University Grants
Commission (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank Of Credits in Higher
Education) Regulations, 2021[1] [28th
July, 2021] In exercise of the powers
conferred by clauses (f) and (g) of sub-Section (1) of Section 26 of the
University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the University Grants Commission with
the approval of the Central Government hereby makes the following regulations,
namely:— (1) These Regulations may be
called the University Grants Commission (Establishment and Operation of
Academic Bank Of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021. (2) These Regulations shall
apply to all Universities in India established or incorporated by or under a
Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act; the institutions Deemed-to be
Universities declared as such under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission
Act, 1956 (Act 3 of 1956); and the Autonomous Colleges as defined in these
regulations. (3) They shall come into force
from the date of their notification in the Gazette of India. In these Regulations,
unless the context otherwise requires,— (a) “Act” means the University
Grants Commission Act, 1956 (Act 3 of 1956); (b) “Academic Bank Account”
means an individual account with the Academic Bank of Credits opened and
operated by a student, to which all academic credits earned by the Student from
course(s) of study are deposited, recognised, maintained, accumulated,
transferred, validated or redeemed for the purposes of the award of
degree/diploma/certificates etc. by an awarding institution; (c) “Academic Bank of Credits”
means an academic service mechanism as a digital or virtual or online entity
established by the Commission with the approval of the Central Government, to
facilitate students to become its academic account holders, thereby paving the
way for seamless student mobility between or within degree-granting Higher
Educational Institutions through a formal system of credit recognition, credit
accumulation, credit transfers and credit redemption to promote distributed and
flexible teaching-learning; (d) “Academic Flexibility”
means the provision for innovative and interchangeable curricular structures to
enable creative combinations of Courses or Programmes in Disciplines of study
leading to Degree or Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma or Certificate of Study
offering multiple entry and multiple exit facilities, while removing rigid
curricular boundaries and creating new possibilities of life-long learning; (e) “Autonomous college” means
any institution, whether known as such or by any other name, accorded with
autonomous status by the Commission upon the recommendations of the affiliating
university and the State Government concerned, by virtue of which it provides
for a course or programme of study with academic and innovative flexibility for
obtaining any qualification from a university; and which, in accordance with
the Statutes and Ordinances of such university, is recognised as competent to
provide for such course or programme of study and present students undergoing
such course or programme of study for the examination leading to the award of
such qualification; (f) “Commission” shall have the
same meaning as assigned to it in clause (a) of Section 2 of the Act; (g) “Course” means one of the
specified units which go to comprise a specified programme of study; (h) “Credit” means the standard
methodology of calculating one hour of theory or one hour of tutorial or two
hours of laboratory work, per week for a duration of a semester (13-15 weeks)
resulting in the award of one credit; which is awarded by a higher educational
institution on which these regulations apply; and, Credits' for internship
shall be one credit per one week of internship, subject to a maximum of six
credits; (i) “Credit-accumulation” means
the facility created by Academic Bank of Credits in the Academic Bank Account
opened by students in order to transfer and consolidate the credits earned by
them by undergoing Courses; (j) “Credits-recognition” means
the credits earned through a registered Higher Educational Institution and
transferred directly to the Academic Bank of Credits by such Higher Educational
Institution; (k) “Credit-redemption” means
the process of commuting the accrued credits in the Academic Bank Account of
the students maintained in ABC for the purpose of fulfilling the credits
requirements for the award of Degrees or Diplomas or Certificates or Course
work for Ph.D. programme etc., by the registered degree-awarding Higher
Educational Institutions; (l) “Credit-transfer” means the
mechanism by which the Registered Higher Educational Institutions are able to
receive or provide prescribed credits to individual Academic Bank Accounts in
adherence to the University Grants Commission credit norms for the ‘course/s’
undertaken by students enrolled in any Registered Higher Education Institution
within India; (m) “Higher Education
Institutions” means the institutions which are empowered to award degrees by
themselves or in accordance with Section 22 of the Act; (n) “Professional Standards
Setting Body” means a regulatory or principal body created, established or
constituted under an Act of Parliament for determining and maintaining
standards in the relevant areas of higher education; (o) “Programme” or “Programme
of study” means a higher education programme pursued for a degree specified by
the Commission under sub-section (3) of Section 22 of the Act; (p) “Registered Higher
Education Institution” means an eligible Higher Educational Institution which
is registered by the Academic Bank of Credits, under these regulations; (q) “Statutory authority” means
statutory bodies of higher educational institutions, such as the Governing
Council or Executive Council or Syndicate or Board of Management or Academic
Council, competent to take decisions on behalf of the institution. (r) “Student” means a person
admitted to, and pursuing, a specified credit-based course/programme of study
in a higher education institution. (1) Academic Bank of Credits,
shall be a national-level facility to promote flexibility of curriculum
framework and interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary academic mobility of
students across Higher Education Institutions in the country with appropriate
credit transfer mechanism created through these regulations and shall
facilitate students to choose their own learning path to attain a Degree or
Diploma or Post Graduate diploma or academic qualification, working on the
principle of multiple entry-multiple exit as well as any-time, any-where, and
any-level learning. (2) Academic Bank of Credits
shall enable the integration of multiple disciplines of higher learning, leading
to the desired learning outcomes including enhanced creativity, innovation,
higher order thinking and critical analysis. (3) Academic Bank of Credits
shall provide significant autonomy to students by providing extensive choice of
courses for a programme of study, flexibility in curriculum, novel and engaging
course options across a number of higher education disciplines or institutions. (1) To promote student
centricity with learner-friendly approaches in higher education across the
country and promote a more inter-disciplinary approach in higher education. (2) To enable students to
select the best courses or combination of courses to suit their aptitude and
quest for knowledge. (3) To permit students to choose
a pace for their studies along with the associated logistics and costs. (4) To allow students to tailor
their degrees or make specific modifications or specialisations rather than
undergoing the rigid, regularly prescribed degree or courses of a single university
or autonomous college. (5) To enable multiple
entry-multiple exit for students to complete their degrees as per their time
preferences, providing mobility across various disciplines and HEIs for Degree
or Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma or Certificate programme or Course work for
the Ph.D. programme. (6) To support, procedurally,
the teaching-learning activities to happen in a distributed and blended manner
through integration across campuses or universities or autonomous colleges with
increased mobility. (7) To facilitate lifelong
learning amongst all, i.e., formal and informal students from both full-time
and part-time modes. (8) To satisfy the students'
quest for knowledge, freedom to choose and change their academic directions,
connect different domains of knowledge and help them acquire the right
foundations and building blocks to pursue their life goals. (1) Academic Bank of Credits
shall be a digital or virtual or online store-house entity of academic credit
data base of Higher Education Institution with students as its stakeholder. (2) Academic Bank of Credits
shall be established, on the lines of the National Academic Depository shall
have a dynamic website providing all details of Academic Bank of Credits and
its operational mechanism for the use of all stakeholder of higher education. (3) Academic Bank of Credits
shall be a bank for academic purposes, on the pattern of commercial banks for
financial purposes, with students as academic account holders to whom, the
Academic Bank of Credits shall provide a variety of services including credit
verification, credit accumulation, credit transfer or redemption and
authentication of academic awards. (4) Authentication of credits
or academic awards by Academic Bank of Credits shall not, in any way, be
construed as encroachment on the statutory powers of Higher Education
Institutions registered with Academic Bank of Credits to award degrees and
other academic qualifications. (5) ABC shall act as the body
empowered by the Central Government or the Commission, as the case may be, to
provide authenticated records of credits earned by students from Registered
Higher Education Institutions. (6) The requirement of credits
as well as essential components of study for award of any Under Graduate or
Post Graduate or diploma or certificate, or the Course work requirements for
the Ph.D. programmes shall be as prescribed by Registered HEIs. (7) Academic Bank of Credits
shall provide to every student the facility to open unique or individual
Academic Bank Account in digital form; and the account holder shall be provided
with a unique ID and access to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). (1) Academic Bank of Credits
shall deposit Credits awarded by Registered Higher Education Institutions, for
Courses pursued therein, in the Academic Bank Account of the student and the
validity of such credits shall be as per norms and guidelines issued by the
Commission from time to time: Provided that ABC shall not
accept any document pertaining to course credits directly from students and
shall entertain such documents as valid only when the same are transmitted by
the respective, Registered Higher Education Institution awarding the credits. (2) ABC shall register Higher
Education Institutions under these regulations, ensure the opening, closure and
validation of Academic Bank Accounts and shall also ensure credit verification,
credit accumulation, and credit transfer or redemption for students; apart from
promoting its role among stakeholder. (3) Courses undergone by the
students through the online modes through National Schemes like SWAYAM, NPTEL,
V-Lab etc. or of any specified university, shall also be considered for credit
transfer and credit accumulation. (4) The functions of ABC are
not limited to distance or a non-contact mode; and shall extend to amalgamation
of various existing and futuristic teaching-learning models and it may also
consider credits obtained by students in assessments for theory or practicals,
if the same are offered as separate credit courses. (5) The norms in respect to the
curriculum content, curriculum transaction, educational technologies for the
courses offered, their timing, continuous evaluation methods, attendance and
novel methods of assessment shall be as decided by the Registered Higher
Education Institution, and shall be consistent with the overarching policy and
philosophy of holistic, multidisciplinary education under National Education
Policy-2020. (6) In the interests of students,
credits earned and deposited with ABC shall be valid for the purpose of
redemption to a degree or diploma or Post Graduate diploma or certificate, for
varying duration as specified by the credit awarding and credit accepting
Higher Education Institution subject to a maximum duration of seven years. (7) Academic Bank of Credits
shall encompass all higher education programmes coming under the purview of the
Commission, the All India Council of Technical Education, and the National
Council of Teacher Education; credits in professional programmes of study in
respect of other disciplines may be included with the approval of the
appropriate professional standards setting body and the Central Government. (8) Academic Bank of Credits
shall also facilitate the credit recognition and credit redemption process for
students who may opt, according to their individual choice, for all courses,
not falling in any particular subject domain, but fulfilling the total credits
requirement for the Under Graduate degree to be awarded by a Registered Higher
Education Institution and such Under Graduate degree to be awarded by the
Higher Education Institution may be specified by the Commission. (9) In addition to the choice
based courses to be undertaken by the student as a part of the specific higher
education programme in Registered Higher Education Institutions, students shall
also have freedom to take additional courses of their aptitude, beyond the
curriculum prescribed for such degree programme, and accrue credits in their
respective Academic Bank Account: Provided that Registered
Higher Education Institutions may award diploma or certificate against credits
accrued in respect of courses undertaken by students beyond the prescribed
curriculum. (10) Credits obtained by
students by undergoing Skill-courses from Registered Higher Education
Institutions offering vocational Degree or Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma or
Certificate programmes are also eligible for accrual and redemption of credits
through the Academic Bank of Credits. (11) Credits obtained by
undertaking Courses in Registered HEIs during or after the academic year
2021-2022 alone are eligible for Credit transfer, Credit accrual and Credit
redemption through Academic Bank of Credits. (12) For carrying out the
purposes of the Academic Bank of Credits, the Commission may provide such
financial and administrative assistance to the Academic Bank of Credits, as it
may deem fit. (1) Universities and Autonomous
Colleges satisfying sub-regulation (2) of Regulation 1, which are accredited by
either National Assessment and Accreditation Council with minimum ‘A’ Grade or
by National Board of Accreditation for at least three programme(s) with a
minimum score of 675 individually (however, if the number of programme(s) being
run by the Institution is less than three, then each of the programmes should
secure 675 or more marks); or top 100 National Institutional Ranking Framework
(NIRF) or similar Assessment and Accreditation body(ies) to be established by
Government of India from time to time or those Indian Higher Education
Institutions appearing in top 1000 world ranking of Quacquarelli Symonds
(QS)/Times Higher Education (THE); Institutions of Eminence or Institutions of
National Importance as declared by Government of India are eligible to register
with Academic Bank of Credits. (2) Accreditation or ranking
status must be valid at the time of registration with Academic Bank of Credits. (3) HEIs shall obtain approval
from their respective statutory authorities such as the Governing or Executive
Council or Syndicate or Board of Management or Academic Council etc., to apply
for registration with Academic Bank of Credits. (4) Registered Higher Education
Institutions shall be required to admit students to individual courses, in
addition to their admissions to full degree programmes: Provided that in order to
avoid overcrowding in a course(s) of any Higher Education Institution, such Higher
Education Institution shall be permitted to have additional (supernumerary)
seats in such course(s), subject to prior approval by the appropriate
professional standards setting body: Provided further that in
respect of courses, not coming under the purview of any professional standards
setting body the Registered Higher Education Institution may, subject to
availability of required infrastructure, create supernumerary seats with the
approval of its statutory authorities: Provided also that,
Registered Higher Education Institution may also offer a set of Courses,
exclusively for the purpose of the Academic Bank of Credits Scheme. (5) Registered Higher Education
Institution shall have the appropriate educational infrastructure in terms of
audio-visual facilities, e-resources, Virtual classrooms and studios etc., and
specifically high bandwidth internet connectivity to support ODL or On-line
courses or programmes and other infrastructural facilities for face to face
theory or practical/or training courses as specified, from time to time, under
the relevant University Grants Commission Regulations and/or Statutes or
Ordinances of the Higher Education Institution. (6) A Registered Higher
Education Institution shall have a webpage on its website containing details of
the facility of Academic Bank of Credits, list of all Registered Higher
Education Institutions, guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures for the
students to utilise the facility effectively, along with a link to the website
of Academic Bank of Credits. (1) Academic Bank of Credits is
essentially a credit-based, and highly flexible, student-centric facility. (2) Registered Higher Education
Institutions shall, with the approval of their statutory authorities, amend the
extant Ordinances relating to, inter alia, Course registration, Course
requirements, acceptance for inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary courses,
Credits to be offered to such courses, Credit transfers and Credits acceptance
from other approved Higher Education Institutions, nature of grades to be
awarded etc. (3) Registered Higher Education
Institutions shall encourage and enable students to customise or design their
own degrees utilising Courses selected by the student from among courses
offered by one or more of the Registered Higher Education Institutions: Provided that, the student
shall be required to earn at least fifty per cent of the credits from the
Higher Education Institution awarding the degree or diploma or certificate: Provided further that, the
student shall be required to earn the required number of credits in the core
subject area necessary for the award of the degree or Diploma or Certificate,
as specified by the degree awarding Higher Education Institution, in which the
student is enrolled. (4) Students availing
flexibility under the facility of ABC provided in sub-regulation (3) are
entitled to subscribe only to Courses of their choice and aptitude, so as to
enable them to accumulate credits and not to the entire Programme of study
leading to the award of a degree by the Registered Higher Education
Institution. (5) The ABC shall maintain a
dynamic online directory of Higher Education Institutions which satisfy the
eligibility criteria stipulated under Regulation 7. (6) Every Registered Higher
Education Institution shall provide student counselling and guidance to all
students desirous of opening an Academic Bank Account with Academic Bank of
Credits, in regard to the details of utilisation of the services of Academic
Bank of Credits in terms of Credit definition, Credit accumulation, Credit
transfer, Credit redemption as well as in respect of the opening, closure and
validation of Academic Bank Accounts of students where such requests are
recommended through the parent University or Autonomous colleges which are
already registered with Academic Bank of Credits. (7) Credits earned by students
shall be deposited in the respective Academic Bank Account with ABC and shall
be valid for not exceeding seven years as specified by the credit awarding
institutions and subject to its acceptance by the Registered Higher Education
Institution awarding academic qualifications, for the purpose of commutation of
credits for the award of any Degree or Diploma or Certificate: Provided that once any
credit is redeemed for the award of the aforementioned academic qualification,
such credit shall be irrevocably debited from the respective student's Academic
Bank Account. (8) Where a student fulfils the
norms of sufficiency of total number of credits and of the nature of credits,
approved by a Registered Higher Education Institution for the award of the
specified Degree or Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma or Certificate, the
student shall be eligible for such award by that Higher Education Institution. (9) Once used, or redeemed,
Credits earned by a student cannot be re-used for the award of any other formal
academic qualifications. (10) With the approval of its
statutory authorities, a Registered Higher Education Institution shall be
encouraged by Academic Bank of Credits to apportion the structure of courses
offered by it as core courses or core electives or open electives or skill
enhancement electives or ability enhancement electives etc. with appropriate
credit requirements, in order to promote multi-disciplinary or
interdisciplinary higher education. (11) In awarding academic
qualifications etc., Registered Higher Education Institutions shall follow the
norms and guidelines, in regard to the number of credits and duration of time,
stipulated from time to time by the Commission or the professional standards
setting body, as the case may be: Provided that in respect of
time duration, a student pursuing academic qualifications under the Academic
Bank of Credits facility may, after earning the stipulated credits, avail a
relaxation of a maximum of one semester, provided the duration of the course or
programme is of two-years or more (Four semesters or more). (12) A Registered Higher
Education Institution may fix its Course fee based on the number of credits of
a course for which the student is enrolled. (13) The Higher Education
Institution shall pay a fee for registration as an eligible institution under
these regulations, which shall be determined with the prior approval of the
Central Government or the Commission, as the case may be. (1) It shall be the
responsibility of Registered Higher Education Institutions, to monitor the
development and operationalisation of the Academic Bank of Credits programme at
the university level and at the level of their affiliated autonomous colleges. (2) Registered Higher Education
Institutions shall offer teacher or staff training, mentoring, academic and
administrative audit and other measures for improving the quality of
performance of the Academic Bank of Credits facility and promotion of
holistic/multidisciplinary education with the support of Academic Bank of
Credits, which may be in the form of Faculty Development Programmes or Quality
Improvement Programmes or Professional Development Programmes or Technology
Inculcation Programmes. (3) The Quality assurance of
the implementation of Academic Bank of Credits at the level of the registered
university or autonomous college shall be developed by the University or
autonomous college concerned either through the Internal Quality Assurance Cell
(IQAC) or any other appropriate structured mechanism as may be decided by the
Registered Higher Education Institution. (4) Every Registered Higher
Education shall upload, annually, on its website, a report of its
activities vis a vis the Academic Bank of Credits, as well as of
measures taken by it for Quality assurance, Quality sustenance and Quality
enhancement. (5) There shall be an Academic
Bank of Credits-Grievance Redressal Mechanism at the level of Central
Government/University Grants Commission/Academic Bank of Credits, and at the
level of every Higher Education Institution registered with Academic Bank of
Credits to address the grievance/appeals of students. Where a Registered Higher
Education Institution fails to fulfil the conditions or requirements prescribed
under these regulations, the Commission may, after providing a reasonable
opportunity of being heard, direct the institution to rectify the deficiency
within such period of time as may be stipulated by the Commission and on
failure on the part of the Higher Education Institution to do so, terminate the
registration of such institution from Academic Bank of Credits and, in
addition, cease to provide grants under the Act, where such grants are
admissible to the institution. Any question as to the
interpretation of these Regulations shall be decided by the Commission, and its
decision shall be final and binding in the matter. [1] Vide F. No. 14-31/2018
(CPP-II), Extra., Part III, S. 4, dated 28-7-2021, published in the Gazette of
India, No. 302, dated 28-7-2021.University Grants Commission (Establishment
and Operation of Academic Bank Of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations,
2021