Institutional Capacity for NEP 2020 Academic Bank of Credits and Cross-State Mobility

The implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) represents a paradigmatic transition in the structural, regulatory, and pedagogical governance of Indian higher education [2]. A foundational pillar of this reform agenda is the establishment of the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), designed to dismantle rigid disciplinary boundaries, facilitate multiple entry and exit pathways, and enable seamless student mobility across higher education institutions (HEIs) throughout the nation [4]. However, operationalising a centralised digital credit repository within India's highly fragmented, federal, and socio-economically diverse tertiary ecosystem presents immense administrative and infrastructural demands [6]. The capacity of institutions to standardise curricula, manage technological interoperability, and adapt administrative workflows remains critically divergent across differing state jurisdictions and university typologies [1].

Existing scholarship underscores that while national policies conceptualise credit accumulation and internationalised mobility as catalysts for educational equity and economic development [7, 8], sub-national implementation exposes significant structural friction [6]. The decentralised nature of Indian higher education creates substantial variance in institutional capability, where resource-rich national institutions transition rapidly whilst regional state universities and affiliated colleges face acute digital, technical, and human resource deficits [3, 4]. Furthermore, inter-state student mobility encounters regulatory disharmony, differential curriculum credit weightings, and disparate adoption timelines among state governments [5]. Consequently, the gap between macro-level policy aspirations and micro-level institutional readiness threatens to exacerbate institutional stratification rather than democratising academic access.

This dissertation investigates the systemic determinants of institutional capacity required to realise the Academic Bank of Credits and ensure equitable cross-state student mobility across Indian higher education. Utilizing a multi-dimensional comparative policy framework grounded in organizational capacity and policy diffusion theories, the investigation systematically evaluates statutory guidelines, institutional infrastructure benchmarks, and inter-state regulatory architectures [4, 6]. Through this analytical matrix, the study explicates the mediation mechanisms governing policy translation, institutional bottlenecks, and administrative governance [6]. Ultimately, the research delivers an evidence-based roadmap for establishing harmonised equivalence protocols, strengthening sub-national university ecosystems, and achieving sustainable credit portability across diverse Indian states [8].