UGC incorporates life skills in revised syllabus

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has unveiled updated directives outlining the implementation of life skills courses designed for undergraduate students. These enhanced guidelines encompass fresh modules on subjects like social media usage, cyber security awareness, cognitive and non-cognitive skill development, effective personal finance management, understanding constitutional values, and nurturing patriotism.

As part of the National Education Policy 2020’s implementation, UGC has shared the updated “Curriculum and Guidelines for Life Skills (Jeevan Kaushal) 2.0” with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). These new guidelines will supersede the UGC’s previously developed 2019 curriculum for Life Skills, which was designed to support undergraduate students.

The revised directives, formulated by a 10-member expert committee, will be presented as elective or optional courses spanning various disciplines. Similar to the earlier guidelines, the commission has categorised life skills into four overarching groups of courses: communication skills, professional skills, leadership and management skills, and universal human values. Furthermore, each individual course holds a value of two credits, collectively contributing to a total of eight credits across the entire spectrum of courses.