India’s universities rethink learning as AI reshapes higher education

India’s higher education is entering a defining phase as reforms push universities to rethink what learning should mean in the era of artificial intelligence.

With laptops and smartphones giving instant access to vast amounts of data, the traditional role of universities as knowledge custodians is under pressure.

What matters now is not how much a student can memorize but whether they can reason, evaluate, and create meaning out of information.

The Indian government has already set the scaffolding for this transition with the National Credit Framework (NCrF), the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) under DigiLocker, the draft National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF), and UGC’s regulations for online, blended, and apprenticeship-based learning.

Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) are also working to align qualifications with industry standards. But experts say the framework will remain ineffective unless universities overhaul student engagement, pedagogy, assessments, and the responsible use of technology.

“For the purpose of credit calculations under the National Credit Framework (NCrF), 30 notional learning hours will be counted as one credit,” the Gazette notification states.

One full academic year equals 40 credits or 1,200 hours, regardless of whether learning happens in classrooms, labs, or apprenticeships.

This allows fieldwork, oral defenses, and reflective journals to be treated with the same rigor as lectures, creating space for genuine evaluation over rote memorization.

The framework also emphasizes flexibility. Learners can enter or exit at multiple stages, stack micro-credentials, and transfer credits through ABC.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) formally acknowledges skills gained outside classrooms, allowing working professionals to count workplace learning toward degrees.

This could change how India balances formal education and industry expertise.

Yet, for credits to have meaning, the quality of learning matters. Experts stress that universities must create Learning Engineering Cells, teams of faculty, instructional designers, and data scientists analyzing learning outcomes to drive improvements.

Analytics should be used to enhance teaching rather than just track compliance.

Artificial intelligence is at the center of these reforms. Students already use AI daily, but most institutions lack clear policies for responsible use.

Experts recommend Senate-approved AI policies, faculty training in AI pedagogy, and mandatory AI literacy courses under NCRF.

Curricula should be co-designed with SSC standards so that graduates are ready for industry demands.

Without this, India risks producing students adept at using AI tools but unable to apply critical reasoning in professional settings.

The framework also recognizes non-traditional learning. Community service, apprenticeships, and extracurriculars are now valid for earning credits.

UGC has pushed Apprenticeship-Embedded Degree Programs in sectors like BFSI, IT-ITeS, hospitality, and logistics, ensuring on-the-job training translates into academic value.

At the same time, boundaries remain. Programs in healthcare and allied sciences cannot be offered online or through ODL from 2025, a reminder that quality and safety cannot be compromised.

But adoption remains uneven. Many universities still treat these reforms as paperwork rather than tools for innovation.

The call is clear: map programs to NHEQF outcomes, define modular micro-credentials, credit prior learning, align with SSC standards, integrate AI literacy, and document teaching improvements through analytics.