Objective
Globalisation of education and economy has led the University Grants Commission (UGC) to reorient and reshape its policies and programmes to make the current Indian Higher Education System more relevant and career-oriented with focus on quality and excellence. It is envisaged that professionally qualified graduates with a sound knowledge of their core disciplines and expertise in a concerned skill will have more openings in service, industry and self-employment sectors. Demand and scope for such professionally trained graduates are visible in the applied fields of almost all basic/core disciplines and faculties in the current changing global scenario and is likely to increase in the futurel The objective of this scheme is to introduce career and market-oriented, skill enhancing add-on courses that have utility for job, self-employment and empowerment of the students. At the end of three years, the students will be equipped with a CertificateyDiloma/Advanced_DiplgmaJjn an add-on orientation course along with a conventional degree in Science/Arts/ Commerce
Introduction
The UGC initiated a major programme of vocationalisation at undergraduate level during VHIth Plan (1994-95). The scheme was designed to ensure that graduates who pass out after completing these courses would have knowledge, skills and aptitude for gainful employment in the wage sector in general and self-employment in particular. Since the inception of the scheme and until the end of the IX Plan, 2,124 Colleges and 38 Universities have been provided assistance for the introduction of Vocational Subjects involving a total grant of more than Rs. 200 crore during this period (1994-2003).
The UGC has decided to recast the vocationalisation programme at undergraduate level under a modified scheme of CAREER ORIENTED PROGRAMME. The UGC would like to introduce a flexible system of certificate/ diploma/advanced diploma programme, which will run parallel to the conventional B.A., B.Com. and B.Sc. degrees. The Universities/Colleges may formulate their own, 'Need-Based', career-oriented courses based on the guidelines suggested by the UGC. The course content of the identified subjects has to be framed by the Universities on the pattern suggested by the UGC.
The institutions should offer a wide range of career-oriented subjects in various related areas. Some of the indicative courses for Science streamjcould be Information and Computer Technology, Refrigeration, Biotechnology, Hospital Waste Disposal Management and Sericulture etc. For the Social Sciences and Humanities streams, the courses could be of inter-disciplinary nature viz. Applied Sociology, Applied Psychology, Tourism, Fashion
Designing, Translation Proficiency, Television andJVideo tfiFCommerce stream, courses could be in Insurance, Banking, e-Commerce 11 World Trade, Foreign Exchange Trade, Retailing etc. The courses offered 11 should be of inter-disciplinary nature. There should be no watertight compartments and students should have the freedom to diversify into various fields not necessarily related with their core discipline. For instance, a student pursuing a bachelors' degree in a Science subject could side by side pursue a course in Event Management. Similarly a student with Arts background may have the option to pursue a course in Science Journalism.
Target/Eligibility
All Colleges and Universities recognized by the UGC under Section 2 (f) and 12 (B) of UGC Act, 1956 are eligible for implementing the scheme of Career-Oriented Programme.
Nature of assistance available under the scheme
The assistance available in this programme is only in the form of a one-time grant as 'Seed Money'. The amount may be utilized for the purchase of books and journals, augmentation of laboratory facilities, equipment and payment of remuneration to the Guest faculty only.
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