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August 1, 2021
India launches the Academic Bank of Credit to provide Multiple Entry and Exit Options for Students in Higher Education.
— UPDATED: AUGUST 01, 2021 —
Photo: University Grants Commission, New Delhi. Image Credit: UGC.
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New Delhi, July 30, 2021 — The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has launched the Academic Bank of Credit to provide multiple entry and exit options for students in Higher education.
The country’s University Grants Commission (UGC) followed it with the notification of the University Grants Commission (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021. These regulations came into force on July 28, 2021, the date of their notification in the Gazette of India.
According to the notification:
These Regulations shall apply to all Universities in India established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act, or a State Act; the institutions Deemed-to-be Universities declared as such under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956); and the Autonomous Colleges as defined in these regulations.
“Academic Bank Account” means an individual account with the Academic Bank of Credits opened and operated by a student. All academic credits earned by the student from a course of study are deposited, recognized, maintained, accumulated, transferred, validated, or redeemed to the account for awarding a degree/diploma/certificate by an awarding institution.
“Academic Bank of Credits” means an academic service mechanism as a digital or virtual or online entity established by the Commission with the approval of the Central Government to facilitate students to become academic account holders. It will pave the way for seamless student mobility between or within degree-granting Higher Educational Institutions through a formal system of credit recognition, credit accumulation, credit transfers, and credit redemption to promote distributed and flexible teaching-learning.
“Academic Flexibility” means the provision for innovative and interchangeable curricular structures to enable creative combinations of Courses or Programmes in Disciplines of study leading to a Degree or Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma or Certificate of Study offering multiple entry and multiple exit facilities while removing rigid curricular boundaries and creating new possibilities of life-long learning.
UGC has explained that the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) is based on the principle of Distributed & Flexible Teaching-Leaming that allows students to leam as per their convenience, drop education mid-way, and pick it up again per their choice and convenience.
ABC will digitally store the academic credits earned by students from HEls registered with it for awarding degrees/diplomas/certificates taking into account the credits earned by the students. In addition, ABC will ensure the opening, closure, and validation of Academic Bank Accounts, credit verification, credit accumulation, and credit transfer or redemption for students.
Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) that meet the eligibility requirements can register with the Academic Bank of Credits on the ABC website. Furthermore, students can also register by visiting the ABC website. A comprehensive User Manual for both HEIs and Students with step-by-step instructions and screenshots is available on the ABC portal’s Resources section under the General Resources category.
UGC has asked all eligible HEIs to take appropriate steps for joining the ABC Platform at the earliest. Further, it has advised them to make their respective University/Institution’s students aware of the ABC facility and encourage them to open Academic Bank Account.
Source: University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi.
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• University Grants Commission (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021 •
— FURTHER EXPLANATION —
• “Registered Higher Education Institution” means an eligible Higher Educational Institution registered by the Academic Bank of Credits.
• Eligibility Criteria for approval of HEIs to register with Academic Bank of Credits:
The University/Autonomous College should have been accredited by either the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a minimum ‘A’ Grade or by the National Board of Accreditation for at least three programs with a minimum score of 675 individually;
Or, it should be in the top 100 institutions ranked by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) or similar Assessment and Accreditation body established by the Government of India;
Or, it should be among the top 1000 Higher Education Institutions appearing in the World Ranking of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) / Times Higher Education (THE);
Or, it should be an Institution of Eminence or Institution of National Importance as declared by the Government of India.
The HEI’s Accreditation or Ranking Status must be valid at the time of registration with the Academic Bank of Credits.
The HEI should have obtained approval from its Statutory Authority such as the Governing or Executive Council, or Syndicate, or Senate, or Board of Management, or Academic Council, to register with the Academic Bank of Credits.
The Registered Higher Education Institution shall have the appropriate educational infrastructure in audio-visual facilities, e-resources, virtual classrooms, and studios. It should have specifically high bandwidth internet connectivity to support ODL or Online courses or programs. Further, it should be equipped with other infrastructural facilities for face-to-face theory or practical or training courses as specified, from time to time, under the relevant University Grants Commission Regulations and Higher Education Statutes or Ordinances.
A Registered Higher Education Institution shall have a webpage on its website containing:
- Details of the facility of Academic Bank of Credits
- List of all Registered Higher Education Institutions in the country
- Guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures for the students to utilize the facility effectively
- A link to the website of the Academic Bank of Credits
• Monitoring, Support, and Quality Assurance:
It shall be the responsibility of Registered Higher Education Institutions to monitor the development and operationalization of the Academic Bank of Credits program at the university level and the level of their affiliated autonomous colleges.
Registered Higher Education Institutions shall offer teacher or staff training, mentoring, academic and administrative audit, and other measures for improving the quality of performance of the Academic Bank of Credits facility and promoting holistic/multidisciplinary education with the support of Academic Bank of Credits. It may be in the form of Faculty Development Programmes or Quality Improvement Programmes or Professional Development Programmes, or Technology Inculcation Programmes.
The Quality Assurance of the implementation of Academic Bank of Credits at the level of the registered University or autonomous college shall be developed by the University or the college concerned either through the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) or any other appropriate structured mechanism.
Every Registered Higher Education shall upload, annually, on its website, a report of its activities vis a vis the Academic Bank of Credits, as well as of measures taken by it for Quality assurance, Quality sustenance, and Quality enhancement.
There shall be an Academic Bank of Credits-Grievance Redressal Mechanism at the level of Central Government/University Grants Commission/Academic Bank of Credits and every Higher Education Institution registered with Academic Bank of Credits to address the grievance/appeals of students.
• Consequences of Violation:
Where a Registered Higher Education Institution fails to fulfill the conditions or requirements prescribed under these regulations, the Commission may, after providing a reasonable opportunity to be heard, direct the Institution to rectify the deficiency within such period as stipulated by the Commission.
And, the Commission may, on failure on the part of the Higher Education Institution to do so, terminate the registration of such Institution from Academic Bank of Credits and, in addition, cease to provide grants under the Act, where such grants are admissible to the Institution.
• Interpretation:
The Commission shall decide any question as to the interpretation of these Regulations, and its decision shall be final and binding in the matter.
Source: University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi.
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Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:09 AM | Link to this Post
