Govt begins process of preparing SOP to determine ‘equivalence’ of scores

Govt begins process of preparing SOP to determine ‘equivalence’ of scores

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:12.12.2021

In order to address the difficulties faced by students related to the ‘equivalence certificates’ issued by their secondary/senior secondary boards for the purpose of admissions in higher education institutions and also for employment, the ministry of education has now entrusted the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for this.

At present, there is no formal mechanism to determine “equivalence” of scores obtained by students of different education boards.

The SOP will ensure that “the applicant school education board is following the Right to Education (RTE) Act, extant National Curriculum Framework (NCF), and is National Education Policy-compliant and that the teachers in schools affiliated to the board possess qualifications as laid down by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)”.

Equivalence will be granted based on fulfilment of the SOP. The AIU has constituted a 10-member committee comprising representatives from the UGC, AICTE, NCERT, CBSE and NIOS, among others. AIU secretary general Pankaj Mittal said, “There are times when during enrolment in institutions or jobs, the institutions are not sure whether this is a valid board, or whether the certificates issued have equivalence with other boards.

Till now, we (AIU) have been doing the equivalence of foreign boards like the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International with Indian boards. For Indian board, there is an informal arrangement with the COBSE (Council of Boards of School Education in India). But there is no formal arrangement so far. So for the first time this formal arrangement has been made by the ministry of education and AIU has been given the responsibility to do the equivalence. It’s a big task for which are going to develop the SOP on how to determine this equivalence.”

There are more than 60 boards in India and the number is growing. Ashok Ganguly, former CBSE chairperson said there is wide disparity in respect to curriculum design, transaction and evaluation.

“There must be some sort of uniformity so that students moving from one board to other or moving vertically for university admissions,” said Ganguly. “After NEP1986, an attempt was made via the Professor Amrik Singh Committee. The 1992 report made certain path recommendations for improving the functioning of the boards and their equivalency but nothing was put into place after that. COBSE came into being after this as the apex suggestive body.