Why in news?

The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently released draft undergraduate curriculums for feedback. However, Opposition-ruled states such as Karnataka and Kerala have raised objections. Both states have formed expert panels to review the drafts before submitting their formal responses.

The UGC has invited comments nationwide, but these objections highlight federal concerns over curriculum design and its alignment with state priorities.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF)
• Key Features of UGC’s Proposed Undergraduate Curriculum
• Integration of ‘Bharatiya’ Knowledge in Draft Curriculum
• Opposition from States over Draft Curriculum

Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF)

• The Learning Outcomes-based Curriculum Framework (LOCF) is an educational model designed to enhance higher education by focusing on outcomes — what students should know, understand, and achieve — rather than just content delivery.
• It was developed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and similar bodies to promote quality, skill-based, and holistic learning.
• Key Components
  • Graduate Attributes: Broad qualities such as intellectual curiosity, problem-solving skills, ethical conduct, and adaptability expected after completing studies.
  • Programme Outcomes: Defined learning outcomes for the entire degree program.
  • Course Outcomes: Specific, measurable outcomes for individual courses, describing what students can do upon completion.
• Goals of LOCF
  • Shift in Focus - Moves away from passive memorisation to active construction and application of knowledge and skills.
  • Student Empowerment - Encourages active learning where teachers act as facilitators rather than mere instructors.
  • Skill Development - Builds critical 21st-century skills like analytical reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving for a tech-driven world.
  • Enhanced Employability - Equips students with industry-relevant knowledge and competencies, improving workforce readiness.
  • Holistic Development - Promotes not only academic knowledge but also values, attitudes, ethics, and lifelong learning, ensuring all-round growth.

Key Features of UGC’s Proposed Undergraduate Curriculum

• The UGC has released draft curriculum frameworks for nine subjects, including anthropology, chemistry, commerce, economics, geography, home science, mathematics, physical education, and political science.
• Designed as Learning Outcomes-Based Curriculum Frameworks (LOCFs), they define the concepts and skills students should acquire.
• Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the drafts envision flexible four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate programmes with multiple exit options.
• They also integrate Indian Knowledge Systems into higher education.
  • Mathematics electives include ‘Kala Ganana’ (timekeeping traditions) focusing on India’s lunar, solar, and lunisolar calendars.
  • Similarly, ‘Philosophy of Indian Mathematics’, introduces the study of Vedas, Vedangas, Puranas, and Darshanas as branches of learning.
• These additions aim to blend traditional knowledge with modern education.

Integration of ‘Bharatiya’ Knowledge in Draft Curriculum

• The new UGC draft LOCFs place strong emphasis on incorporating Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into undergraduate courses.
• For instance, the chemistry curriculum includes a unit on traditional Indian dietary practices from Ayurveda under “food chemistry”, recommending texts like Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing.
• Similarly, the draft commerce curriculum introduces a course on Indian management principles, featuring lessons from the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Vedantic perspectives alongside modern concepts.
• Earlier frameworks lacked such components. Officials clarified that while UGC had issued LOCFs for 38 subjects since 2019 under the choice-based credit system, the rollout of NEP 2020 has prompted a fresh framework.
• According to NEP, a future Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will ultimately set outcome-based frameworks, though it is yet to be established.

Opposition from States over Draft Curriculum

• The draft UGC curriculum has drawn sharp criticism from opposition-ruled states.
• Kerala’s Higher Education Minister labelled it “obsolete,” “unscientific,” and influenced by Hindutva ideology.
• Experts cited references like Ram Rajya in commerce (as part of CSR discussions) and the inclusion of V D Savarkar’s The Indian War of Independence as recommended reading in political science, alongside a separate elective on Savarkar.
• Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister alleged that the framework aims to impose central government ideologies and objected to UGC’s interference in state curriculums.
• However, UGC clarified that universities retain autonomy to adapt or redesign modules.
• In fact, during earlier LOCF rollouts, universities, including the University of Kerala, had revised their courses in line with UGC guidance.