The Union Cabinet for Security recently launched a new recruitment scheme for Indian youth to serve in the Armed Forces known as ‘Agnipath scheme’.
The youth selected under this scheme will be called Agniveers and they will serve in the Armed Forces for a period of four years. To equip the youths with future career prospects in the civilian sector, the Ministry of Education will launch a special three-year skill based bachelor degree programme for serving defence personnel that will recognize the skill training received by them during their tenure in the defence establishments.
As per a PIB release, the programme has been designed by IGNOU, 50 per cent of the credits required for a graduate degree will come from the skill training - both technical and non-technical - received by the Agniveer.
The remaining 50 percent will be a basket of courses that covers a wide variety of subjects like languages, Economics, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Sociology, Mathematics, Education, Commerce, Tourism, Vocational Studies, Agriculture and Jyotish, as also Ability Enhancement Courses on Environmental Studies and Communication Skills in English.
“This programme is aligned with UGC norms and with the National Credit Framework / National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) as mandated under the National Education Policy 2020. It also has provision for multiple exit points – Undergraduate Certificate on successful completion of the first year courses, Undergraduate Diploma on successful completion of the first and second year courses, and Degree on completion of all the courses in three year time frame,” the release said.
The framework of the programme has been duly recognized by the concerned regulatory bodies - All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) and UGC. Degree will be awarded by IGNOU as per UGC nomenclature (BA; B. Com.; BA (vocational); BA (Tourism Management), and will be recognized both in India and abroad for employment and education.