The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) held the second meeting of its Research Advisory Committee (RAC) on 8 October 2026 under the chairpersonship of Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Chairperson, NCVET, and Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

The meeting was attended by Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Gaba, Executive Member, NCVET; Lt Col Saurabh S. Bisht, Director, NCVET; and representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, NITI Aayog, Directorate General of Training, National Institute of Labour Economics Research and Development (NILERD), research organisations, and the participating States and Union Territories of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir.

The Committee reviewed the progress made since its first meeting, held on 20 May 2026, and deliberated upon the future priorities of NCVET’s Research Division.

Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Chairperson, NCVET, said: “Building a strong research ecosystem for India’s vocational education and training sector calls for innovation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to evidence-based decision-making. The discussions explored new approaches to strengthening NCVET’s Research Division, identifying priority areas, and encouraging partnerships with research institutions, government organisations, and other stakeholders. The participation of States is an important aspect of this initiative. We look forward to translating these deliberations into meaningful research and sustained collaboration that can inform policy and strengthen the vocational education and training ecosystem.”

Lt Col Saurabh S. Bisht, Director, NCVET, presented an update on the activities undertaken since the previous meeting. The Committee discussed NCVET’s proposed annual research agenda and emphasised the need to distinguish between studies that could be undertaken in the immediate term and longer-term research, including longitudinal and impact studies. It also highlighted the role of the Research Division in commissioning and facilitating quality research in collaboration with research institutions and other stakeholders.

The Committee reviewed the work undertaken to develop a common knowledge repository of research relevant to the vocational education, training and skilling sector. Members also discussed the possibility of developing a digital platform to improve access to research outputs and facilitate the documentation and dissemination of good practices.

The draft NCVET Research Scheme Guidelines were considered during the meeting. Members emphasised that the guidelines should be simple, practical, aligned with NCVET’s mandate, and capable of encouraging participation by academic and other relevant institutions. The possibility of supporting research through grants and fellowships was also discussed.

Members further discussed the development of an annual calendar of lectures and webinars on themes such as skill-demand forecasting, measurement of skill-development outcomes, and other priority areas relevant to the sector.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of bringing together research, evidence, and diverse stakeholder perspectives to inform policy, strengthen regulation, and improve outcomes across India’s vocational education, training and skilling ecosystem.

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