The Union education ministry on Wednesday said it will consider the training recruits (Agniveers) receive under the new recruitment model Agnipath for the short-term induction into the armed forces as credits for undergraduate programmes to help them pursue civilian careers.
The Cabinet Committee on Security on Tuesday cleared the Agnipath scheme to recruit personnel for four years with a provision to retain 25% of them in the regular cadre for 15 more years after another round of screening.
The ministry said Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will offer special three-year skill-based bachelor’s programmes for the personnel recognising the training received during their tenures in the armed forces.
The Army, Navy and Air Force will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with IGNOU for the implementation of the scheme. Under the scheme, 50% of the credits required for a degree will be based on the skill training - both technical and non-technical - the Agniveers receive. “And the remaining 50% will come from a basket of courses that cover a wide variety of subjects like languages, Economics, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Mathematics, Education, Commerce, Tourism, Vocational Studies, Agriculture and Jyotish, as also Ability Enhancement Courses on Environmental Studies and Communication Skills in English,” the ministry said in a statement.
The programmes are aligned with University Grants Commission (UGC)’s norms and the National Credit Framework/ National Skill Qualification Framework mandated under the National Education Policy 2020. “It also has provision for multiple exit points – Undergraduate Certificate on successful completion of the first-year courses, Undergraduate Diploma on successful completion of the first-and second-year courses, and Degree on completion of all the courses in a three-year time frame,” the ministry said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}The programmes are aligned with University Grants Commission (UGC)’s norms and the National Credit Framework/ National Skill Qualification Framework mandated under the National Education Policy 2020. “It also has provision for multiple exit points – Undergraduate Certificate on successful completion of the first-year courses, Undergraduate Diploma on successful completion of the first-and second-year courses, and Degree on completion of all the courses in a three-year time frame,” the ministry said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}Regulatory bodies including the All-India Council for Technical Education, National Council for Vocational Education and Training and UGC have recognised the framework. The ministry said the degrees will be awarded as per UGC nomenclature and be recognised in India as well as abroad.