The NEP 2020 replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education, framed in 1986. The NEP 2020 increases focus on non-academic skills and increased inclusion through language diversity and course fluidity. The new policy wants to achieve 100%youth and adult literacy in India.
The NEP 2020, which proposes several structural changes in the early as well as the higher education system, has been developed after consultations for nearly 5 years with stakeholders and the general public.
Earlier on May 1, 2020, the Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi had reviewed the NEP 2020, for which draft was prepared by a panel of experts led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chief – K. Kasturirangan. The NEP 2020 aims at making “India a global knowledge superpower”. The new academic session will begin in September-October 2020 due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Welcoming the NEP, Modi tweeted, “I wholeheartedly welcome the approval of the National Education Policy 2020! This was a long due and much awaited reform in the education sector, which will transform millions of lives in the times to come! #NewEducationPolicy.”
Sharing his thoughts on twitter, Modi tweeted, “Framing of NEP 2020 will be remembered as a shining example of participative governance. I thank all those who have worked hard in the formulation of the NEP 2020. May education brighten our nation and lead it to prosperity.”
He further tweeted, “Aspects such as widening the availability of scholarships, strengthening infrastructure for Open and Distance Learning, Online Education and increasing the usage of technology have received great attention in the NEP. These are vital reforms for the education sector.”
The Cabinet has also approved a proposal to rename the Ministry of Human Resource Development as the Ministry of Education.
The new measures have been categorised into 2 categories of School Education and Higher Education. Here are the highlights of India’s new National Education Policy 2020:
School Education
• Universal Access: The NEP 2020 ensures universal access to school education at all levels from preschool to secondary education. The provisions include infrastructure support, innovative education centres for mainstreaming of dropouts, tracking of students and their learning levels, facilitating multiple pathways to learning and association of counsellors or well-trained social workers with schools. There are also provisions for open learning for Standard III, V and VIII through national Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and State Open Schools, secondary education programs equivalent to Standard X and XII, vocational courses, adult literacy and life-enrichment programs
• Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE): The 10+2 structure of school curricula has been replaced by 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with 3 years of Anganwadi / pre-schooling.
• Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: A National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy will be set up by the Ministry of Education. States will have to prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners uptill grade 3 by 2025.
• Reforms in School Curricula and Pedagogy: The school curricula and pedagogy will aim for holistic development of learners by equipping them with the key 21st century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking and greater focus on experiential learning. Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects.
• Multilingualism and the Power of Language: The NEP 2020 also promotes the mother tongue / local language / regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit has to be taught at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students. No language will be imposed on any student. Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level.
• Assessment Reforms: All students will take school examinations in Standard III, V and VIII. Board exams for Standard X and XII will be continued, but with redesigned holistic development as the aim. A new National Assessment Centre, Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH), will be set up for defining standards
• Equitable and Inclusive Education: NEP 2020 provides for setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups. Children with disabilities will be enabled to fully participate in the regular schooling process from the foundational stage to higher education, with support of educators with cross-disability training, resource centres, accommodations, assistive devices, appropriate technology-based tools and other support mechanisms tailored to suit their needs
Higher Education
Gross Enrolment Ration (GER): NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035. At least 3.5 crore new seats will be added to higher education institutions.
Holistic Multidisciplinary Education: The Under- Graduate (UG) Education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period. After completion of 1 year, students will get Certificate. After 2 years, they will get Advance Diploma. After 3 years, they will earn the Bachelor Degree. They will get Bachelor with Research on completion of 4 years.
Academic Bank: An Academic Bank of Credit will be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different institutes so that these can be transferred and counted towards final degree earned.
Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs): These Universities will be set-up at par with IITs, IIMs, providing best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.
National Research Foundation: The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.
Regulation: Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body the for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. HECI will function through faceless intervention through technology and will have powers to penalise higher education institutions for not conforming to norms and standards.
Rationalised Institutional Architecture: Affiliation of colleges will be phased out in 15 years and a Stage-wise mechanism will be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges. Over a period of time, it is envisaged that every college would develop into either an autonomous degree-granting college, or a constituent college of a university
Financial support for students: Efforts will be made to provide financial support to meritorious students belonging to SC, ST and OBC. The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving scholarships
Open and Distance Learning: Measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, etc., will be taken to ensure it is at par with the highest quality in-class programmes.
Online and Digital Education: A dedicated unit for the building of digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity building will be created in the Ministry of Education to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher education.
Use of Technology: An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration.
Promoting Indian Languages: To ensure the preservation, growth, and vibrancy of all Indian languages, NEP recommends setting an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs
Professional Education: Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities etc will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.
