Academic Bank of Credits" means an academic service mechanism as a digital/virtual/online entity established by University Grants Commission to facilitate students to become its academic accounts holder, thereby paving the way for seamless students’ mobility between or within degree granting HEIs through a formal systems of credit recognition, credit accumulation, credit transfer and credit redemption to promote distributed and flexible teaching learning.
ABC is a bank for academic purposes on the patterned of commercial banks for financial purposes with students as academic account holders to whom ABC shall provide a variety of services including credit verification, credit accumulation, credit transfer or redemption and authentication of academic awards.
2) Is there any regulation governing the establishment?
Yes, UGC has issued a regulation namely the University Grant Commission (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021.
For availing the facility of ABC stakeholders (Students, HEIs) are requested to go through these regulations.
3) Who can avail the facility of ABC?
Students belonging to eligible Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) can avail the facility of ABC.
4) What are the eligibility criteria for Higher Educational Institutions (HEls) to register with ABC?
Universities and Autonomous Colleges satisfying sub-regulation (2) of regulation 1 i.e. “…… all Universities in India established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act or a State Act; the institutions Deemed-to be Universities declared as such under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956); and the Autonomous Colleges as defined in these regulations”, and the Institutions of National Importance as declared by the Government of India and specially empowered by an Act of Parliament to confer or grant degrees.
5) How to know accreditation status of Institutions?
Accreditation status of the institutions can be verified from the respective institutions. Usually, such type of information is available on the website of the institutions.
6) Only eligibility of the Institutions is sufficient to avail the facility of ABC?
No. Eligible institutions are required to get themselves registered on ABC platform, fulfilling the provisions mentioned in University Grant Commission (Establishment and Operation of Academic Bank of Credits in Higher Education) Regulations, 2021.
7) From which academic year the facility of ABC would be applicable?
Credits obtained by undertaking Courses in Registered HEIs during or after the academic year 2021-2022 alone are eligible for Credit transfer, Credit accrual and credit redemption through academic bank of credits.
8) What are the functions of ABC?
Academic Bank of Credit shall deposit credits awarded by registered HEIs for courses pursued therein, in the Academic Bank Account of the students and the validity of such credits shall be as per the norms and guidelines issued by the UGC from time to time.
ABC shall not accept any document pertaining to course credits directly for students and shall entertain such documents as valid only when the same are transmitted by the respective, registered HEIs awarding the credits.
9) How much credits a student can earn from parent institution (i.e. the institution awarding the degree or diploma or certificate) ?
Students shall be required to earn at least 50% of the credits from the parent institution where he/she is enrolled for a programme.
10) Can ABC award Degree /Diploma /certificate?
No. ABC is a facility for credit accumulation transfer and redemption. Degree / Diploma / Certificate shall be awarded by the registered HEIs.
11) What is an Academic Credit?
Credit means the Standard Methodology of Calculating one hour of theory or one hour of tutorial or two hours of laboratory work, per week for a duration of a semester (30-15 weeks) resulting in the award of one credit; which is awarded by a higher educational institution. Credits for internship shall be one credit per one week of internship, subject to a maximum of six credits.
12) What is meant by “Credit-Accumulation?
Credit-accumulation" means the facility created by ABC in the Academic Bank Account opened by students in order to transfer and consolidate the credits earned by them by undergoing courses.
13) What is Credits – recognition?
Credits-recognition" means the credits earned through a registered Higher Educational Institution and transfer directly to the ABC by such HEIs.
14) What is Credits-Credits-transfer?
Credit-transfer" means the mechanism by which registered HEIs are able to receive or provide prescribed credits to individual Academic Bank Accounts in adherence to the UGC credit norms for the course undertaken by students enrolled in any registered HEIs within India.
15) What is “Credit-redemption?
Credit-redemption” means the process of commuting the accrued credits in the Academic Bank Accounts of the students maintained in ABC for the purpose of fulfilling the credits requirements for the award of Degrees or Diplomas or Certificates or course work for Ph.D. programmes etc. by the registered degree awarding HEIs.
16) What exactly is the Academic Bank of Credits platform for and how can it be of use for the students?
The ABC platform is a virtual repository or credit database built along the lines of the National Academic Depository, created and maintained by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, that would "store" the credit scores obtained by students in an online platform. Students will have their own accounts, each with their own ABC ID, as well as a dashboard where they can track their credit accumulation, transfer requests, and credit history. Students can also perform credit transfer initiation requests and a follow-up view request status effectively, just like in a traditional bank. In a nutshell, the ABC will make it easier to recognise, transfer, and redeem credits.
17) What is Academic Bank Account?
Academic Bank Account means an individual account with the Academic Bank of Credit opened and operated by a student, to which all academic credits earned by the student from course(s) of study are deposited, recognised, maintained, accumulated, transferred, validated or redeemed for the purposes of the award of degree / diploma / certificate etc by an awarding institution.
18) How can a student sign up on the Academic Bank of credits portal?
Students can register by logging in at www.abc.gov.in. In addition, a complete user manual with step-by-step instructions and screenshots can be seen in the ABC portal's Resources section.
19) For how long will the ABC accumulated credits be available in the system?
Credits deposited in the ABC platform will be valid for a maximum of seven years or the duration specified for a given discipline.
