UGC invites suggestions on draft curriculum, facilitators' guidelines on Life Skills

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has invited suggestions from teachers, students, researchers, and all stakeholders on “Draft Curriculum on Life Skills” and “Draft Facilitators’ Guidelines for Life Skills Curriculum” developed to impart soft skills to undergraduate students in colleges and universities. The stakeholders can send their feedback or suggestions by March 10.

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“In 2018, UGC had developed a “Curriculum on Life Skills (Jeevan Kaushal)” under its quality mandate initiative to impart life skills to undergraduate students. This curriculum has been revised as per the recommendations of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. UGC has also prepared a “Facilitators’ guidelines for the curriculum on life skills” for the effective implementation of this curriculum,” said a UGC statement.

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Life skills such as communication, cooperation, teamwork and resilience are one of the fundamental principles of the NEP 2020 to guide both the education system at large, including the individual institutions, it said.

Draft Life Skills curriculum

The Life Skills programme will have the following courses:

• Course 1: Communication Skills
• Course 2: Professional Skills
• Course 3: Leadership and Management Skills
• Course 4: Universal Human Values

The duration of the life skills programme is 120 hours and total credits are 8.

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Draft facilitators’ guidelines for life skills curriculum

General guidelines to facilitate the facilitators:

• Facilitators shall identify experts, practitioners in the subject, skill, values for transaction
• of these modules from within the institution, or external resources from other HEIs, Industries, enterprises and NGOs including philanthropic societies
• Facilitators have the flexibility to redistribute the number of hours allocated to each course over the different modules as they deem fit depending on the learning requirements of the learners.
• Each module suggests methods for assessment. Facilitators may choose alternative methods if they so choose.
• Facilitators must ensure experiential learning for teaching the modules.
• The facilitator or institution may choose all or some of the additional (in course 4) modules keeping in mind the level and specific needs of learners.
• Participation in community service and/or in apprenticeship programmes wherever feasible will be considered integral to holistic education.