Now, All Higher Education Institutions In India To Allow Multiple Entry, Exit Options For Students

The centre has brought all recognised higher education institutions under the ambit of the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) by amending regulations from 2019.

The amendments will now enable students to switch between institutions and multiple entries and exits to and from the course.

What Is An ABC Platform?

The ABC framework is a part of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and this amendment will allow higher education institutions, irrespective of their rankings or accreditation, to maintain a digital repository of credits earned by their students.

Under this framework, students can choose to study one course in a year in one institution and switch to another one the following year. It also allows them to pursue online programmes and earn credits. While mandatory under NEP 2020, institutions have an option of adopting it at a time of their choice, Hindustan Times reported.

ABC will keep records of the academic credits of a student. The university will create an account of academic credit for each student enrolled in UG courses across the country. To use this account, students will have to register themselves first. After that, they would be provided with a unique ID and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to use their accounts, according to News18.

No credit course document will be accepted directly from the students for any course they might be pursuing, but only from higher education institutes, who tend to make deposits in the accounts of students. A student will get marks or a credit score against the course they have studied. For instance, studying chemistry in the first semester gives students five credits, then these credits will be added and students will be able to join from the second semester onwards (if they leave the course).

So far, 18 higher educational institutions have registered to implement the ABC system. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the platform on the first anniversary of NEP 2020.

On July 28, 2021, the University Grants Commission (UGC) notified ABC and issued the UGC Regulations, 2021.

Amendments In Regulations

On January 12, the commission directed all universities and colleges and informed them about the changes made in the regulations. "It was felt that the universities and autonomous colleges satisfying sub-regulation 2 of regulation 1 and the institutions of national importance as declared by the Government of India and specifically empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees, irrespective of their NAAC or NIRF ranking should be able to participate and register in the academic bank of credits. In this regard, the amendments were notified in the Gazette of India on December 28, 2021," the order stated.

The July 28, 2021, regulations, made it mandatory for higher education institutions that received 'A' grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) or listed in the top 100 National Institutions Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, to apply for ABC.

However, as per the UGC (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2021, now any college or university, irrespective of ranking, can participate and register to fall under the ABC framework, including both central and state universities, deemed-to-be universities and autonomous institutions.

The UGC has requested all the higher education institutions to take appropriate steps for joining ABC platform at the earliest. In addition, it requested the universities and other institutions to make the students aware of the ABC facility and encourage them for opening Academic Bank Account.

Officials at the UGC said that a total of 40 central universities are already planning to adopt ABC platform. " ABC gives freedom to students to choose the pace of their studies, tailor their degrees, and enable multiple entry-multiple exits to complete their degrees according to their time preferences. It was essential that all higher education institutions be allowed to adopt it," a senior official wishing anonymity told Hindustan Times.

Abha Dev Habib, member of the Delhi University Teachers Association, said that ABC would reduce the role of teachers and universities. "It will damage the education and growth of students. Universities are known for their course curriculum and syllabi. No good university should allow deviation from its prescribed structure and syllabi. ABC Regulations aim to reduce grants to public universities by reducing costs on hiring of teachers and pushing students to online mode of education in the name of "choice," she said.

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