The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), which the Union Cabinet of India started on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of a new education system in India. The new policy replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1986.

Shortly after the release of the policy, the government clarified that no one would be forced to study any particular language and that the medium of instruction would not be shifted from English to any regional language. The language policy in NEP is a broad guideline and advisory in nature, and it is up to the states, institutions, and schools to decide on the implementation. Education in India is a Concurrent List subject.

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What is the National Education Policy 2020?

The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), approved by the Union Cabinet on July 29, 2020, presents the vision for the country's new education system. 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 NEP 1991 - 480 marked a significant step in reforming India’s economic framework, introducing liberalization, privatization, and globalization. It aimed to enhance productivity and growth across sectors. The policy brought major changes in trade, industry, and financial sectors, enabling India to integrate with the global economy. NEP 1991 - 480 continues to be referenced in discussions about India’s economic transformation and structural reforms during the early 90s. The language policy in NEP provides:

• Broad guidelines and advice.
• Leaving the decisions on implementation to the states, institutions, and schools.
• Recognizing that education in India falls under the Concurrent List subject.
• 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 it aims to bring out the unique capabilities of each student.

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The National Education Policy, as submitted by the Kasturirangan Committee submitted an education policy that seeks to address the following challenges facing the existing education system:

1. Quality
2. Affordability
3. Equity
4. Access
5. Accountability 

• The policy provides for reforms at all levels of education, from school to higher education. 
• NEP aims to increase the focus on strengthening teacher training, reforming the existing exam system and early childhood care, and restructuring the regulatory framework of education. 
• Other intentions of the NEP include:
  • Increasing public investment in education,
  • Setting up NEC (National Education Commission),
  • Increasing focus on vocational and adult education,
  • Strengthening the use of technology, etc.

National Education Policy 2020 Important Highlights

The NEP 2020 replaces the National Policy on Education of 1986. In January 2015, a committee under former Cabinet Secretary T. S. R. Subramanian started the consultation process for the New Education Policy. Based on the committee report, in June 2017, the draft NEP was submitted in 2019 by a panel led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan. The Draft New Education Policy (DNEP) 2019 was later released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, followed by a number of public consultations. The Draft NEP was 484 pages. The Ministry undertook a rigorous consultation process in formulating the draft policy: "Over two lakh suggestions from 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, 6,600 blocks, 6,000 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), 676 districts were received."

• Universal Education: The new policy aims to make sure that all children, from preschool to high school, have access to education. The goal is to have every child in school by 2030.
• Bringing Back Dropouts: The policy plans to bring back 2 crore children who are currently not in school.
• New School Structure: The way schools teach will change. There will be 12 years of schooling, and for the younger kids, there will be 3 years of preschool or Anganwadi.
• Basic Learning Skills: The policy focuses on making sure that kids learn basic reading, writing, and math skills early on. It also wants to mix different types of learning like academics, activities, and job-related skills. Starting from Class 6, students can learn job skills with real-world experience.
• Local Language Teaching: At least up to Grade 5, students will learn in their language or the local language. This helps them understand better.
• New Way to Assess: Instead of just giving exams, students will be tracked to see how they're improving in all areas. This helps to understand how well they're learning.
• Higher Education Growth: The policy wants more students to go to college. The goal is to have 50% of eligible students in college by 2035. That means adding 3.5 crore new seats in colleges.
• Flexible College Subjects: In college, students can choose the subjects they like and can switch if they want to. This helps them follow their interests.
• Easy Entry and Exit: Students can leave or enter college at different stages and still get a certificate for what they've studied. This makes it flexible for students.
• Credit System: A system will be set up to help students transfer their credits from one college to another. This way, they don't have to start all over if they switch colleges.
• Research Focus: A new organization will be made to help with research in education. This will encourage new ideas and ways to make education better.
• Regulation and Autonomy: There will be a single authority that takes care of rules for colleges, but it will be organized into different parts. Also, colleges will get more independence to make their own choices over time.
• Less Affiliation: Over 15 years, the system where colleges are linked to bigger universities will be reduced. Colleges will get more freedom to make their own decisions.
• Use of Technology: The policy wants to use technology more in education, making it fair for everyone. A group will be created to talk about how to use technology in education.
• Equal Opportunity: The policy focuses on making sure everyone gets the same chance in education. It also supports special programs for regions and groups that face challenges.
• Learning Different Languages: The policy promotes the idea of learning many languages. Also, institutes will be set up to help learn languages like Pali, Persian, and Prakrit.

Study the article Education in Medieval India here.

Benefits of National Education Policy 2020

The Ministry of Human Resource Development formed a Committee chaired by Dr K. Kasturirangan for preparing the National Education Policy. The Committee was constituted in June 2017. The Committee submitted its report on May 31, 2019.The National Policy on Education covers elementary and university education in urban as well as rural India. 

Ensuring Universal Access at all levels of school education

• NEP 2020 emphasizes ensuring universal access to school education at all levels, from preschool to secondary.
• Early Childhood Care & Education with new curriculum and pedagogical structure
• 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.
• The policy advocates the integration of arts, humanities, and sciences, encouraging students to explore diverse subjects and discover their passions.

Attaining 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.
• The policy also paves the way for foreign universities to set up campuses in India, promoting international collaboration.

Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy.

• 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.
• It also encourages a more learner-centric pedagogical approach and a greater emphasis on nurturing teachers' creative and critical thinking skills.

Teacher training and management

• The existing B.Ed. The integrated program will replace the program for teacher training- 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.

Multilingualism and the power of language

• The policy has emphasized the mother tongue as the medium of instruction until Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond.
• Sanskrit is to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula.

Assessment and Accreditation

• 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 - Holistic multidisciplinary education

• The policy envisages broad-based, multidisciplinary, 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 to store academic credits earned from different HEIs digitally.
• 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

• The Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be an overarching body for higher education, excluding medical and legal 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.

Promotion of Indian languages

• NEP recommends setting up an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit, and strengthening Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs.

Internationalization of Higher Education 

• 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.

Also, study the NCERT Notes on the Charter Act of 1833 from the linked article.

Challenges related to National Education Policy, 2020

The National Education Policy, 2020 aims to revolutionize India’s education system, but its implementation faces several challenges. Key issues include infrastructure gaps, teacher training needs, digital divide, and funding constraints.

• 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 (centers 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 challenging to achieve in light of competing demands for government funding and limited resources.

Study the NCERT Notes on the Charter Act of 1813 here.

Conclusion

While the NEP 2020 aims to bring about positive transformations in the Indian education system, it is essential to evaluate its pros and cons critically. Stakeholder input is crucial for meaningful reforms in education. To improve NEP, there is a need to reassess its credit-based system, emphasizing core subjects and eliminating non-core courses. 

All your doubts regarding the National Education Policy 2020 will be cleared after going through this article. You can download the Testbook App now to check out various other topics relevant to the UPSC IAS Exam.