Lok Sabha Question No. 14 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-03
Subject: Vocational Education and Skill Based Learning
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri P C Mohan

## Government of India Ministry of Education

## Department of School Education and Literacy

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 14 ANSWERED ON 03/02/2025

## Vocational Education and Skill Based Learning

14. Shri P C Mohan:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the Government to integrate vocational education and skill-based learning in schools and higher education institutions under the New Education Policy (NEP) in urban areas across the country;
- (b) whether the NEP has introduced measures to enhance the digital readiness of students in urban centers; and
- (c) the initiatives taken by the Government to promote inter-disciplinary learning and research among students?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a): National Education Policy 2020 has envisaged a complete re-imagination of how skill education  is offered to students. This  policy  recommends  integrating  skill  education programmes into mainstream education in all education institutions in a phased manner. Focus areas  for  Skill  education  are  chosen  based  on  skill  gap  analysis  and  mapping  of  local opportunities.

Under the Skill Education component of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme 'Samagra Shiksha', financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for giving exposure to Skill Education to students of Grades VI to VIII and introduction of Skill courses from Grades IX to XII, which are aligned with National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). At the Secondary level i.e., Class IX and X, skill modules are offered to the students as an additional subject. At Sr. Secondary level, i.e., Class XI and XII, skill courses are offered as a compulsory (elective)

subject. The exposure of vocational education at upper primary level is imparted to school students by implementing 10 bagless days and internships. So far 138 Job Roles (JRs) / Skill subjects have been approved to be offered to class 9 to class 12 school students. Employability Skill module has been included in the curriculum of JRs which includes Communication Skills, Self-Management Skills, Information and Communication Technology Skills, Entrepreneurship Skills, and Green Skills. For instance, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has implemented Artificial Intelligence as a skill course which was introduced in Class VIII from 2020-21 onwards and extended up to Class XI including VI and VII from 2024-25 session as skill modules as offered by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). KVS has also taken up pre-vocational skills such as carpentry, pottery, electrical work etc. from the year 2022-23 onwards as fun course for the student of Classes VI to VIII and is implementing skill subjects from Class IX to XII as per the guidelines by CBSE. In 2023-24, 350 KVs have already been onboarded for providing Skill training to In-School/Out of school youth under Pradhan Mantri  Kaushal  Vikas  Yojana  (PMKVY)  4.0  for  promoting  skill  development  in  schools, aiming to equip students for the demands of 21 st century knowledge economy. So far, 10249 candidates have been registered and being trained for PMKVY 4.0.

The  Government  has  formulated  the  National  Credit  framework  (NCrF),  a  single framework for seamlessly integrating the credits earned through learning in its all dimensions, such as from school education, higher education and skill education. This framework enables establishing equivalence and mobility between general education and skill education so that lifelong  learning,  recognition  of  prior  learning,  multiple  entry  and  exit,  and  continuous professional  development are  encouraged in the  system. Students can earn  credits for skill education training, allowing them for transition between skill and general education through Bachelor  in  Vocation  (B.  Voc.)  programmes.  NCrF  integrates  skill  and  formal  education, allowing students to earn academic credits for skill-based learning. Universities and colleges have  introduced  skill-based  certificate,  diploma  and  degree  courses  in  areas  such  as  AI, Robotics, Green Energy, and Digital Technologies. Partnerships with industries, start-ups, and research organizations, especially by the Skill Universities, enable students to engage in realworld problem-solving.

(b): In pursuance to enhance the digital readiness of the students, National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) which is a comprehensive framework supporting digital infrastructure, e-learning  content,  and  assessment  systems,  is  being  implemented.  Online  courses  and educational TV channels catering to skill development are being offered on platforms, like Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA), Study Webs of Active Learning for

Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), and NDEAR for teachers and students. The National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers' Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) provides digital training for teachers to integrate technology into classrooms.

Schools and colleges are equipped with state-of-the-art digital infrastructure for skillbased learning. They are equipped with interactive smartboards, AI-based learning tools, and virtual  labs  to  promote  technology-driven  learning.  For  instance,  3095  Jawahar  Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) have been converted into smart classrooms. Furthermore, KVS has also integrated  smart  classrooms,  Information  and  Communication  Technology  (ICT)  labs, language  labs,  Atal  Tinkering  Labs  (ATL)  and  digital  resources  to  enhance  students' technological readiness in schools, ensuring equitable access to quality education.

(c): The Government of India, under the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, has taken several  steps  to  promote  interdisciplinary  learning  and  research  at  both  school  and  higher education  levels.  These  initiatives  encourage  students  to  integrate  multiple  disciplines, fostering creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills.

Higher  education  institutions  (HEIs)  now  offer  flexible  undergraduate  courses  with multiple entry-exit options and an emphasis on interdisciplinary research. The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) allows students to accumulate and transfer credits across different courses and institutions, supporting interdisciplinary mobility.

Universities  are  now  encouraged  to  become  multidisciplinary  institutions  offering courses that integrate science, arts, humanities, and vocational subjects. Programmes, like Atal Tinkering  Labs  (ATL)  in  schools  and  Fellowships  in  Colleges  and  Universities  encourage students  to  work  on  STEM,  social  sciences,  and  humanities  research.  Institutions  are  also encouraged to collaborate across disciplines, forming research hubs focused on emerging areas like AI, sustainability, and biotechnology.

The University Grants Commission  (UGC)  facilitates the students to pursue interdisciplinary courses remotely in line with the guidelines on Open and Distance Learning (ODL). The guidelines are available at https://deb.ugc.ac.in/Home/Regulations?Year=2020.

*****