200 C​ommunity colleges from 2013: MHRD

Ministry of human resource development (MHRD), announced the launch of around 200 community colleges from the 2013 academic session.

Community Colleges (CC) have been in India for some time now without much success. To make it count the ministry of human resource development (MHRD), in association with AICTE has announced the launch of 200 CC across the country under the National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework (NVEQF) programme.

The pilot CCs aim at improving employable skills of learners, providing them opportunities for flexible quality learning at low cost, multiple exit-entry and community based lifelong learning.

These colleges would function from existing colleges/polytechnics, which have been identified by the state/union territories. Combining skills with general education, they will offer modular credit-based programmes relevant to the local employment market with active industry involvement in terms of design, development and delivery of the curriculum including hands-on practical training.

The NVEQF scheme has 10 levels. Levels 1-4 are up to class XII, 5-7 complement the graduation programme, levels 8 and 9 are those of the Master's level and level 10 is equivalent to the doctoral level.

A common curriculum has been fixed and the focus of each year is on skill component as well as general education. Within each year the hours for skill development as well general education have been allocated. With each level, the component of skill/vocational education increases and that of general education decreases.

Colleges will consult industry through the Sector Skill Council (SSC), constituted by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), for development of curriculum and evaluation of skills. However, till SSCs prescriptions are available, the pilot CCs will develop their curriculum on the lines of the model curriculum in 12 sectors developed by AICTE in consultation with the relevant industry.