Education ministry to recognise in-service training received by 'Agniveers' as credits for graduation

To enhance the future career prospects of 'Agniveers', and equip them for various job roles in the civilian sector, the Ministry of Education will launch a special, three year skill based bachelor degree programme for serving defence personnel that will recognise the skill training received by them during their tenure in the defence establishments.

This comes after the Union Cabinet on 14 June approved an attractive recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the armed forces called 'AGNIPATH' and the youth selected under this scheme will be known as 'Agniveers'. 'AGNIPATH' allows patriotic and motivated youth to serve in the armed forces for a period of four years. The scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the armed forces.

Under this programme that has been designed by IGNOU and will also be executed by them, 50 per cent of the credits required for a graduate degree will come from the skill training - both technical and non-technical - received by the Agniveer, and the remaining 50 per cent 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, read a statement from the Ministry of Education.

This programme is aligned with UGC norms and with the National Credit Framework/National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) as 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 three year time frame.

The framework of the programme has been duly recognized by the concerned regulatory bodies - All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and UGC. Degree will be awarded by IGNOU as per UGC nomenclature (BA; B. Com.; BA (vocational); BA (Tourism Management), and will be recognized both in India and abroad for employment and education, the statement added.

Army, Navy and Air Force will sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with IGNOU for implementation of the scheme.

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