Towards academic equivalence: NIOS to conduct a special examination for ITI pass out trainees

As a major step towards implementing the MoU signed between DGT and NIOS, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) comes up with the following decisions*:

Goal: To put in place a system of academic equivalence for ITI pass outs so that they can attain higher academic qualifications to meet their aspirations.

The partnership between MSDE and NIOS will create vertical and horizontal mobility pathways between the formal and vocational education streams, giving ITI graduates the opportunity to pursue formal education, if they choose to do so. As per the press release a meeting under the chairmanship of honourable Minister of State (I/C) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy was conducted to discuss the detailing of implementation plan for MoU signed between DGT and NIOS.

Points discussed

NIOS will conduct special examination for ITI pass out trainees on 10th – 11TH December, 2016 to initiate implementation of the MoU. The examination will be advertised for wide publicity at national level jointly by NIOS and MSDE.

DGT will take initiative to develop its 26 Central Field Institutes (CFI) across the country as NIOS Study & Examination centres. The Directors / Principals of the CFIs will be sensitized about the process through workshop conducted by NIOS, preferably at NVTI, Noida.

The Directors / Principals of the CFIs shall ensure minimum 80% enrolment of trainees from their respective institutes for the examination

Two options

• Existing students in the ITIs should be able to be a part of this system and their examinations shall be conducted along with All India Trade Tests (AITT). Joint guidelines shall be prepared.
• For already passed out trainees, NIOS shall conduct examination twice a year (in April and November) as per its own schedule.

Honourable Minister Shri Rudy desired that a system be created wherein the ITI trainees shall study the curricula for NIOS subjects during his / her training at an ITI and can appear along with AITT. He emphasized that the system be institutionalized so that the process becomes in-sync with the ITI system and becomes a continuous exercise thereby.

This article is based on the Press Release from MSDE on 2nd September 2016.