Lok Sabha Question No. 38 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Skill-Based and Vocational Education in School Curriculum
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Sanjna Jatav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. - 38

ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## Skill-Based and Vocational Education in School Curriculum

†*38. Smt. Sanjna Jatav:

- Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a)  the  details  of  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  include  skill-based  and  vocational education in the school curriculum in the country; (b)  the  manner  in  which  the  National  Curriculum  Frameworks  alignment  is  being  ensured with the vision of holistic education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the country; (c)  the  details  of  measures  implemented  by  the  Government  to  assist  States  in  developing teaching resources in regional languages; (d) the impact of adopting mother tongue as the medium of instruction on the early childhood
- education outcomes; and
- (e) the mechanisms in place to monitor the implementation of these reforms in the States?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (E) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 38 FOR REPLY ON 02.02.2026 ASKED BY SMT.  SANJNA  JATAV,  HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF  PARLIAMENT  REGARDING 'SKILL-BASED AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOL CURRICULUM'

(a): As envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Union Government has integrated skill/ vocational education into the school curriculum to foster employability, dignity of labour, and work-related capacities from foundational levels.

The  National  Curriculum  Framework  for  School  Education  (NCF-SE),  aligned  with  NEP 2020, institutionalizes skill education by integrating it directly into the middle and secondary stages to ensure parity with academic subjects. Adequate learning hours have been allocated for  engaging  the  students  with  vocational  crafts  to  build  foundational  skills  and  practical awareness and to develop grade appropriate skill competencies.

In pursuance of NEP 2020, the Government has introduced the concept of 10 bagless days during  Grades  6  to  8  to  promote  experiential  learning  through  practical  activities. A  skill subject  has  been  introduced  in  the  Middle  stage  (Grades  6  to  8)  to  provide  practical  work experience  through  a  project-based  learning  approach  and  ensure  integration  of  skill education  into  the  curriculum.  In  the  middle  stage,  students  engage  in  hands-on  projects across  three  work  forms  -  life  forms,  machines/materials,  and  human  services  -  to  build transferable skills like persistence and collaboration, without specializing. As a follow up to the  NCF-SE,  Ministry  of  Education  through  NCERT  has  developed  textbooks  for  skill education (Kaushal Bodh) for classes VI to VIII. Schools are promoting local knowledge and practical  skills  through  'Lok  Vidya'  by  exposing  learners  to  the  practical  as  well  as theoretical aspects related to art, handicrafts, natural farming, tourism, etc.

At the secondary level (grades 9 to 12), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed curriculum and textbooks for employability skills, which are embedded across all skill courses. The skill curricula and textbooks developed by NCERT are  based  on  the  job  roles  in  various  sectors,  under  the  National  Skill  Qualifications Framework (NSQF), which is a quality assurance framework.

The Union Government provides financial assistance for the implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha. Skill/Vocational Education is one of the components under Samagra Shiksha scheme, under which financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for giving exposure to Skill Education to students of Grades 6 to 8 and introduction of Skill courses  from  Grades  9  to  12,  which  are  aligned  with  the  National  Skills  Qualifications Framework (NSQF). At the Secondary level i.e., Grade 9 and 10, skill modules are offered to the  students  as  an  additional  subject.  At  Sr.  Secondary  level,  i.e.,  Grade  11  and  12,  skill courses  are  offered  as  a  compulsory  (elective)  subject.  So  far,  138  Job  Roles  (JRs)  /  Skill subjects have been approved to be offered to class 9 to class 12 school students.

Regular  teacher  training  programmes  for  skill  teachers/trainers  are  being  organized  to enhance their practical teaching and training skills in their domain. They also gain industry experience and exposure to the latest technologies and practices.

Digital resources for skill-based education have been created for combining online theoretical learning  with  offline  practical  sessions  to  ensure  comprehensive  skill-based  education through the integration of general education with skill education.

The  NCERT  has  developed  e-learning  materials,  videos,  and  virtual  skill  labs  (VSLs)  to expand access to skill  education, especially where physical resources are limited, ensuring that all students can develop practical, job-ready skills alongside academic learning.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) offers 22 skill subjects in classes 9-10 and 43 in classes 11-12 to upgrade the skills and proficiency of the young generation and explore the various career options available.

(b): The NCF-SE 2023 translates the vision of the NEP 2020 by providing stage specific,  subject  specific  and  learner  development  related  guidelines  in  terms  of  content, resources,  pedagogical  understanding  and  guidelines,  school  based  and  systems-based requirements, assessment mechanisms and so on. The detailed document of NCF-SE provides goals, curricular competencies and learning outcomes, time allocation, teacher competencies and requirement, etc. for realising the vision of the NEP.

The NCF-SE 2023 emphasises the development of cognitive, emotional, social, ethical, and physical  capacities  of  learners  and  this  is  being  achieved  through  the  integration  of  arts, sciences,  languages,  sports,  value  education,  and  skill  education  without  rigid  disciplinary boundaries.  Integration  of  skill  education  with  the  general  education  promotes  critical thinking,  creativity,  problem-solving,  life  skills,  and  experiential  learning,  thus  ensuring holistic  development  of  children.  This  integration  is  aimed  at  equipping  students  with practical  knowledge  of  agriculture  through  project-based  learning,  both  in  rural  and  urban areas. Students will learn about what people do in various vocations in rural and urban areas and  will  be  exposed  to  future  career  prospects,  thereby  promoting  local  empowerment through education. The NCF emphasises holistic assessment systems (e.g., progress reports focusing  on  reporting  holistic  achievements  assessment  of  the  children,  rather  than  purely depending on marks through paper and pencil tests or exams). These reforms are guided by NCF and aligned with NEP's vision of capturing multiple dimensions of learner's growth.

(c) & (d): National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020  promotes  all  Indian  languages  in school  education  through  multi-pronged  strategies  by  developing  textbooks  and  materials, teacher development programmes and working with states and school systems at the national and state levels. The Government is assisting States in developing textbooks through NCERT in all 22 scheduled Indian languages and English, and making them available at https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php .  NCERT  is  also  working  closely  with  State  agencies  for development of language and content textbooks in State languages, along with primers and multilingual foundational-stage resources such as Jaadui Pitara, both in physical and digital forms. To promote multilingualism, nationwide initiatives such as Bhasha Sangam, Bhartiya Bhasha  Utsav,  and  Bhartiya  Bhasha  Summer  Camps  are  being  implemented  in  schools. Teacher capacity is being strengthened through large-scale training under National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers for Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA), including modules on multilingual and mother tongue-based pedagogy. Further, in line with NEP 2020, adoption of the  mother  tongue/home  language  as  the  medium  of  instruction  at  the  Foundational  and Preparatory Stages, CBSE has issued circular to all CBSE- affiliated schools vide which the medium of instruction at the Foundational and Preparatory stages must be the child's home language,  mother  tongue  or  a  familiar  regional  language.  CBSE  has  also  directed  that  the learning  outcomes  expected  at  this  stage  are  predominantly  oral  and  experiential.  The language here includes formal reading, writing and begins with the recognition of letters and basic word formation.

The NEP in its para 4.12 clearly states that as research clearly shows that children pick up languages extremely quickly between the ages of 2 and 8 and that multilingualism has great cognitive benefits to young students, children will be exposed to different languages early on (but with a particular emphasis on the mother tongue), starting from the Foundational Stage onwards.

(e): Education  is  in  the  Concurrent  list  of  the  Constitution  and  State  Governments/UT Administrations  have  established  monitoring  mechanism.  As  far  as  Centrally  Sponsored Schemes  Samagra  Shiksha  and  Pradhan  Mantri  Schools  for  Rising  India  (PM  SHRI)  are concerned, these are in alignment with NEP 2020. The States/UTs prepare annual plans as per  their  requirements/  priority,  and  the  same  is  reflected  in  their  respective  Annual  Work Plan  and  Budget  (AWP&B)  proposals,  as  per  norms  of  Samagra  Shiksha  scheme.  These plans  are  then  appraised  and  approved  by  the  Project  Approval  Board  (PAB)  in  the Department of School Education & Literacy in consultation with the States and UTs as per the programmatic and financial norms of the scheme and physical and financial progress of the  States/UTs  for  the  interventions  approved  earlier.  This  Department  has  PRABANDH (Project  Appraisal,  Budgeting  Achievements  and  Data  Handling)  System.  One  of  the important features of the PRABANDH System is the updation of Expenditure incurred under the different interventions of the Samagra Shiksha. Regular interactions between Centre and State/UT  Government  are  held  for  sharing  of  vital  information  and  resolution  of  any persistent issues. As such periodic discussions/review meetings are scheduled to monitor the physical  and  financial  review  of  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Samagra  Shiksha.  In addition, a mid-term review is also undertaken with the States/UTs to monitor the progress of implementation of the scheme.

*****