Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in Maharashtra colleges soon

New Delhi, Jan 8: Maharashtra will soon have choice based credit system at higher education levels while at the school level details of children's academic progress would be sent to their parents through SMS, state higher and technical education minister Vinod Tawde said.

According to a statement, a meeting, to discuss the adoption of Credit Framework for Skills and Choice Based Credit System in colleges and state public universities, was organised by the HRD Ministry.

The new system will be introduced as per the UGC guidelines. The meeting was chaired by the HRD minister Smriti Irani and was attended by Education Ministers of all states.

"Adoption of the Credit Framework for Skills and the Choice Based Credit System would be one of the best ways to bring about changes to meet student aspirations and employment needs. It also signals respect for skills and vocational courses in mainstream higher education, an initiative that will help change the mindset of vocational training being an inferior option."

"The new system would also open up possibilities for students pursuing skills and courses of their choice to enhance their employability," Tawde said at a news conference at Maharashtra Sadan.

The Minister said IIM-Ahmedabad will overlook the affairs of the new IIM, which is to come up in Nagpur. "The IIM Ahmedabad would be the guardian to look into the matters of IIM Nagpur. This would raise the education standards and later some more IIMs would come up," he said.

Tawde said that the government would also launch a pilot project, 'School Darpan Yojana' from the coming academic year. "Initially this scheme would be applicable to schools falling under the purview of Zilla Parishads, Municipal Corporations and Councils.

This policy would oversee student management, scholarship, yearly reports and evaluate it.

The policy also has a feature of informing every parent through SMSes about the child's regular study progress, curriculum and his attendance as well," he said.

Around 3,500 teachers would be shortly appointed under the school education, he added. Assuring that the lecturers will get their pending salaries, Tawde said that he held discussions with the Centre over the issue.

"The wages of some of the lecturers was pending, and debates to clear the same were organized by the Centre and approval to clear the same has been given by the Centre."

PTI