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National Education Policy 2020: Key Highlights

Last updated on February 11, 2024 by Alex Andrews George

The National Education Policy 2020 aims to bring transformational reforms in school and higher education and thus shape India into a global knowledge superpower.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the National Education Policy 2020 on July 29, 2020. This policy replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), in 1986.

Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, this policy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The National Education Policy (NEP) aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible, and multidisciplinary, suited to 21st-century needs, and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.

Table of Contents

Important Highlights of National Education Policy 2020

• New Policy aims for Universalization of Education from preschool to secondary level with 100 % GER in school education by 2030.
• NEP 2020 will bring 2 crore out-of-school children back into the mainstream.
• New 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and 3 years of Anganwadi/ Pre-schooling.
• Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, no rigid separation between academic streams, extracurricular, and vocational streams in schools; Vocational Education to start from Class 6 with Internships.
• Teaching up to at least Grade 5 to be in mother tongue/ regional language.
• Assessment reforms with a 360-degree Holistic Progress Card, tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes.
• GER in higher education to be raised to 50 % by 2035; 3.5 crore seats to be added in higher education.
• Higher Education curriculum to have Flexibility of Subjects.
• Multiple Entries / Exit to be allowed with appropriate certification.
• Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate the Transfer of Credits.
• National Research Foundation to be established to foster a strong research culture.
• Light but Tight Regulation of Higher Education, single regulator with four separate verticals for different functions.
• Affiliation System to be phased out in 15 years with graded autonomy to colleges.
• NEP 2020 advocates increased use of technology with equity; National Educational Technology Forum to be created.
• NEP 2020 emphasizes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
• New Policy promotes Multilingualism in both schools and HEs; the National Institute for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation to be set up.

National Education Policy 2020: School Education

With respect to school education, universal access is the key vision. Also, major reforms are brought in curriculum and pedagogy.

Ensuring Universal Access at all levels of school education

NEP 2020 emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels- preschool to secondary.

Infrastructure support, innovative education centers to bring back dropouts into the mainstream, tracking of students and their learning levels, facilitating multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes, an association of counselors or well-trained social workers with schools, open learning for classes 3,5 and 8 through NIOS and State Open Schools, secondary education programs equivalent to Grades 10 and 12, vocational courses, adult literacy, and life-enrichment programs are some of the proposed ways for achieving this.

About 2 crore out-of-school children will be brought back into the mainstream under NEP 2020.

Also read: Examination System in India

Early Childhood Care & Education with New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure

With an emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under the school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for the development of the mental faculties of a child. The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre-schooling.

NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8. ECCE will be delivered through a significantly expanded and strengthened system of institutions including Anganwadis and pre-schools that will have teachers and Anganwadi workers trained in the ECCE pedagogy and curriculum. The planning and implementation of ECCE will be carried out jointly by the Ministries of HRD, Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare (HFW), and Tribal Affairs.

Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

Recognizing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy as an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning, NEP 2020 calls for the setting up of a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by MHRD.

States will prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners by grade 3 by 2025. A National Book Promotion Policy is to be formulated.

Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy

The school curricula and pedagogy will aim for the holistic development of learners by equipping them with key 21st-century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking, and a greater focus on experiential learning.

Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, and between vocational and academic streams.

Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and will include internships.

A new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education, NCFSE 2020-21, will be developed by the NCERT.

Multilingualism and the power of language

The policy has emphasized mother tongue /local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula. Other classical languages and literature of India also to be available as options. No language will be imposed on any student.

Students to participate in a fun project/activity on ‘The Languages of India’, sometime in Grades 6-8, such as, under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative. Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level. Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardized across the country, and National and State curriculum materials developed, for use by students with hearing impairment.

Assessment Reforms

NEP 2020 envisages a shift from summative assessment to regular and formative assessment, which is more competency-based, promotes learning and development, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity. All students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority.

Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim. A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body.

Equitable and Inclusive Education

NEP 2020 aims to ensure that no child loses any opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. Special emphasis will be given to Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SDGs), including gender, sociocultural, and geographical identities and disabilities. This includes 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 the support of educators with cross-disability training, resource centers, accommodations, assistive devices, appropriate technology-based tools, and other support mechanisms tailored to suit their needs.

Every state/district will be encouraged to establish “Bal Bhavans” as a special daytime boarding school, to participate in art-related, career-related, and play-related activities. Free school infrastructure can be used as Samajik Chetna Kendras

Also read: Education in India – A Detailed Analysis

Robust Teacher Recruitment and Career Path

Teachers will be recruited through robust, transparent processes. Promotions will be merit-based, with a mechanism for multi-source periodic performance appraisals and available progression paths to becoming educational administrators or teacher educators. A common National Professional Standard for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by the National Council for Teacher Education by 2022, in consultation with NCERT , SCERTs, teachers, and expert organizations from across levels and regions.

School Governance

Schools can be organized into complexes or clusters which will be the basic unit of governance and ensure the availability of all resources including infrastructure, academic libraries, and a strong professional teacher community.

Standard-setting and Accreditation for School Education

NEP 2020 envisages clear, separate systems for policymaking, regulation, operations, and academic matters. States/UTs will set up an independent State School Standards Authority (SSSA). Transparent public self-disclosure of all the basic regulatory information, as laid down by the SSSA, will be used extensively for public oversight and accountability. The SCERT will develop a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) through consultations with all stakeholders.

National Education Policy: Higher Education

The New Education Policy has a great vision for the Higher Education sector as well.

Increase GER to 50 % by 2035

NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035. 3.5 Crore new seats will be added to Higher education institutions.

Holistic Multidisciplinary Education

The policy envisages broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Undergraduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education, and multiple entries and exit points with appropriate certification. UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period. For example, a Certificate after 1 year, Advanced Diploma after 2 years, a Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years, and a Bachelor’s with Research after 4 years.

An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted towards the final degree made.

Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, and IIMs, to be set up as models of the best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

The Higher Education Commission of India(HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education . HECI to have four independent verticals – the National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation, the General Education Council (GEC ) for standard-setting, the Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding, and the National Accreditation Council( NAC) for accreditation.

HECI will function through faceless intervention through technology, & will have powers to penalize HEIs not conforming to norms and standards. Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation, and academic standards.

Rationalized Institutional Architecture

Higher education institutions will be transformed into large, well-resourced, vibrant multidisciplinary institutions providing high-quality teaching, research, and community engagement. The definition of the university will allow a spectrum of institutions that range from research-intensive Universities to Teaching-intensive Universities and Autonomous degree-granting Colleges.

Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism is to 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.

Motivated, Energized, and Capable Faculty

NEP makes recommendations for motivating, energizing, and building the capacity of faculty through clearly defined, independent, transparent recruitment, freedom to design curricula/pedagogy, incentivizing excellence, and movement into institutional leadership. Faculty not delivering on basic norms will be held accountable

Teacher Education

A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree. Stringent action will be taken against substandard stand-alone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).

Mentoring Mission

A National Mission for Mentoring will be established, with a large pool of outstanding senior/retired faculty – including those with the ability to teach in Indian languages – who would be willing to provide short and long-term mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers.

Financial support for students

Efforts will be made to incentivize the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving scholarships. Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students.

Open and Distance Learning

This will be expanded to play a significant role in increasing GER. Measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of MOOCs, etc., will be taken to ensure it is at par with the highest quality in-class programs.

Online Education and Digital Education:

A comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting online education consequent to the recent rise in epidemics and pandemics in order to ensure preparedness with alternative modes of quality education whenever and wherever traditional and in-person modes of education are not possible has been covered.

A dedicated unit for the purpose of orchestrating the building of digital infrastructure, digital content, and capacity building will be created in the MHRD to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher education.

Technology in education

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, and administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education will be done to improve classroom processes, support teacher professional development, enhance educational access for disadvantaged groups, and streamline educational planning, administration, and management

Promotion of Indian languages

To ensure the preservation, growth, and vibrancy of all Indian languages, NEP recommends setting up an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, strengthening Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs, and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programs.

Internationalization of education will be facilitated through both institutional collaborations and student and faculty mobility allowing entry of top world-ranked Universities to open campuses in our country.

Professional Education

All professional education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities, etc. will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.

Adult Education

The policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy.

Financing Education

The Centre and the States will work together to increase public investment in the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.

Also read: PM-USHA

NEP: Consultation Process

NEP 2020 has been formulated after an unprecedented process of consultation that involved nearly over 2 lakh suggestions from 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats, 6600 Blocks, 6000 ULBs, and 676 Districts.

The MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, inclusive, and highly participatory consultation process in January 2015. In May 2016, ‘The Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy’ under the Chairmanship of Late Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary, submitted its report.

Based on this, the Ministry prepared ‘Some Inputs for the Draft National Education Policy, 2016’. In June 2017 a ‘Committee for the Draft National Education Policy’ was constituted under the Chairmanship of eminent Scientist Padma Vibhushan, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, which submitted the Draft National Education Policy, 2019 to the Hon’ble Human Resource Development Minister on 31st May 2019.

The Draft National Education Policy 2019 was uploaded on MHRD’s website and at the ‘MyGov Innovate’ portal eliciting views/suggestions/comments from stakeholders, including the public.

In conclusion, the National Education Policy (NEP) is a crucial document that outlines the roadmap for the development of education in India. It is a significant step towards building a knowledge-based society that is equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The NEP aims to transform the education system by providing equitable access to quality education, promoting innovation, and fostering holistic development.

The policy emphasizes the need for a learner-centered approach that focuses on critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. It also seeks to promote interdisciplinary learning, multilingualism, and the integration of vocational education into the mainstream curriculum.

The NEP’s vision of a flexible and inclusive education system that enables lifelong learning is laudable. However, the success of the policy will depend on its effective implementation, which will require adequate funding, infrastructure, and skilled educators.

Overall, the NEP has the potential to revolutionize the education sector in India and make it more relevant and responsive to the needs of the changing world. It is a bold and visionary document that seeks to transform education from being a means of social mobility to a tool for building a better and more just society.

Also Read: Institutions of Eminence Scheme

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Reader Interactions

July 30, 2020 at 4:52 pm

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Regards Revathy.R

August 7, 2020 at 8:28 am

Dear Madam, No, It will help you to complete your Ph.D in short duration. At present you may submit your Ph.D in 4 years. Regards, Jeeva

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@Revathy: Why do you think so?

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Salient Features of NEP, 2020

National Education Policy 2020 has been announced on 29.07.2020. The National Education Policy 2020 proposes various reforms in school education as well as higher education including technical education. A number of action points/activities for implementation in school education as well as higher education are mentioned in the National Education Policy 2020. Details of the salient features of NEP 2020 are as follows-

• Ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12;
• Ensuring quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years;
• New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4);
• No hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between    vocational and academic streams;
• Establishing National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy;
• Emphasis on promoting multilingualism and Indian languages; The medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language.
• Assessment reforms - Board Exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired;
• Setting up of a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development);
• Equitable and inclusive education - Special emphasis given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged  Groups (SEDGs);
• A separate Gender Inclusion fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups;
• Robust and transparent processes for recruitment of teachers and merit based performance;
• Ensuring availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters;

(xiii) Setting up of State School Standards Authority (SSSA);

(xiv) Exposure of vocational education in school and higher education system;

• Increasing GER in higher education to 50%;

(xvi) Holistic and Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options;

• NTA to offer Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs;
• Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit;

(xix) Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs);

• Setting up of National Research Foundation (NRF);

(xxi) ‘Light but Tight’ regulation;

• Single overarching umbrella body for promotion of higher education sector including teacher education and excluding medical and legal education- the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)-with independent bodies for standard setting- the General Education Council; funding-Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC); accreditation- National Accreditation Council (NAC); and regulation- National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC);
• Expansion of open and distance learning to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER).
• Internationalization of Education
• Professional Education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities, or institutions in these or other fields, will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.
• Teacher Education - 4-year integrated stage-specific, subject- specific Bachelor of Education
• Establishing a National Mission for Mentoring.
• Creation of an autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education.
• Achieving 100% youth and adult literacy.
• Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of higher  education.
• All education institutions will be held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as a ‘not for profit’ entity.
• The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to   reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.
• Strengthening of the Central Advisory Board of Education to ensure coordination to bring overall  focus on quality education.

NEP, 2020 aim to increase the GER to 100% in preschool to secondary level by 2030 whereas GER in Higher Education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035.

The Central Sector Scheme Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) was launched in 2014 to address comprehensively all issues related to Teacher Training/ Capacity Building and Professional Development of Teachers. Under the components, the total 95 Centres were established throughout the country through which faculties/Teachers have been trained. Currently, The Standing Finance Committee has appraised the Scheme and recommended for continuation till 2025-2026 with the total outlay of Rs. 493.68 crore. Under the PMMMNMTT Scheme Centres are established on the basis of the proposals received from education institutions, their screening by Screening Committee and approval by Project Approval Board.

The information was given by the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Subhas Sarkar in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

New National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Analysis

From Current Affairs Notes for UPSC » Editorials & In-depths » This topic

The Union Cabinet approved a new national education policy recently after a big gap of 34 years . After long deliberations and two committees since 2014, the union cabinet has finalized a comprehensive policy that strives to direct the education system in India in the 21 st century. With an aim to make India a knowledge superpower, the policy proposes some fundamental changes within the education system.

This topic of “New National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: Analysis” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination , which falls under General Studies Portion.

What is the importance of education in Indian traditions and the legal-constitutional framework?

• Education is fundamental for achieving full human potential , developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development.
• The pursuit of knowledge (Jnan), wisdom (Pragya), and truth (Satya) was always considered in Indian thought and philosophy as the highest human goal.
• World-class institutions of ancient India such as Takshashila, Nalanda, Vikramshila, Vallabhi , set the highest standards of multidisciplinary teaching and research and hosted scholars and students from across backgrounds and countries.
• The leaders of the freedom struggle also thought of education as an important aspect of nation-building . Especially Mahatma Gandhi  thought of education as a process of realization of the best in man- body, soul, and spirit. He put forth the idea of “ Buniyaadi Shiksha”.
• Post-independence modern India also focused on education through various commissions such as the Radhakrishnan Commission, Kothari Commission , etc.
• Part IV of the Indian constitution, article 45 and 39(f) have provision for state-funded education with equitable and accessible character.
• The 42nd amendment to the constitution moved education from state list to concurrent list-making way for overall standardization on the national level.
• The 86th amendment made the right to education an enforceable fundamental right (Article 21A).
• Subsequently, the Right to Education Act, 2009 provides for universal education to all children between ages 6 and 14.
• Education has been one of the foundational sectors in the national developmental planning.

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What is the need for a new education policy?

• More than three decades have passed since the last education policy was released. The new education policy, 1986, and its modifications in 1992 were suited to its times and serves as a guiding light to the current policy.
• But after these policies and especially since 1992, monumental changes have taken place in society, economy, country, and world . In this context, our education system needs to gear itself for the 21st century.
• Since the last education policy, India has liberalized its economy , population has witnessed a massive growth of 65%, there is a sizable aspirational middle class .
• There is a paradigm shift in every sector globally, largely taken over by massive developments in technology . Experts feel that most of the education given in schools and colleges and skills acquired worldwide today will not be useful in the next 30 odd years. That is the scale and speed of evolution we are going through.
• While this is what the future looks like, our education system remains plagued by age-old problems of lack of reach, quality, and professionalism.
• Though we have increased literacy rates significantly, the “Buniyaadi Shiksha” of Gandhi ’s dreams is far from a reality.
• The successive reports of ASER pictures a sorry state of affairs in the education system. The poor learning outcomes , gaps between textbook teaching and real-life vocations, huge imbalance in rural-urban, private-public educational sectors.
• The issues in pedagogy have been highlighted time and again which focuses on rote learning , excessive, and sometimes lethal, competition of marks and ranks.
• The marketization of the education sector is one of the phenomena after liberalization. The illogical growth of educational institutional creating imbalances in the number of graduates and requirement in respective fields have created a category of “educated unemployed” in our country. This can be seen through the examples of the growth of engineering and management colleges and the condition of the majority of graduates from these colleges.
• There is also an issue of implementation of educational schemes like universal education as the school dropout rates continue to remain high.
• This can be attributed to the perception of the non-utility of formal education and the inability to connect and utilize it to real-life existential problems.
• The curricula in various education act isolated silos of particular disciplines creating one-dimensional literates. The lack of interdisciplinary approach as adopted in some of the developed countries is a major cause of concern for experts.
• On the backdrop of such issues comes the New Education Policy-2020. We analyze here the salient features of the new policy in the wake of the above issues.

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What are the salient features of New Education Policy-2020?

• The final policy is based on the draft report submitted by Dr. K. Kasturirangan committee which was constituted by the Ministry of HRD in 2017.
• Apart from accepting the report, the cabinet also approved a change in name of Ministry of HRD to Education Ministry.
• The New Education Policy deals with School education and higher education comprehensively and provides key targets and fundamental overhaul of the education system. The important points of the policy are as follows:

School Education

• Recognizing that over 85% of a child’s cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of 6 , to ensure healthy brain development and growth, the current form of 10+2 structure will be transformed to new 5+3+3+4 structure , with a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3.

• A National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE ) will be developed by NCERT in two parts (0-3 and 3-8)
• various reports indicate that a large proportion of students currently in elementary school have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy (the ability to read and comprehend basic text and basic calculation).
• So, the Priority of the education system will be to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy in primary school by 2025.
• To achieve this goal, there is a proposal to set up a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) on priority.
• Accordingly, all State/UT governments will immediately prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy by 2025
• The policy aims that a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of under 30:1 will be ensured at the level of each school ( 25:1 for socio-economically backward areas ).
• Recognizing that morning hours after a nutritious breakfast can be particularly productive for the study of cognitively more demanding subjects, a simple but energizing breakfast in addition to midday meals will be provided.
• Where the Gross Enrolment ratio (GER) for Grades 6-8 is 90.9%, for Grades 9-10 and 11-12 it is only 79.3% and 56.5%, respectively – indicating a significant amount of drop out after Grade 5 and even more after Grade 8.
• The policy prioritizes bringing these children back into the educational fold, intending to achieve 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio in preschool to secondary level by 2030 .
• Curriculum will be reduced to its core essentials for each subject for encouraging critical thinking and inquiry-based, discovery-based, and analysis-based learning.
• There is a provision for vocational training along with internships during school .
• Holistic development and a wide choice of subjects and with no hard separation among different subjects and disciplines will be the hallmark of the new system of curriculum.
• Wherever possible, until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, the medium of instruction will be mother tongue (local language/regional language ).
• The policy accepts three-language formula , however, there will be a greater flexibility in the three-language formula, and no language will be imposed on any State.
• The formulation of a new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education, NCFSE 2020-21, will be undertaken by the NCERT .
• The progress card for school-based assessment will be completely redesigned to make it a holistic, 360-degree, multidimensional report that reflects the uniqueness of each learner.
• While continuing board exams for grades 10 and 12, the policy suggests that the need for undertaking coaching classes should be eliminated.
• Board exams will be reformed so that they test primarily core capacities/competencies rather than memorization capacity .
• The policy proposes to set up PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), a national assessment center, as a standard-setting body under MHRD for all recognized school boards of India .

Higher Education

• Higher education plays an extremely important role in promoting human as well as societal wellbeing and in developing India as envisioned in its Constitution . It contributes towards sustainable livelihoods and economic As India moves towards becoming a knowledge economy and society, more and more young Indians are likely to aspire for higher education.
• Given the 21st century requirements, quality higher education must aim to develop good, thoughtful, well-rounded, and creative individuals.
• Policy highlights some of the major problems of higher education such as:
• a severely fragmented higher educational ecosystem;
• a rigid separation of disciplines , with early specialization and streaming of students into narrow areas of study;
• limited teacher and institutional autonomy ;
• inadequate mechanisms for merit-based career management and progression of faculty and institutional leaders
• suboptimal governance and leadership of HEIs
• low standards of undergraduate education due to large affiliating universities.

for higher education sector policy envisages following actions

• The main thrust of this policy regarding higher education is to end the fragmentation of higher education by transforming higher education institutions into large multidisciplinary universities , colleges, and HEI clusters/Knowledge Hubs, each of which will aim to have 3,000 or more students
• Policy suggests that by 2040, all higher education institutions shall aim to become multidisciplinary institutions .
• Colleges will be encouraged , mentored, supported, and incentivized to gradually attain the minimum benchmarks required for each level of accreditation . It is envisaged that every college would develop into either an autonomous degree-granting College, or a constituent college of a university over a period of time.
• The undergraduate degree will be of 3 or 4-year duration , with multiple exit options within this period, with appropriate certifications.
• An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC ) shall be established to digitally store the academic credits earned from various recognized HEIs so that the degrees from an HEI can be awarded taking into account credits earned
• HEIs will have the flexibility to offer different designs of Master’s programs
• Undertaking a Ph.D. shall require either a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with Research. The Phil. program shall be discontinued .
• Entry into quality higher education can open a vast array of possibilities that can lift both individuals as well as communities out of the cycles of disadvantage. For this reason, making quality higher education opportunities available to all individuals must be among the highest priorities
• For this purpose, additional actions that are specific to higher education shall be adopted by all Governments and HEIs:
• Earmarking appropriate funds for the education of socio-economically disadvantaged group (SEDGs)
• Enhance gender balance in admissions to HEIs (including transgenders )
• Enhance access by establishing high-quality HEIs in aspirational districts and Special Education Zones.
• According to the Justice J. S. Verma Commission (2012), a majority of Teacher training institutes are not even attempting serious teacher To do away this, the Regulatory System shall be empowered to take stringent action against substandard and dysfunctional teacher education institutions.
• The 4-year integrated B.Ed. offered by such multidisciplinary HEIs will, by 2030, become the minimal degree qualification for school teachers.
• The policy targets Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to be increased to 50% (current 26.3%) by 2035.
• The National Research Foundation  will be created for fostering research culture and building research capacity in higher education.
• The policy reiterates the government’s move to set up the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a  single umbrella body  for the entire higher education ( excluding medical and legal education).
• HECI will be having four independent parts :
• National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC),
• General Education Council (GEC),
• Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC),
• National Accreditation Council (NAC).
• Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards
• Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years with an aim to develop them into either an autonomous or a constituent college of a university.

Other changes

• Policy proposes a  National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas  on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration.
• an outstanding adult education curriculum framework will be developed by a new and well-supported constituent body of the NCERT along with necessary infrastructure that enables lifelong learning.
• A fee cap will be provided for private education institutions of higher learning.
• It also paves the way for  foreign universities to set up campuses in India, and also top Indian educational institutions will be encouraged to go global.
• Centre to set up a ‘ Gender ­Inclusion Fund’ to build the country’s capacity to provide equitable quality education to all girls and transgender students.
• Special education zones will be set up for socio-economically disadvantaged groups which are broadly categorized on gender identities (transgender included), socio-economic identities (SC, ST, OBC, minorities), and geographical identities.
• It also reiterates aim to increase  the public investment in the Education sector to reach  6% of GDP  at the earliest (from current levels of 4.6%)

What is the significance of the new education policy?

• The educational policy has recognized the importance of formative years along with necessary learning conditions like nutrition and expert teachers.
• A very important and potentially game-changing policy initiative is the inclusion of vocational courses in the school curriculum . This will help in encouraging disadvantaged sections who see no value in education to send their kids to school.
• It has expanded the ambit of universal education from 6-14 years to 3-18 years which is a welcome step.
• One of the major points of conflict on the medium of instruction has been dealt with and there is a categorical support for three-language formula and suggestion of teaching in mother tongue/local language for at least 5th class.
• This is a significant policy suggestion when the Indian education system is moving away from excessive English-medium orientation. There is an increasing neglect of local languages and mother tongue and illogical and unscientific hysteria towards English medium schools.
• The higher education regulatory system is set to change for good by eliminating the concentration of functions in UGC.
• The higher education sector through this policy gets an encouragement for multi-disciplinary nature through suggestions to do away with silos mentality when it comes to disciplines. This will create an all-around and enriched personality by interacting with a variety of subjects.
• There is a good amount of discussion in the policy on Socio-economically backward areas and people. The transgender community’s needs have been recognized in the policy.
• The policy proposes opening up to more foreign universities and likewise encourages more top-class Indian universities to go global. This is a welcome step as it will create healthy competition in the Indian higher education system , save important forex reserves as a huge number of students opt to go abroad for higher education.
• So, in all, this policy tries to achieve a rare balance of quantity and quality in the educational sector while trying to propel it to a higher level of excellence It strives to prepare the Indian education system for the challenges of 21st-century building on past experiences and policies.

What are the issues with the new education policy?

• Some of the proposals face legal challenges . Like the draft bill for Higher Education Commission of India has been pending with the Ministry and unlikely to be published for feedback soon.
• Though the policy aims to break the coaching class culture and ensuing monopoly of English medium schools, in reality, to implement this will require sufficient political will . Experts feel this to be a difficult task.
• The same is the case with teachers training institutions where a Education. The low-quality institutions are run largely for-profit motives without sufficient care for the needs of teachers training
• One of the most important neglected points is the policy of no exams till the 7th or 8th standard . This policy has been heavily criticized for impacting learning outcomes in the absence of exams at the school level.
• The free breakfast scheme proposed though a sound move, will increase the fiscal burden and add on to already inefficient mid-day meal scheme that has seen irregularities and corruption over the years.
• The suggestion to spend 6% of the GDP on education is there since the Kothari Commission but consecutive governments have failed to achieve the target that was set long ago.
• Given the low tax-GDP ratio and current slowdown condition, the implementation expenditure of 6% GDP in the education sector seems difficult. Especially when in the coming years, healthcare and defense sectors are set to demand more expenditure.
• As discussed earlier, there is a mismatch in the skill imparted in educational institutions and jobs available. This important issue has been largely ignored in the policy . Especially, there is insufficient discussion on new-age technologies like Artificial Intelligence, cyber security , etc when these fields are set to dominate world knowledge and job space.
• The majority of experts feel that though policy speaks of encouraging reason and critical thinking, campus activities, the real actions on the ground differ as can be seen from attacks on campuses and critical thinkers in the last few years.

Way Forward

• The Policy looks strong ad forward-looking on paper. The officials have said that the policy has been finalized after long and extensive deliberations across the stakeholder sectors. This is a welcome step.
• What needs to be done now according to experts from various fields that there is a need for a comprehensive roadmap of implementation as previous policies also promised things that were not fulfilled.
• The school-level reforms touch most of the aspects. Care should be taken that in the quest of making exams easier, we don’t create a numerical surge in passed students without any real term knowledge base . The current system of giving high marks in 10 and 10+2 level exams have been criticized by many educational experts.
• The policy of a multi-disciplinary approach in higher education is welcome but a foolproof framework needs to be created so that the core interests and preferred knowledge streams are not neglected.
• As Education is in the concurrent list, there remains a huge task of consensus-building among states. The cooperative federalism approach is most conducive to critical fields like education.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that there is a need to build huge digital capacities to digitize the education sec The lack of online teaching facilities is hampering the education and there is a fear of washing away of this academic year.
• The BharatNet scheme may be extended to include digital infrastructure for public and private schools throughout the nation .
• The vocational training program for school children needs synergy between the ministries of HRD, skill development, and labor.

The New Education Policy-2020 represents aspirations to become a knowledge powerhouse of the world inculcating the best of the global educational experiments. The global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , adopted by India in 2015 – seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. The Education policy is a step in the right direction given it is implemented throughout the long period it targets.

Practice Question for Mains

Critically analyze the New Education Policy-2020 in the light of challenges to the education system in India. (250 words)

https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English.pdf

https://www.thehindu.com/education/the-hindu-explains-what-has-the-national-education-policy-2020-proposed/article32249788.ece

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/reading-new-education-policy-india-schools-colleges-6531603/

https://www.livemint.com/education/news/new-education-policy-five-big-changes-in-school-higher-education-explained-11596098141333.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/national-education-policy-2020-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/77239854.cms

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National Education Policy 2020

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GS-II: Social Justice

What is National Education Policy 2020?

How is nep 2020 different from the earlier policies, what are the targets set under nep 2020, what are the provisions of nep 2020, what are the various initiatives to implement nep 2020, what are the criticisms of nep 2020, what are the challenges in the implementation of nep 2020.

Prelims:   Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.

Mains:  Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century in India, which replaces the previous National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986.

• The Ministry of Education formed a committee under Dr. K Kasturirangan, which outlined this new policy. 
• The National Education Policy 2020 proposes various reforms in school and higher education, including technical education, that are suited to 21st-century needs. 
• 5 foundational pillars of NEP 2020: Access , Equity , Quality , Affordability, and Accountability .
• This policy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .
• It aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college education more holistic , flexible , and multidisciplinary and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.

The National Policy on Education (NPE) was first formulated in 1968 , based on the recommendations of the Kothari Commission. The NPE 1986 focussed on providing education to all sections of society, promoting primary education, and establishing open universities. Later, the Plan of Action (POA) 1992 had special emphasis on early childhood care and education and the universalization of elementary education. 

The NEP 2020 stands apart and marks a departure from the earlier policies on the following grounds.

• Focus on holistic development : By emphasizing on critical thinking, discussion, and analytical learning to enrich India's talent and human resource pool.
• Integration of vocational education: The policy recognizes the importance of vocational education and aims to integrate it with mainstream education.
• Emphasis on technology-enabled learning: The new education policy recognizes the importance of technology in education and encourages the use of digital tools and platforms to enhance the learning experience.
• Promotion of multilingualism along with the right to choose: The new policy emphasizes the importance of multilingualism and encourages the teaching of regional languages alongside English and Hindi with the much-needed flexibility.
• Flexible and multidisciplinary curriculum: NEP 2020 offers subject selection, software training in schools, transfer of credits, multiple entries, and exit system to allow for more internal autonomy to institutions.
• Universalization of education from Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to Secondary Education by 2030, aligning with SDG 4.
• Attaining Foundational Learning & Numeracy Skills through National Mission by 2025.
• 100% GER in Pre-School to Secondary Level by 2030.
• 50% GER in Higher Education by 2035.
• Bring back 2 Crore children to the mainstream through the open schooling system.
• Teachers to be prepared for assessment reforms by 2023
• Inclusive & Equitable Education System by 2030.

School Education 

• NEP 2020 emphasizes ensuring universal access to school education at all levels, from preschool to secondary. 
• With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the 10+2 structure of school curricula will be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure.
• This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under the school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for the development of the mental faculties of a child.
• As an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning, NEP 2020 calls for setting up of a  National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
• Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. 
• There will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extracurricular activities, and between vocational and academic streams.
• Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade and include internships.
• The existing B.Ed. programme for teacher training will be replaced by a four-year integrated programme with high-quality content, pedagogy, and practical training.
• A national curriculum framework for teacher education will be formulated by the National Council for Teacher Education(NCTE) in consultation with NCERT.
• The policy has emphasized the mother tongue as the medium of instruction until Grade 5 , but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. 
• Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula.
• A new National Assessment Centre- Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) will be set up as a standard-setting body.

Higher Education

• The policy envisages broad-based, multi-disciplinary , holistic undergraduate  education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education , and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification.
• An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different  HEIs.
• The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.
• Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be an overarching umbrella body for higher education, excluding medical and legal education.
• 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, and administration.
• NEP recommends setting up 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.
• High-performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries.  
• Similarly, selected top global universities will be permitted to operate in India. 

Other Recommendations

• The NEP reaffirmed the commitment of spending 6% of GDP as public investment in education.
• The Policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy.
• Foundational literacy and numeracy
• Critical life skills (such as financial and digital literacy)
• Vocational skills development
• Basic education (equivalent of middle and secondary education)
• Continuing education (through engaging courses in arts, technology, sports, and culture)
• The UGC has issued regulations for the establishment and operation of the Academic Bank of Credits in higher education.
• It will be a national-level digital facility for promoting academic mobility through a formal system of credit accumulation, credit transfer, and credit redemption.
• A National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN Mission) launched by the Government.  
• Guidelines for Three-month Play-based School Preparation Module for Grade 1 Children have been developed.
• AICTE made provisions for technical education in regional languages.
• Union Budget 2021-22 announced the setting up of a National Digital Educational Architecture (NDEAR) with a major emphasis on strengthening the country's digital infrastructure for education.
• SAFAL to be introduced in CBSE Schools for Grades 3, 5, and 8 from 2021-22.
• It focuses on testing for core concepts, application-based questions, and higher-order thinking skills.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2021 allowed universities to offer online degree courses and expand further in the education sector.
• Institutes and colleges, including IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Kharagpur, are gradually expanding to include non-engineering courses to offer students an extended opportunity to learn new disciplinaries.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has received mixed reactions and criticisms from various stakeholders. Some of the major criticisms of NEP 2020 are

• Emphasis on privatization : Critics argue that NEP 2020 promotes privatization of education by encouraging public-private partnerships, which may lead to the exclusion of marginalized communities from quality education.
• Centralization of power: NEP 2020 has been criticized for centralizing power in the hands of the central government, as it gives the central government the authority to set up a National Educational Technology Forum and a National Research Foundation.
• Lack of clarity on implementation: NEP 2020 lacks clarity on the implementation of various reforms, and it does not provide a roadmap for the effective implementation of the policy.
• Lack of consultation: Some critics have argued that NEP 2020 was developed without adequate consultation with all stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and students.
• Lack of coordination : NEP 2020 has faced criticism for legal complexities arising from the coexistence of two policies, the Right to Education Act 2009 and the new policy.
• Enormity and diversity: The sheer size and diversity of India’s education sector make implementation an uphill task. 
• Capacity limitation: The internal capacities within the education ministries (centre and states) and other regulatory bodies are inadequate to steer the magnitude of transformations envisaged in the NEP.
• Teaching in the mother tongue may pose difficulties: Due to the diverse linguistic landscape in India, with 22 official languages and numerous dialects, adapting curriculum materials to be taught in the mother tongue can be challenging. 
• Digital divide: The NEP 2020's emphasis on digitization and e-learning may not take into account the digital divide in India, as only around 30% of the population can afford smartphones, and even fewer have access to computers.
• Limited resources: The NEP 2020 calls for a significant expansion of educational resources and facilities (6% of GDP), which may be difficult to achieve in light of competing demands for government funding and limited resources.

Previous Year Questions

Q) National Education Policy 2020 is in conformity with the Sustainable Development Goal-4 (2030). It intends to restructure and reorient the education system in India. Critically examine the statement.(2020)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) what is the three-language formula.

The National Education Policy 2020 recommends the implementation of the three-language formula to promote multilingualism and national unity. The policy states that students should learn at least two native or regional languages and one foreign language, with the choice of languages left to the states, regions, and students themselves.

Q) What are foundational Literacy and Numeracy?

Foundational literacy refers to the skills and strategies involved in reading, speaking, writing, and interpreting thoughts. Foundational Numeracy is the ability to reason and apply simple numerical concepts. Basic numeracy skills consist of comprehending fundamental arithmetical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

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RECENT POSTS

Major changes announced in the National Education Policy 2020

• Aug 04, 2020, 21:34

On July 29, 2020, Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which is the first education policy of the 21 st century and has replaced the 34 year old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. The foundational pillars of this educational policy are Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability and align to the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The policy aims to transform India into an energetic knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making school and college education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, suited to 21 st  century needs and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student. 

The new policy is drafted on the recommendations made by a panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Mr K Kasturirangan, who had submitted the draft of the new policy to Human Resource Development Minister Mr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in May 2019. Over two lakh suggestions and objections were received to the draft policy by the Ministry. Union Cabinet also approved changing the name of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to Ministry of Education.

School Education

NEP 2020 focuses on guarantying universal access to school education at all levels, from pre-school to secondary. The Government will provide infrastructure support and develop innovation centres to bring back dropouts into the mainstream. It will also keep a track of students and their learning levels, facilitate multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes, setting up an association of counsellors or well-trained social workers with schools, open learning for classes 3, 5 and 8 through NIOS and State Open Schools, secondary education programs equivalent to Grades 10 and 12, vocational courses, adult literacy and life-enrichment programs.

Early Childhood Care and Education   with   new Curricular and Pedagogical Structure

The 10+2 structure of school curriculum will be replaced by 5+3+3+4 structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years, respectively. The stage of 3-6 years is recognised globally as crucial years for the development of the mental facilities of a child. This policy will bring the age group under the school curriculum. Thus, the new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi or pre-schooling.       

National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8. This will be delivered through the strengthened system of institutions including Anganwadis and pre-schools that will have teachers and Anganwadi workers trained in the ECCE pedagogy and curriculum. Ministries of HRD, Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare (HFW), and Tribal Affairs will jointly conduct the planning and implementation of the scheme.

Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy

MHRD will set up National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for achieving universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners from grade 3 to higher level by 2025.

Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy

There will be changes in school curricula and pedagogy to enhance essential learning and critical thinking and increase focus on experiential learning. More flexibility and choice of subjects will be provided to students. The rigid gaps will be reduced between arts and sciences, curricular and extra-curricular activities, and vocational and academic streams.

Students will be introduced with vocational education from 6 th grade and will also have 10 days of internship programmes in the curriculum. 

NCERT will develop a new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2020-21.

Multilingualism and the power of language

Under NEP 2020, mother tongue languages and regional languages are given importance as a medium of instruction, at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. No language will be imposed on the students. Indian Sign Language (ISL) will be standardized across the country and National and State curriculum materials will be developed accordingly for use by students with hearing impairment as well as with ISL.

Assessment Reforms

The assessment will be more focused on learning and development and will test higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity. School examinations will be held in Grades 3, 5 and 8, which will be conducted by the appropriate authority. Class 10 and 12 boards exams will continue but will be re-designed with holistic development as the aim.

A new standard body, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) will be set up as National Assessment Centre.

Equitable and Inclusive Education

The policy gives important attention to Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs), which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities, and disabilities. There will be a Gender Inclusion Fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups. Children with disabilities will be able to 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. Bal Bhavans will be set up in every district as a special daytime boarding to participate in art-related, career-related, and play-related activities.

Robust Teacher Recruitment and Career Path

In the recruitment of teachers, a robust and transparent process will be used, and promotions will be merit-based, with a mechanism for multi-source periodic performance appraisals and available progression paths to becoming educational administrators or teacher educators. National Council for Teacher Education will develop National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) by 2022.

Standard-setting and Accreditation for School Education

Every state and Union Territory (UT) will set up an independent State School Standards Authority (SSSA). This will focus on clear, separate systems for policymaking, regulation, operations, and academic matters. School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) will be developed in consolations with all stakeholders.

Higher Education

Increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50 per cent by 2035

The policy has set a target to increase GER in higher education including vocational education from 26.3 per cent in 2018 to 50 per cent by 2035. Higher education institutions (HEIs) will be given 3.5 crore new seats.

Holistic Multidisciplinary Education

The policy focus on undergraduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entries and exit points with appropriate certification.

The degree can be of three or four years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period. For example, a certificate will be given after one-year, Advanced Diploma after two years, Bachelor’s Degree after three years and Bachelor’s with Research after four years. An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) will be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted towards final degree earned.

There will be a common entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to universities and higher education institutions.

Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs) will be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.

M Phil will be discontinued under new policy.

There will be a single overarching umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education - Higher Education Commission of India (HECI). It will have four independent verticals - National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation, General Education Council (GEC) for standard-setting, Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding and National Accreditation Council (NAC) for accreditation.

Rationalised Institutional Architecture

HEIs will be developed into large, well resourced, vibrant multidisciplinary institutions offering high-quality teaching, research, and community engagement. University will allow a range of institutions that range from Research-intensive Universities to Teaching-intensive Universities and Autonomous degree-granting Colleges.

Teacher Education

NCTE will develop a National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, in consultation with NCERT. The minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a four-year integrated B.Ed degree by 2030.

Financial support for students

The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to support SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. Private HEIs will be encouraged to increase the number of scholarships to their students.

Open and Distance Learning

This will help in increasing GER by taking measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), etc.

Online Education and Digital Education

MHRD will develop a dedicated unit to build digital infrastructure, digital content, and capacity building to help both school and higher education. 

Technology in education

National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) will be formed to offer a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology, to improve learning, assessment, planning, and administration. Virtual labs will be created to enhance the learning experience.

Promotion of Indian languages

The policy plans on setting up an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) and National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, which will play a vital role in strengthening Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs.

Internationalization of education will be made possible through both institutional collaborations and student and faculty mobility and allowing entry of top world ranked Universities to open campuses in India.

Professional Education

All professional education will be an important part of the higher education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities, etc., will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.

Financing Education

Both Centre and State Governments will work together to increase public investment in the education sector to reach 6 per cent of the GDP at the earliest.

It is expected that the changes in the NEP 2020 will reduce regulatory hassles and promote autonomy. The Policy also tries to bring a systemic change in the sector than an incremental one and underlines several new rules that will benefit students, education providers and the labour market.

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Review of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

• August 31, 2020
• Career Guidance , Parents Must Read

The new National Education Policy (NEP) is the first holistic reform that aims to completely change education of all levels across India – the first of its kind since the Constitution of India was created more than seven decades ago. The NEP can be seen as a continuing of the ideals and principles listed out in the Constitution, as the NEP itself claims to ‘‘build an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as envisaged’ in the Constitution’. Lofty goals, however, the changes listed in the NEP, if implemented correctly, have the potential to bring Indian education to global levels and completely reform society.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

By Kunal Vasudeva

No child will be left behind

One of the most crucial parts of the NEP is its aim to level the playing field during the formative years. All children will undergo a 3-month long orientation before entering first grade to ensure they are on track with their peers and have a basic level of literacy and numeracy.

A seemingly simple yet crucial step that will give children from disadvantaged backgrounds a fair start to their education. In addition, more focus will be placed on teacher training to help them mentor students, while also allowing community volunteers to participate in teaching – giving students role models and figures they can relate to and learn from.

It shifts from memorization to ‘learning to learn’ – fostering a new generation of thinkers

There’s no secret that parts of Indian education have been about cramming facts and figures – many of which will have no use in adult life. Until now, it’s been about memorizing enough to earn high marks in an increasingly competitive space.

The NEP has set about to change this by promoting a ‘critical thinking’ approach to learning, making students come to their own conclusions after being given facts – and not just providing facts and expecting them to memorize answers.

Earlier many students would first encounter a ‘critical thinking’ approach in their IB board or overseas education – this new ethos will help promote lifelong learning, faster skill adaptation, and a more self-driven and autonomous workforce of professionals.

More focus on Arts subjects and Extra-curricular activities will help create a more diverse society

While just a few years ago there were talks of completely phasing out liberal arts education, the rise in demand for these programs showed that the new generation of learners had different aspirations. Now, the NEP has embraced this demand and is bringing it to all education.

With major changes in higher education, students will now have a ‘major’ and a ‘minor’ – allowing someone with a passion for engineering to still pursue writing and vice versa. This creates a safe and comfortable balance for students to balance their passions with ‘ROI worthy’ education options – with new exit and entry points allowing people to complete, pick up and resume education across their entire life.

With this change, the next few decades will see a rise of more culture and arts-focused professions, and a mindset shift from ‘engineering, law or medicine’ to be able to safely pursue a passion due to their being enough professional paths after graduating to flourish in.

Top foreign universities will now be allowed to operate in India – encouraging international knowledge transfer

While foreign universities have already been offering ‘twinning’ and study abroad programs for years now, they were not allowed to set up their own campuses in India. This meant that it was near impossible for Indian HEIs to attract quality international faculty or students from abroad – instead, it has been a primarily one-way brain drain, and India was losing its best and brightest faculty and students to overseas institutes.

Now, for the first time, foreign institutes will be allowed to operate within the country – as long as they’re in the global top 100. This is fantastic news that will be likely to bring in international faculty and academic experts, allow Indian faculty to work abroad and bring back new expertise with them, as well as encourage a steady foundation of multi-culturalism and global-mindedness within Indian students.

Could the NEP be the key to becoming a global superpower?

Very possibly. The changes laid out in the NEP mirror the educational models of some of the most powerful and developed countries in the world. And now, these processes will be applied to a country that has the largest population in the world. If implemented correctly, it will give children from all parts of society equal footing and a fair start to life. It will encourage students to think, not just repeat. It will offer new educational streams and encourage the pursuit of art and culture.

It is finally opening up India’s doors to the world. If pulled off faithfully, India could be entering its own renaissance in just the next two generations, and build a better India for centuries to come.

Author Bio:

Kunal Vasudeva is the Chief Operating Officer at the Indian School of Hospitality. With over 25 years of work experience, Kunal has been at the forefront of some of India’s leading hospitality and hospitality education ventures.

An immersive specialist, Kunal identified opportunities, implemented plans for accelerated growth, and has led the overarching strategy and execution of business on behalf of premier education brands including the Kingfisher Training Academy, The Chopras, and the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne network of certified schools in India.

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Essay on New Education Policy 2020

500+ words essay on new education policy 2020.

Education is a fundamental need and right of everyone now. In order to achieve our goals and help develop a just society, we need education. Similarly, education plays a great role in the national development of a nation. As we are facing a major change in terms of knowledge globally, the Government of India approved the National Education Policy 2020. This essay on new education policy 2020 will help you learn how this new policy has replaced the National Education Policy 1986 that is 34 years old.

Aim of the New Education Policy 2020

This new policy has the aim of universalizing education from pre-school to secondary level. It plans to do that with a 100% GRE (Gross Enrollment Ratio) in schooling. The plan is to achieve it by 2030.

This essay on new education policy 2020 will highlight the changes brought in by this new policy. Firstly, the policy proposes to open Indian higher education in foreign universities.

It aims to introduce a four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate program with various exit options. Thus, this new policy will strive to make the country of India a global knowledge superpower.

Similarly, it also aims to make all universities and colleges multi-disciplinary by the year 2040. Finally, the policy aims to grow employment in India and also bring fundamental changes to the present educational system.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Advantages and Disadvantages of New Education Policy 2020

The policy gives an advantage to students of classes 10 and 12 by making the board exams easier. In other words, it plans to test the core competencies instead of mere memorization of facts.

It will allow all the students to take the exam twice. Further, it proposes that an independent authority will be responsible for regulating both public and private schools . Similarly, the policy aims to diminish any severe separation between the educational streams and vocational streams in the schools.

There will also be no rigid division between extra-curriculum. Vocational education will begin at class sixth with an internship. Now, the essay on new education policy 2020 will tell you about the disadvantages of the policy.

Firstly, it can make the education system expensive. Meaning to say, admission to foreign universities will probably result in this. Further, it will create a lack of human resources.

If we look at the present elementary education, we notice that there is a lack of skilled teachers. Thus, keeping this in mind, the National Education Policy 2020 can give rise to practical problems in implementing the system that is for elementary education.

Finally, there is also the drawback of the exodus of teachers. In other words, admission to foreign universities will ultimately result in our skilled teachers migrating to those universities.

To conclude the essay on New Education Policy 2020, we can say that this policy is an essential initiative to help in the all-around development of our society and country as a whole. However, the implementation of this policy will greatly determine its success. Nonetheless, with a youth dominant population, India can truly achieve a better state with the proper implementation of this education policy.

FAQ of Essay on New Education Policy 2020

Question 1: What does the New Education Policy 2020 aim to achieve by 2030?

Answer 1: This new policy has the aim of universalizing education from pre-school to secondary level. It plans to do that with a 100% GRE (Gross Enrollment Ratio) in schooling. The plan is to achieve it by 2030.

Question 2: Give two challenges the New Education Policy 2020 may face?

Answer 2: Firstly, it can make the education system expensive. Meaning to say, admission to foreign universities will probably result in this. Further, it will create a lack of human resources.

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