New Delhi : The National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), convened the first meeting of its Research Advisory Committee (RAC) under the chairpersonship of Smt. Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, MSDE and Chairperson, NCVET. The meeting marks a significant step towards institutionalising research and evidence-based policymaking in the vocational education and training ecosystem.
The meeting brought together
eminent experts and representatives from government, academia, industry, think
tanks, and research organisations including NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Labour
and Employment, the Directorate General of Training (DGT), Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, National
Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Tata Institute of Social Sciences
(TISS), Ashoka University, National Institute of Educational Planning and
Administration (NIEPA), Young Lives India, among others.
The Committee deliberated on
defining short, medium, and long term priorities to guide its future work. Key
focus areas of discussion included strengthening institutional collaboration,
consolidating research efforts across organisations, enhancing regulatory
effectiveness, and promoting knowledge-sharing through journals, conferences,
lecture series, and related initiatives. The Committee also underscored the
importance of greater participation of States in such forums.The discussions
further highlighted the need for broad guiding frameworks on skill gap
analysis, adoption of emerging technologies and integrated solutions, and
bringing more youth perspectives into the skilling agenda. The Committee
will meet quarterly to review progress and chart future priorities.
The Research Advisory
Committee has been constituted to guide the establishment and
operationalisation of a dedicated Research Division within NCVET. The proposed
Division aims to function as a national knowledge and research hub for
vocational education and skill development, supporting policy formulation,
regulatory reforms, quality assurance, labour market analysis, and assessment
systems through credible and data-driven research.
Smt. Debashree Mukherjee,
Chairperson, NCVET reaffirmed the need for evidence based policy designing and
added, “As India moves towards becoming a global skill capital, research and
data-driven insights will play a critical role in shaping responsive and
future-ready skilling policies. The Research Division of NCVET is envisaged as
an important institutional mechanism to support innovation, quality assurance,
and long-term strategic planning in the VET ecosystem.”
Further, speaking on the
occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Gaba, Executive Member , NCVET said, “The
establishment of the Research Advisory Committee is a significant step towards
creating a robust evidence base for India’s skilling ecosystem. A dedicated
research framework within NCVET will enable informed policy decisions,
strengthen regulatory mechanisms, and contribute towards building globally
benchmarked vocational education systems.”
The establishment of the
Research Division was approved in principle during the 12th Meeting of the
NCVET Council held in January 2026 and subsequently ratified by the General
Body of NCVET. The Research Advisory Committee will provide strategic guidance
to the Division in defining research priorities, strengthening collaborations,
and ensuring alignment with national and global best practices.
The initiative reflects
NCVET’s commitment to strengthening the quality, credibility, and
responsiveness of India’s vocational education and training ecosystem through
institutionalised research and evidence-based governance.