A Study of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Gross Enrollment Ratio in Indian Higher Education

Learning can be gained in a variety of ways in which Recognition of Prior Learning is the one important area. Recognition of Prior Learning or ''RPL`` as per National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF), is the process of recognizing previous learning, often experiential, towards gaining a qualification. RPL in higher education is a process intended to assess the applicant students’ past experience, gained through formal, non-formal or informal learning with an objective to recognise their previous achievements formally and award appropriate credits. The main objective of the paper is to explore the possibilities of implementing RPL in the higher education system in India by giving value to the skills and competencies people have acquired through formal or informal learning. The study is exploratory in nature and based on primary and secondary data. The main findings of the study indicate that the RPL in higher education is one of the recommended drivers that can help India to achieve its target of 50% GER by 2035. The research has found that by recognizing the experience of the individuals and systematically mapping it with the outcomes of various NSQF Levels will have a positive impact on productivity, innovation and entrepreneurship.