MSDE, higher education department, UGC to form panel on HEI recognition

Joint committee will finalise recognition norms and operational guidelines to enable higher education institutions to develop vocational qualifications and issue nationally recognised certificates

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the Department of Higher Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) will constitute a joint committee to finalise the process for recognising higher education institutions (HEIs) as Awarding Bodies under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), people aware of the development said.

 

The move follows the government's decision to allow universities and other HEIs to become NCVET-recognised Awarding Bodies, enabling them to develop vocational qualifications, conduct assessments and issue nationally recognised skill certificates.

 

According to the people cited above, the committee will frame the recognition process and operational guidelines for universities and other eligible HEIs seeking recognition under the NCVET framework.

 

MSDE is also expected to seek nominations from the Department of Higher Education and the UGC for representatives to serve on the Recognition Advisory Committee (RAC), the people said. The RAC is constituted by NCVET to examine applications for recognition and make recommendations on the recognition of Awarding Bodies and Assessment Agencies under the NCVET regulatory framework.

 

Emails sent to MSDE, the UGC and the Department of Higher Education did not elicit a response until the time of going to press.

 

NCVET is the national regulator for vocational education and training, established under the National Council for Vocational Education and Training Act, 2021. It is responsible for regulating and recognising Awarding Bodies and Assessment Agencies, approving qualifications, and ensuring quality and standardisation across the country's skill development ecosystem.

 

Awarding Bodies recognised by NCVET are authorised to develop qualifications aligned with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), conduct assessments either directly or through recognised Assessment Agencies, and award certificates to successful candidates. These qualifications are required to conform to nationally prescribed quality assurance and outcome standards.

 

Until now, the role of Awarding Bodies has largely been performed by Sector Skill Councils, government departments, industry bodies and other organisations recognised by NCVET. Extending eligibility to higher education institutions is intended to bring universities and colleges more directly into the national vocational education framework.

 

The move is also aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which calls for integrating vocational education into mainstream education and removing the distinction between academic and vocational streams. The policy envisages greater mobility between the two through multiple entry and exit options, credit-based learning and wider adoption of multidisciplinary education.

 

Recognition as Awarding Bodies is expected to enable universities and other institutions to design vocational qualifications alongside conventional academic programmes while issuing skill certificates recognised under the NCVET framework.

 

People aware of the development said the proposed joint committee will lay down the recognition process and operational guidelines required to implement the policy decision, paving the way for higher education institutions to seek recognition as Awarding Bodies under the NCVET framework.