One of the provisions of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) is the introduction of the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC). ABC will allow students of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses to exit the course and enter within a stipulated period.
“Academic Bank of Credits shall deposit Credits awarded by Registered Higher Education Institutions, for Courses pursued therein, in the Academic Bank Account of the student and the validity of such credits shall be as per norms and guidelines issued by the Commission from time to time,” a statement from the University Grants Commission (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank Of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021, read.
“Provided that ABC shall not accept any document pertaining to course credits directly from students and shall entertain such documents as valid only when the same are transmitted by the respective, Registered Higher Education Institution awarding the credits,” it added.
Academic Bank of Credits shall provide to every student the facility to open unique or individual Academic Bank Account in digital form; and the account holder shall be provided with a unique ID and access to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
The ABC Regulations intend to give impetus to blended learning Mode, allowing students to earn credits from various HEIs registered under this scheme and through SWAYAM, an online repository of courses. The student can earn up to 50 per cent credits from outside the college/university where she/he is enrolled for the degree/diploma programme.
Courses undergone by the students through the online modes through National Schemes like SWAYAM, NPTEL, V-Lab etc. or of any specified university, shall also be considered for credit transfer and credit accumulation.
Credits obtained by students by undergoing Skill-courses from Registered Higher Education Institutions offering vocational Degree or Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma or Certificate programmes are also eligible for accrual and redemption of credits through the Academic Bank of Credits.
However, the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) has said that the ABC Regulation 2021 will only lead to the dilution of degrees, further adding that these policies ignore the key ideas of equity, quality, access and efficacy.
“In their total advocacy of online/virtual solutions, they overlook the following: a) the digital divide of - access (class, caste, gender, region, rural/urban), and affordability (for the affluent/poor); b) the Dilution of rigor and intensity of courses; and c) impact on working conditions of teachers with fluctuating workload which will lead to loss of employment and casualisation / contractualisation,” read a statement from DUTA.
