The 50th Meeting (Phase I) of the National Skills Qualification Committee (NSQC) was held on 08 July 2026 under the Chairpersonship of Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Chairperson, National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). NCVET is organising the 50th Meeting of the National Skills Qualifications Committee (NSQC) in a phased manner. Phase-I was held on 8th July 2026, while Phase-II will be convened on 15th July 2026 as a special commemorative session in a ceremonial format to mark the Committee's landmark 50th meeting.
The 50th Meeting (Phase I) was attended by Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Gaba, Executive Member, NCVET; Lt. Col. Vikram Singh Bhati, Director, NCVET; members of the NSQC representing Central Ministries and Departments, including the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Labour and Employment; representatives of Awarding Bodies, Sector Skill Councils, industry experts and other key stakeholders. The deliberations focused on strengthening the quality, relevance and responsiveness of skill qualifications while ensuring alignment with industry needs, emerging technologies and national priorities.
During the meeting, the Committee deliberated on proposals relating to the review and approval of Qualifications, National Occupational Standards (NOS), and Micro-Credentials (MCs), revision of qualification criteria, ratification of Qualifications approved through KaushalVerse, adoption of Qualifications by Awarding Bodies, extension of the validity of Qualifications under Government schemes, and initiatives to integrate emerging technologies into the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF). The Committee also reviewed the Action Taken Report (ATR) on the decisions taken in previous NSQC meetings.
A key agenda before the Committee was the revision of qualification criteria for 25 Qualifications of the Telecom Sector Skill Council, following extensive stakeholder consultations with representatives from the telecom industry. The Committee also considered proposals relating to the Healthcare Sector Skill Council, adoption and ratification of Qualifications submitted by various Awarding Bodies, extension of the validity of Qualifications under PMKVY 4.0, integration of Geospatial and Drone Policy Frameworks within the NCVET ecosystem, and enhancement of blended learning in NSQF-aligned Qualifications.
The Committee further considered 100 Qualifications, National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Micro-Credentials (MCs) submitted through the KaushalVerse Portal for NSQF alignment. These comprised 78 Qualifications (33 new and 45 revised), 10 National Occupational Standards (8 new and 2 revised), and 12 Micro-Credentials, received from Awarding Bodies across diverse sectors including defence, infrastructure, logistics, healthcare, electronics, apparel, entrepreneurship, green jobs, water management, aviation and rural development.
The meeting also featured a demonstration by the SIDH–NCVET team of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled tool developed to assist in the identification of relevant Qualifications during the qualification review process. Appreciating the initiative, the Chairperson directed that similar demonstrations be conducted for all NCVET-recognized Awarding Bodies in the coming days to facilitate wider awareness and adoption of the tool. She further advised that the AI-enabled solution be positively leveraged in the qualification submission and evaluation process beginning with the next meeting of the National Skills Qualification Committee.
Speaking at the meeting, Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Chairperson, NCVET, emphasized that through the sustained efforts of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the regulatory framework of NCVET, the skilling ecosystem must continue to promote innovation, strengthen quality assurance and remain closely aligned with industry requirements to build a globally competitive and future-ready workforce. She further highlighted the importance of leveraging digital platforms such as KaushalVerse and emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, to enhance efficiency, transparency and responsiveness in the qualification approval ecosystem while equipping learners with future-ready competencies for an evolving labour market.