New Delhi: According to the University Grants Commission's final report on the new National Credit Framework (NCrF), specialised knowledge of the Puranas, Vedas, and other elements of the Indian Knowledge System may also be "creditised."
The National Curriculum Framework 2023 document, which was published on Monday evening, lists 64 kalas, or applied sciences or vocational disciplines and crafts, as well as 18 major Vidyas, or theoretical disciplines, that can be used to earn credits. The NCrF is a "broad enabling framework" that promotes unified credit accumulation and transfer for secondary, postsecondary, and vocational education.
The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) established the National Credit Framework (NCrF) after consulting with academic institutions, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM). The NCrF was then made available for public discussion.
“The 18 Vidyas are: the four Vedas, the four subsidiary Vedas (Ayurveda–medicine, Dhanurveda - weaponry, Gandharveda -music and Silpa - architecture), Purana, Nayaya, Mimansa, Dharmashastra, Vedanga, the six auxiliary sciences, phonetic, grammar, metre, astronomy, ritual, and philosophy–these formed the basis of the 18 sciences in ancient India,” the document mentions.
This structure is the first to incorporate schooling into a credit framework. Assigning credits based on learning hours from Class 5 all the way up to PhD level, it has separated education into eight stages. According to the national curriculum framework for school education 2023, each topic is allotted 240 hours of self-study at the school level for students in classes 5 through 12. All undergraduate degrees (BA, BSc, BCom, BTech, and others), all postgraduate degrees (MA, MSc, and more), and doctoral degrees are included in higher education. Levels 1 through 8 of vocational education and training are covered.
The overall number of learning hours will be calculated based on the credits obtained through exams, lab work, innovation labs, class projects, assignments, and tutorials. The evaluation framework will include extracurricular activities such as sports and games, yoga, physical activity, performing arts, handicrafts, and bagless days.
