated extensive consultations to bring out a National Education Policy to meet the changing dynamics of the population’s requirement with regards to quality education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry.
This information was given by the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.
