The University Grant Commission (UGC) has asked universities across the country to develop textbooks in regional languages so that students can learn and write examinations in their respective languages. The UGC chairman prof Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar told The Statesman on Monday while outlining the plans in coming years after the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 completed the third year since its launch.

The University Grant Commission (UGC) is leading the transition from the ‘talk/understanding stage’ to the stage of ‘action/implementation’ of the NEP 2020. It’s challenging to draw out all the initiatives year-wise because after launching each initiative, UGC carefully guides, monitors and evaluates the implementations along with the higher educational institutions across the country.

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“One of the significant developments was the launch of the National Credit Framework (NCF), which integrates credits from different levels and dimensions, including school, higher education, vocational education and skill education. It also recognizes experiential learning and combines it into academics. Further, with the launch of the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework, it will be easy to define the learning outcomes of the qualifications earned by students,” prof Kumar said.

“Our focus was also on rolling out the four-year undergraduate programme, which will provide opportunities for internships, research, double majors and minors of students’ choice,” said Prof Kumar. “The NEP 2020 aims to foster the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) in the learners.

To fulfil this vision, UGC has directed all higher educational institutions to develop textbooks in regional languages and allow students to learn and write exams in their respective regional languages,” according to him. The UGC also trains teachers in various aspects of the IKS. To increase awareness about our Indian Knowledge, UGC is also encouraging universities to offer shortterm credit-based courses on Indian heritage and culture.

It has also created a provision of formally appointing them as gurus in higher educational institutions to harness artists and artisans’ creativity and talent. “It’s essential to teach human values and professional ethics to the students. Today, life skills have become an inevitable part of our lives and students must learn them early in life.

The UGC guidelines on life-skills seek participation from both students and faculty,” the commission chairman added. “To effectively track and monitor the implementation progress of the NEP 2020, UGC launched the UTSAH portal, where the universities register and update the required information every month,” said Prof Kumar.

Recently, UGC has developed regulations that will facilitate the establishment of campuses of top foreign higher educational institutions in India. It will provide an international dimension to higher education in India and enable students to obtain foreign qualifications at affordable cost.