The University Grants Commission’s Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework for Undergraduate Education has put the students’ interest at its core, UGC Vice-Chairman Bhushan Patwardhan said.

The National Academic Credit Bank, introduced in December and now part of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, envisages giving students an opportunity to learn according to their own interest.

The NEP is for breaking the silos, even in medical education, and calling for the integration of modern medicine with the ancient systems, such as AUYSH, he said.

“Students have different capabilities. Why can’t we respect that? This is the central focus of the NEP,” he said.It did not mean the institutions had no say in the preparation of curriculum, though. A graduating student must acquire soft skills. The teacher must identify why students’ attainment of a programme is poor. Institutions must verify if the target of the outcome-based education is met, he said. “We are more interested in how the institution is doing. Outcome-based education is student-centric. It is the basic philosophy. We ask the institution to check the shortcomings,” he said.

Mr. Patwardhan was speaking at a webinar on Curriculum Enrichment, hosted by Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, here on Friday. An outcome-based curriculum is designed with the feedback from students, industry, alumni and teachers. Though the basic structure for all institutions is the same, autonomous colleges can vary the curriculum based on regional requirements and the strength of the faculty and institutions, Mr. Patwardhan said.

“If students are underachieving in a programme, it is because the curriculum is not challenging to students,” said K. Rama, adviser to the National Accreditation and Assessment Board Institutions must encourage students to develop skills by offering value-added courses that amount to technical training — humanities or technical.

While curriculum and teaching are central to educational quality, the focus is students’ experience in learning. “What are the types of student experiences; why are students under achieving? To keep students engaged either you can add activities such as field visits, projects, and solving problems — value-added courses are those aimed at encouraging students to develop skills, skill-oriented technical training. Post-COVID-19 would require institutions to consider ‘curriculum compacting’. Since students’ mindsets may have changed, it is necessary to plan and re-plan the quality of curriculum enrichment; remodel value-added courses,” she said.