A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between NIElIT and AICTE in the presence of Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Communications & IT and law and Justice and Chairman, GC, NIElIT and Dr MM Pallam Raju, Union Minister of Human Resource Development, besides other dignitaries including Ashok Thakur, IAS, secretary, Department of Higher Education, MoHRD and Rajiv Gauba, IAS, additional secretary, DeitY, Amita Sharma, IAS, additional secy, HRD and RK Upadhyay, CMD, BSNl.
It was signed in an event on government-public initiative for skill-building through the National Vocational Educational Qualification Framework (NVEQF) and EETP (Employability Enhancement Training Programme) in the IT and Telecom sector held on November 26 at the Ashoka Convention Centre. In his inaugural address, Kapil Sibal appreciated the efforts of NIElIT and AICTE for the alignment of NIElIT courses with the NVEQF, which would provide a unique opportunity to the citizens and the youth in the far-flung areas of India to pursue quality education at very economical cost in the area of IECT with the added benefit for the students to pursue higher qualifications after undergoing a NIElIT course. The National Vocational Educational Qualification Framework (NVEQF) designed by AICTE is an open/flexible system which permits individuals to accumulate their knowledge and skills, and convert them through testing and certification into higher diplomas and degrees. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NIElIT and AICTE for the conduct of NVEQF aligned NIElIT ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels of courses, at par with level 5 and level 7 of the framework, certifies that these courses provide competency based skills as defined under the National Vocational Educational Qualification Framework (NVEQF). The NVEQF aligned NIElIT courses, which would be offered as “NIElIT Certified IT Professional (NCITP)”, shall provide the required impetus by ensuring cross mobility of standards and qualifications between the non-formal and the formal sectors of education. Under this framework, the NIElIT accredited centres shall perform the role of ‘Skill Knowledge Providers’ to provide skill training in IT and ITeS sectors.