S. Vishnu Sharma
UGC Notification 2020, University Grants Commission (UGC) invites applications from educational institutions who wish to start fresh skill-based programmes during the forthcoming academic year for seeking the required approval. Institutions trying to seek extension for their ongoing or existing programmes can also apply.
UGC Notification 2020 further says educational institutions must be aiming to offer skill based programmes in form of certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, B.Voc., PG Diploma, M.Voc and Research Degree level courses.
Or, they should already be conducting skill based programmes at the earlier mentioned levels.
UGC Notification 2020
Only those institutions are eligible to apply which come under Section 2 (f) of the UGC Act, 1956. UGC Notification 2020 further says the guidelines for providing skill based education under National Skills Qualificatin Frame Work have been revised and the same are available on the UGC website ‘www.ugc.ac.in’
UGC Notification 2020 mentions that approval for the programmes to be started in the academic year 2020-21 will be as per these guidelines.
As far as funding is concerned, UGC Notification 2020 says educational institutions coming under Section 12 B of UGC Act are eligible to receive development grant from UGC.
As per the revised UGC Guidelines, an eligible institution can receive one time start up assistance only for starting fresh courses. Start-up assistance will not be provided for existing courses.
One time start up assistance will be provided for developing the infrastructure, setting up of laboratories, workshops facilities, procurement of teaching and learning materials, machineries, equipments and renovation of buildings. This
will not cover any new construction.
Institutions which receive extension of their programs will also be eligible for financial assistance for faculty, as mentioned in the revised UGC Guidelines, says UGC Notification 2020.
Institutions willing to apply to seek approval or extension for the existing courses can apply online, according to UGC Notification 2020. To apply, educational institutions can logon to ‘https://nsqf.ugc.ac.in/’
The first stage of the application process is registration. The institution needs to have a valid e-mail id for registration.
UGC Notification 2020 mentions that institutions must note that the e-mail id is going to be used for all future communication purposes.
Only one online application for all the courses (both fresh and ongoing courses) needs to be submitted by the institution.
Before commencing the process of application, institution needs to keep with them information like Name, designation, mobile number and e-mail id of the Head of the Institution.
Name, designation, mobile number and e-mail id of the Coordinator, coordinator may be any staff member identified by the institution to coordinate the functioning of the skill courses.
This person can also work as the single contact point for UGC and other concerned bodies for the skill courses. Institutions applying for a fresh course must also upload a brief proposal (in not more than 1000 words).
This proposal should primarily include the rationale for introducing the course, availability of relevant industry, market survey undertaken in order to assess the feasibility and potential for employment generation.
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UGC Notification 2020 further says even MoU with relevant industry must also be uploaded. The document should specifically mention the areas in which the industry will collaborate with the institution and it should have the signatures of the competent authorities from both the parties.
A mere letter of intent from one party or both parties will not be acceptable. The MoU should be valid at the
time of application. The last date to apply is 30 June.
Point to remember
UGC Notification 2020 says that the institutions should go through all the information carefully before clicking the final ‘submit’ button.
Once the application is successfully submitted, no further addition / deletion of course and modification of other details will be allowed. Institution will submit only one application irrespective of number of courses applied for, says UGC Notification 2020. Institutions applying for seeking approval or extension need not send any hard copy of the application, says UGC Notification 2020.
Complete information about the application process and conditions for applying can be obtained on this url ‘https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/5557669_Details-regarding-call-for-applications.pdf’