Good news for undergraduate students! The University Grants Commission (UGC), the apex body that looks after the functioning of higher education institutions, has announced the curriculum and guidelines for Life Skills 2.0 (Jeevan Kaushal). The curriculum has been planned taking into consideration the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which highlights the role of offering crucial life skills to students for their overall development. The curriculum endeavors to assist students in comprehending their true potential and becoming socially responsible citizens.
Prepared by UGC in 2019, the life skills curriculum erstwhile consisted of four modules:
- Professional Skills
- Communication Skills
- Leadership and Management Skills
- Universal Human Values
To further add to this curriculum UGC has added new modules. They include:
- Digital Ethics and Cyber Security
- Digital Literacy and Social Media
- Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
- Managing Personal Finance
- Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills
- Constitutional Values, Justice, and Human Rights
The latest curriculum has been prepared to be flexible considering the unique frameworks of different Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It puts impetus on the learning outcomes, objectives, and activities for each course in a student-centric manner. Talking about the practical approach of the curriculum, it consists of methods such as:
- Audio-Video creation
- Role-Playing
- Individual and group activities
- Case studies
- Demonstrations
- Observations
- E-learning links
The life skills have been segregated into three fundamental categories that supplement, complement, and reinforce each other. These categories are:
| Social or Interpersonal | Creative/Thinking | Emotional |
| Communication | Problem-solving | Managing Stress and Emotions |
| Assertiveness | Critical Thinking | Resisting Peer Pressure |
| Cooperation | Creative Thinking | |
| Empathy | Decision Making | |
| Self-Awareness |
On a larger scale, life skills have been segregated into four areas:
- Professional Skills
- Communication Skills
- Universal Human Values
- Leadership and Management Skills
These skills hold utmost importance for success in professional, social, and personal life, augmented with Justice, Universal Human and Constitutional Values, and Human Rights.
Purpose of the latest Life Skills Curriculum
The intent of the Life Skills (Jeevan Kaushal) courses is to make sure that graduate students can take care of their personal, interpersonal, and professional lives completely notwithstanding their discipline. Each course carries two credits, contributing eight credits to the entire range of courses. These courses draw parallels with foundational courses and are provided across disciplines.
Irrespective of whether you take it as independent 2-credit courses in individual semesters or in groups of two, students have to comply with the credit requirements for each course. Credit loads for these courses shall not surpass 4 in a single semester (2 courses at a time).
Available in Online and Offline mode
Faculty members should teach these courses with appropriate credentials and aptitude for providing the skills. HEIs have to ensure qualified faculty members. Students can learn these courses in online and in person while making sure that the students have the right opportunities and environments to gain the skills.
Conclusion
The latest life skills curriculum is a welcome step by the UGC. It will not only embolden the holistic growth of undergraduate students as an individual but will also create a pool of young talents who are socially responsible and sensible citizens. Apart from this, the new curriculum will contribute immensely to making graduates job-ready and life-ready.
