NATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK (NHEQF)

Latest Context

Recently, UGC formulated NHEQF to ensure transparency and comparability of higher education qualifications at all levels.

National Higher Education Qualifications Framework

• In the late 1990s, the effort to define frameworks for higher education degrees spread throughout the world, but India was still lacking one.
• The UGC was given the task after a discussion on the proposal took place at the Central Advisory Board of Education's 60th meeting in 2012.
• The NHEQF was developed by the UGC with the intention of promoting transparency and comparability of higher education credentials at all levels. All educational institutions are required to embrace the framework.
• The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 serves as the foundation for the NHEQF and outlines a fresh, forward-thinking vision for India's higher education system.
• Features:

• The framework divides education into eight levels, with the first four falling under the National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF) and the last four applying to higher education qualifications (levels 4.5 to 8). For each level, there is a level descriptor that details the learning outcomes, the volume of learning, as well as the type and title of the qualification.
• The NHEQF offers recommendations for the creation and implementation of study programmes, including those for the design of the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and feedback, as well as programme and course learning outcomes.
• According to the UGC's credit framework paper, each semester must have a minimum of 20 credits.
• According to this document, one credit must include 15 hours of direct instruction and 30 hours of indirect instruction. This implies that students must put in at least 900 hours of study time per semester, or roughly 10 hours per day.
• There are several different qualification kinds that are cross-disciplinary, such as certificates, diplomas, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and PhDs. With the exception of medical and legal education, the NHEQF also incorporates credentials from programmes of technical, vocational, and professional and technological education.
• The processes and standards for the approval, supervision, and evaluation of programmes and qualifications are established, as are the roles and duties of the regulators, higher education institutions, and outside organisations. It also sets the quality assurance framework.

Challenges with the NHEQF

• Multiplicity of Guidelines: The National Credit Framework and the NHEQF are two distinct frameworks that the UGC has recommended. The Academic Bank of Credits is a legislated method for recognising, accepting, and transferring credits across courses and institutions, and it must be implemented by higher education institutions independently. Multiple policies impose restrictions on higher education qualifications.
• Ambiguity: The NHEQF outlines exit requirements, but it is unclear what prerequisites must be met and how a student can attend a programme at a specific level. Confusing eligibility requirements and procedures may affect both students and institutions.
• Lack of Consensus: Even though fields like agriculture, law, medicine, and pharmacy may be governed by different regulatory agencies, they could have been included in the NHEQF if there had been agreement among the various regulating authorities. The absence of agreement could result in a disjointed higher education system and restrict academic mobility.
• Degrees Within a Degree: With a minimal CGPA of 7.5 and a four-year undergraduate degree, the framework looks to establish a hierarchy that makes some individuals eligible for admission to PhD programmes. Given that socioeconomic circumstances frequently affect academic success, this strategy might result in elitism.
• Equating Postgraduate Diplomas and Undergraduate Programs: The NHEQF causes problems by associating postgraduate degrees with undergraduate programmes that last four years, which is misleading, especially for degrees like B.Ed, which can be earned in one, two, or four years. It is challenging to determine the level of degrees that don't fit nicely into this framework's attempt to standardise qualifications on a scale of 4.5 to 10.
• Influence of International Models:

• The European Bologna process and Dublin descriptors are two major influences on the NHEQF.
•  A series of agreements known as the Bologna Process were made between European nations to guarantee the value and comparability of degrees earned in higher education.
•  A system of credentials frameworks called the Dublin descriptors is used to assess applicants for bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees.
• The higher education system in India is more intricate and varied than the one in Europe. The creation of the NHEQF would benefit from more extensive discussions with Indian states.

Way Forward

• To eliminate misunderstanding and streamline the qualifying standards, combine the National Credit Framework and the National Housing Quality Framework into a single comprehensive framework.
• Consultations with the States should be more extensive and in-depth to better reflect the complexity and variety of India's higher education system.
• Create learning objectives that are specific to the higher education system in India while taking socio-cultural and socio-economic considerations.
• Recognise that learning outcomes should include holistic personal and societal development in addition to a narrow focus on employability.
• To avoid elitism in the higher education system, review the requirements for admission to Ph.D. programmes.
• Create a system for continual evaluation and monitoring of the NHEQF so that appropriate improvements can be made when the landscape of higher education changes.

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