**Executive Summary**
This report outlines the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship's (MSDE) introduction of eight new NSQF-aligned qualifications focused on digital content creation and Artificial Intelligence under the Skill India Mission. These short-duration micro-credentials utilize the National Credit Framework (NCrF) to allow credit accumulation in the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) for educational progression. The initiative follows the NCrF adoption by NCVET on 12 May 2023 and leverages the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) for streamlined delivery and certification.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**New Qualifications and AI Skilling**
* Developed eight National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) aligned qualifications in the "Orange Economy" domain.
* Focuses on emerging areas including AI-enabled design and generative AI.
* Aligned with the National Programme on Artificial Intelligence (NPAI) Skilling Framework to ensure industry relevance.
**Micro-Credentials and National Occupational Standards (NOS)**
* Qualifications are designed as short-duration, credit-linked micro-credentials (MC).
* Learning units start from a minimum duration of 7.5 hours.
* Aims to provide measurable workplace competencies for upskilling, reskilling, and cross-sectoral skilling.
**Credit Framework and Integration**
* Credits earned through skilling are stored in the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) under the National Credit Framework (NCrF).
* Enables the transfer and recognition of learning across school, higher, and vocational education systems.
* NCrF was notified by the UGC in April 2023 and adopted by the NCVET on 12 May 2023.
**Digital Infrastructure and Monitoring**
* The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) serves as a unified interface for course discovery, enrolment, assessment, and certification.
* Provides digitally verifiable credentials and secure digital records to enhance transparency.
* Integrated with Central and State digital systems to support job-matching and program monitoring.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Youth / Candidates**
**Impact**
They gain access to future-ready, industry-relevant skills in AI and digital content creation with the ability to use accumulated credits for higher-level education.
**Action Required**
Candidates should use the Skill India Digital Hub for course discovery and enrolment, and ensure their credits are recorded in the Academic Bank of Credit.
**Training Providers**
**Impact**
Providers benefit from a transparent, large-scale delivery mechanism and a unified digital platform for certification and assessment.
**Action Required**
Training providers must adopt the Skill India Digital Hub platform for delivering programs and issuing digitally verifiable credentials.
**Industry / Employers**
**Impact**
Industry gains a workforce equipped with specific, measurable competencies in emerging technological fields.
**Action Required**
Employers can utilize the Skill India Digital Hub for job-matching services and to verify the digital credentials of potential hires.
Key Entities Referenced
National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF): The national framework that organizes qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills, and aptitude.
National Credit Framework (NCrF): A comprehensive framework enabling the creditisation, accumulation, and transfer of learning across school, higher, and vocational education.
Skill India Mission (SIM): The overarching government initiative aimed at providing industry-relevant skill training to Indian youth through various schemes.
National Programme on Artificial Intelligence (NPAI) Skilling Framework: The specific framework under which eight new qualifications in digital content creation and AI-enabled design were developed.
Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH): A unified digital platform for course discovery, enrollment, assessment, and issuance of digitally verifiable credentials.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
NSQF-ALIGNED QUALIFICATIONS
Posted On: 01 APR 2026 4:16PM by PIB Delhi
Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of
skill development centres/institutes under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
(PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and
Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the
society across the country. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future-ready, equipped with
industry-relevant skills.
A total of eight (08) National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) aligned qualifications have been
developed in the Orange Economy domain for digital content creation in emerging areas such as AI-
enabled design and generative AI, following the notification of the National Programme on Artificial
Intelligence (NPAI) Skilling Framework. These qualifications have been designed as short-duration,
credit-linked micro-credentials to support industry-relevant skilling and facilitate progression within the
NSQF ecosystem.
National Occupational Standard (NOS)/Micro-Credential (MC) defines measurable workplace
competencies, knowledge and skills delivered through focused, flexible learning units for upskilling,
reskilling, cross-sectoral skilling and meeting specific industry needs, starting from 7.5 hours duration.
Also, appropriate provisions under the National Credit Framework (NCrF) have been made such that
credits accumulated by the candidates undergoing skilling in NOS / MC are stored in the Academic Bank
of Credit (ABC), and the same may be utilized for pursuing higher-level educational or skill courses.
The NCrF enables creditisation, accumulation, transfer and recognition of learning across school
education, higher education, vocational education and training. The NCrF was notified by the University
Grants Commission (UGC) in April 2023 and subsequently adopted and notified by the National Council
for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) on 12th May 2023 for implementation within the
vocational education and skilling ecosystem.
Further, the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) has improved access to skilling opportunities by providing a
unified digital interface for course discovery, enrolment, assessment and certification. Through integration
with multiple Central Ministries, State Governments and national digital systems, the platform enables
seamless, secure and verified access to skill development programmes across regions and languages.
Transparency and credibility in assessment and certification have been strengthened through the issuance
of digitally verifiable credentials and secure digital records. The platform has witnessed increasing
adoption by candidates and training providers, thereby supporting large-scale delivery of skilling,
certification and job-matching services in an efficient, transparent and accountable manner, while
strengthening monitoring and implementation of skill development programmes.
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Shri Jayant Chaudhary in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.***
SH
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