FAQs
The Ministry for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has been formed to focus on enhancing employability of the youth through skill development. The Ministry is responsible for co-ordination of all skill development efforts across the country, removal of disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower, building the vocational and technical training framework, skill up-gradation, building of new skills, and innovative thinking not only for existing jobs but also jobs that are to be created. The Ministry aims to Skill on a large Scale with Speed and high Standards in order to achieve its vision of a 'Skilled India'.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is a one of its kind, Public Private Partnership in India, under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). It aims to promote skill development by catalyzing and creation of large, quality, for-profit vocational institutions. NSDC was set up as part of a National Skill Development Mission to fulfill the growing need in India for skilled manpower across sectors and narrow the existing gap between the demand and supply of skills.
Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) are industry-led bodies, who would be responsible for the defining the skilling needs, concept, processes, certification, accreditation of their respective industry sectors. The SSCs prescribe the National Occupation Standards (NOS) and Qualification Pack (QPs) for the job roles relevant to their industry and ensure that these are in accordance with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).
Inspection Agency(IA) or Third Party Inspection Agency is an independent body responsible for evaluating the required parameters set for Training Centres (TC) to conduct the training. IA visits the TC to determine if it meets the Accreditation Standards.
Skill Management and AccReditation
of Training Centres (SMART) is an Information Technology (IT) initiative to create synergies among the stakeholders of the Skill Ecosystem and streamline the skill development initiatives. SMART provides a single window application that focusses on the Accreditation, Affiliation and Continuous Monitoring of the Training Centres (TC) in the Skill Ecosystem and intends to address the important issues like evaluating skill providers in an objective manner, fostering excellence in TCs, and enabling trainees to make informed choices with regard to TCs. SMART facilitates standardized and effective processes with respect to Accreditation, Affiliation, and Continuous Monitoring of the TCs, which shall play a significant role in achieving the desired quality standards across various schemes.
Centre Accreditation is a process that helps in effective management and delivery of the competency-based training aimed at overall development of the trainees. The Centre Accreditation ensures that the Training Centre (TC) has met prescribed qualitative standards, which have been pre-set by the respective SSCs. It involves a combined mechanism of self-evaluation by the TCs and an external evaluation by a Third Party Inspection Agency to determine if the prescribed qualitative standards are met by the TC.
Your Training Provider needs to be registered first on SMART. A Training Centre can apply for Accreditation by:
- Filling the online Centre Accreditation Application Form (CAAF) on SMART, wherein TC needs to provide details of the required parameters, such as Infrastructure, Job Roles, Tools and Equipment. Before you begin the form filling process, it is recommended that you download the static format of CAAF to understand the details/ documents required for successful submission of CAAF.
- Uploading supporting evidences, such as geo-tagged/time stamped data and pictures of the equipment/tools/machinery, by using the mobile application based technology
- Making online payment of the annual Accreditation Fee
Centre Accreditation Application Form (CAAF) is a type of Self-Assessment Report that the Training Centre (TC) is expected to submit. CAAF allows the Inspection Agency to ascertain if the applicant TC provides sufficient evidence and information for scheduling an on-site visit. The Centre has to submit it online in the prescribed CAAF format. The CAAF contains all the relevant evidences/documents/pictures of the required parameters, such as infrastructure, machinery, tools and equipment.
If you are already a Registered Training Provider on SMART, and the Training Centre has been created. You can upload the CAAF data by “ Log in as Training Centre”, enter the Training Centre Id and password, and fill up all the details. The picture data uploading activity will be facilitated through a mobile application based technology, whereby the Training Centre would be able to upload geo-tagged/ time stamped data or pictures.
Following structure of Accreditation Fee is applicable to all the Training Centres that apply for accreditation:
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A Base Cost of INR 20,000. This amount includes the following components :
S no Fee description Fees (Amount in INR) Remarks 1 Annual Accreditation Application Fee 12,000 Cost pertaining to the on-site inspection of the Training Centre 2 Annual Continuous Monitoring Fee 8000 Cost pertaining to Annual Continuous Monitoring that includes surprise visits (if any) and monitoring through various other means, such as Call Validation, Management Information System (MIS) data, and analysis of online reports submitted by the Training Centre. -
Incremental Cost of INR 1000 for each job role, over and above the Base Cost.
Refer to Knowledge Bank for more details
The Inspection Agency reviews the Self-Assessment Request i.e. the Centre Accreditation Application Form (CAAF) submitted by the concerned Training Centre (TC), post which it provides it a status of ‘Deemed Ready’ or ‘Deemed Not Ready’.
- The Deemed Ready status denotes that the Inspection Agency is satisfied with the CAAF, as submitted by the TC.
- The Deemed Not Ready status denotes that the Inspection Agency is dissatisfied with the CAAF the report may beincomplete or incorrect. In such cases, the Inspection Agency sends a communication to the concerned TC that it does not seem to be ready for the on-site visit, giving detailed comments/ justification.
No, the on-site inspection date is provided by the Inspection Agency. However, the Training Centre may request for a change of inspection date only once. The next date, may be deferred to 30 to 90 days or more, considering the Inspection Agency’s pre-scheduled plan to visit other TCs.
Under rare circumstances, if the Inspection Agency fails to reach the Training Centre on the scheduled date, the Training Centre shall be allotted an earliest priority date for onsite inspection.
Yes. The Training Centre (TC) can re-apply. In case of 'Not Recommended for Accreditation status’, the Inspection Agency provides its response with details of non-compliance with the concerned standards. The TC once ready with the compliances as per the Accreditation Standards may re-apply for the accreditation process with a fresh request. The request may or may not be accepted by NSDC, depending upon the reasons of not recommending the Training Centre for accreditation.
An aggrieved Training Centre (TC), which is not satisfied with the result of the accreditation, can file a written representation of appeal to the Appellate Committee, along with a payment of INR 12,000. Training Centre has to make an appeal within 15 days of receiving the result of the accreditation status. The Committee will consider the appeal and make recommendation as per the situation and evidences. The process of making an appeal will be soon be active on SMART.
No, the Appellate Committee’s decision will be final and binding.
The Accreditation of a Training Centre is valid for a period of one year. Refer to Knowledge Bank for more details.
The Grading Methodology involves defining a set of indicators and classifying them into specific categories. The indicators within each category have appropriate weight assigned to them, forming a Grading Metrics. The total score for each category is 100. The overall performance of a Training Centre (TC) would be measured by assigning the scores. The corresponding scores are then converted into grades (represented by a Star rating). Based on band/range of the total percentage as per the scores computed, the TCs shall be graded as 1 to 5 Star where 5 Star denotes the highest grade, and 1 Star the lowest.
Based on band/ range of the total percentage as per the scores computed, the TCs shall be graded as shown in the table, where 5 Star denotes the highest grade, and 1 Star the lowest.
| Percentage of Scores | Grade |
|---|---|
| 85-100 % | 5 star |
| 70- 84 % | 4 star |
| 55 -69 % | 3 star |
| 40 -54 % | 2 star |
| Below 40 % | 1 star |
Affiliation is a method for the Training Centres (TC) to get formally associated with Sector Skill Councils in order to impart training to trainees for specific job roles aligned to NSQF. Accreditation and Affiliation are the measuring scales for the provision of quality skilling by the TCs.
A Training Centre (TC) will get an affiliation with the respective SSC. A TC needs to pay an Affiliation Fees and TC shall be charged an amount of INR 6,000 for every job role affiliation with the respective SSC. The entire affiliation fee is payable to the respective SSC. Only an accredited TC can apply for affiliation.
Yes. Though, Centre Accreditation is a voluntary process. It is, however, mandatory for a Training Centre to go through the process of accreditation that wishes to impart training aligned to National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
Centre Accreditation is a voluntary process. It is, however, mandatory to go through the process for a Training Centre that wishes to impart training aligned to National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
The Centre Accreditation process is envisaged to be carried out by the Inspection Agency/ Agencies empaneled by NSDC.
Continuous Monitoring is envisaged to regularly assess the effectiveness of various processes at the Training Centres. In order to overcome significant challenges that remain with regards to the delivery of quality of training, Continuous Monitoring of the TCs is crucial. Please refer to Knowledge Bank for more details.
SAR is one of the most vital tools used for compliance and performance monitoring of the scheme.
SAR will have a significant impact in promoting self-analysis, thereby enabling the Training Centre (TC) to do its continuous improvement. Once the training commences, the TC is expected to conduct its self-audit with respect to all the standards listed in the Compliance Standards Metrics and Performance Standards Metrics. The prescribed format of SAR shall be made available at the SMART soon.
The validity of accreditation of a Training Centre (TC) is one year from the date of accreditation. The validity will automatically expire at the end of one year. Renewal notice may or may not be issued to the TC before expiry of the accreditation. The responsibility for applying for renewal in time shall be lies with the concerned TC. It must apply for the same at least three months prior to the expiry date. TCs that do not adhere to these timelines may not be found eligible for applying for renewal of Accreditation.
Training Centre (TC) is advised to apply for affiliation as soon as it gets accredited; however, it is provided a maximum of 6-month period to seek affiliation. In cases where six months have elapsed since the accreditation date of an unaffiliated TC, it would require to re-accredit itself before applying for affiliation.
No, payment can only be made through the payment gateway provided on the portal.
Inspection Agency will check all the information that you have submitted in CAAF. To validate Inspection Agency shall check the evidences by a thorough inspection of the classrooms, laboratories, library, and documents, and also by interacting with the trainers and other relevant staff of the Training Centre (TC). The Inspection Agency will conduct the inspection via Mobile Application technology, and the process shall include uploading of the geo-tagged and time stamped pictures of the TC.
In such cases, the Training Centre will not be recommended for Accreditation.
A Training Centre which is being operated on a Rented or Leased property can upload the copy of Rent Agreement as the address proof in the CAAF(Centre Accreditation Application Form). The Rent Agreement should be between the Training Centre Owner and the Building owner to reflect the association between both the parties.
