National education policy

National education policy and its various dimension

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National Education Policy 2020
Introduction
 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 the 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),1986.
 Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and
Accountability, this policy is aligned to 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, multidisciplinary, suited to 21st
century needs and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each
student.
Important Highlights of National Education Policy 2020
 New Policy aims for Universalization of Education from pre-school 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, 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 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 Entry / Exit to be allowed with appropriate certification.

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 Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate 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, Special Education
Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
 New Policy promotes Multilingualism in both schools and HEs; National Institute
for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation to
be set up.
 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 centres 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 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 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.
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

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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 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 the 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, 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.

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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 on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which
include gender, socio-cultural, 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 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.
 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.
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 become educational administrators
or teacher educators. A common National Professional Standards 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

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 Schools can be organized into complexes or clusters which will be the basic unit
of governance and ensure 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.

 The New Education Policy has a great vision towards 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 Under Graduate
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, Certificate after 1 year,

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Advanced Diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years and 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 final degree earned.
 Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs,
IIMs, to be set up as models of 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.
Regulation
 Higher Education Commission of India(HECI) will be set up as a single
overarching umbrella body for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal
education. HECI to 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.
 HECI will function through faceless intervention through technology, & will have
powers to penalise 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.
Rationalised 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 capacity of
faculty through clearly defined, independent, transparent recruitment, freedom to
design curricula/pedagogy, incentivising excellence, movement into institutional
leadership. Faculty not delivering on basic norms will be held accountable

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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 programmes.
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, administration.
Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education will be done to

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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 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, and use mother tongue/local
language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programmes.
 Internationalization of education will be facilitated through both institutional
collaborations and student and faculty mobility and 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 the public investment in
the Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.
NEP: Consultation Process
 NEP 2020 has been formulated after an unprecedented process of consultation
that involved nearly over 2 lakh suggestions from 2.5 lakhs Gram Panchayats,
6600 Blocks, 6000 ULBs, 676 Districts.
 The MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, inclusive, and highly
participatory consultation process from January 2015. In May 2016, ‘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.

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 The Draft National Education Policy 2019 was uploaded on MHRD’s website and
at ‘MyGov Innovate’ portal eliciting views/suggestions/comments of stakeholders,
including the public.
Key factors of New Education policy
 liberty, responsibility, pluralism, equality, and justice;
 promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning;
 life skills such as communication, cooperation, teamwork, and resilience;
 focus on regular formative assessment for learning rather than the summative
assessment that.
Aim of New Education policy
 NEP 2020 aims to provide infrastructure support, innovative education centres to
bring back dropouts into the mainstream besides tracking of students and
their learning levels, facilitating multiple pathways to learning involving both
formal and non-formal education modes and association of counsellors or well-
trained ...
Advantage of New Educational Policy
 Some of the important benefits of the New Education Policy 2020 are as follows:
The New Education Policy will give importance to students'
practical knowledge instead of just pushing them towards rote learning. It will
help students to develop scientific temper from a young age.24-Sep-
 The new policy aims for universalisation of education from pre-school to
secondary level with 100 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in
school education by 2030 and aims to raise GER in higher education to 50 per
cent by 2025. NEP 2020 will bring two crore out of school children back into the
main stream.31-Jul-2020
Disadvanatge of New Education Policy
 The academic syllabus will be taught in the respective regional languages of the
Government school students. This is one of the major new education policy
drawbacks as this will increase the number of students uncomfortable in
communicating in English thus widening the gap between sections of the
societies.09-Sep-2020

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Implications of the National Education Policy 2020 on higher education
in India
 The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that was in works since 2016 has
come up with an extremely ambitious vision. It has delineated certain overhauls
in the education system. We shall talk about them and their probable implications
in the subsequent paragraphs.
 The suggested 5+3+3+4 pattern has been put in place with respect to the age of
a child. Presumably, this demarcation has been done keeping in mind the
psychological power a child possess while transcending through the childhood
towards adolescence. NEP 2020 has considered pre-school in its plan which is
the first of its kind for any government to spread its outreach to this level. Its
primary focus is to increase the GER ( Gross Enrollment Ratio) from 26.3% in
2018 to 50% by 2035 . Other important provisions are made towards
strengthening the vocational courses penetration amongst the children and giving
them various exit points thereby facilitating them to continue their studies in
multiple ways. Also scrapping the conventional Arts, Science and Commerce
streams is a big step towards inclusion of all the students into a single stream.
 What could be the implications of these changes is a prime-time debate. Can
these aforementioned changes and some more listed in the draft address all the
concerns or once again the policy makers have overlooked the underlying issues
begetting the wreck in the educational structure of our country? The answers to
these pressing questions can only be answered eventually but we can list out the
plausible implications these might have in the times to come.
 There are many reasons causing the drop-out of school going children ranging
from poverty to the traditional setup of the families and mental pressure such as
forcing to take up courses against the choice of the child and bullying in the
school . We, as Indians have a mindset that only children with engineering and
medical degrees succeed in life. This thought is institutionalized in the core
ideology of almost every middle- class Indian. Far-fetched problems emerge from
here. This leads to extreme pressure on children to pursue a STEM course
although their interest may lie in some artistic facet of the world. Unless this
mindset is taken care of, it will not result into any massive change that the
government envisions. Having said that it is the need of the hour to propagate
non- STEM institutions and the great future that lies ahead of the person who
pursues it. Changing the mindset of people is not a one-day activity . It will at
least take a decade or two to revamp the thought-process and then the
proposition to scrape Science, Commerce and Arts and bring them under one
roof will start making sense.
 One of the other implications that can be seen in foresight is the excessive
importance given to the vocational courses. This can give rise to reduced interest
in the academics and uptake of vocational professions by the children since at
that stage small number of students are interested in the curricular part. Children
living in the rural areas are exposed to the shortcomings of monetary benefits
and the distress in the household that ensues thereafter. This makes earning

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money more important to them rather than gaining appropriate education to
create a meaningful life and stable livelihood in the long run. Some of the other
factors that contribute in this is the death of a parent, increased family debt,
illness, lack of interest and sick parents. Thus, from this we can infer that a large
number of social-economical aspects govern the decision of a child to continue/
discontinue the studies. Imposing the need to gain vocational training can only
add to this and make them discontinue their studies and thereby become a child
labor. This imposition is set to cause more problems than acting as a perceived
solution. Digitization helping this scenario is far from true unless the basic need
and importance of education is instilled in the society.
 Another important point is the medium of imparting the knowledge. It is proposed
that till 5th standard the mode of communication has to be the mother tongue.
This brings about a serious problem that shall prevail in the society. A child
speaks his mother tongue at home. It is extremely crucial to make him proficient
in English language. There has been mass migration across states in the
country. Let us assume a Bengali family settles down in Gujarat. The child shall
only be exposed to Gujarati and Bengali until the age of 10 (5th grade) or
maximum till the age of 13 ( 8th grade). For the first 13 years of his life a child will
not be exposed to a universal language spoken across the world ( English), then
how do we ascertain that there will be a considerable amount of uptake of digital
tools specifically created for the children? This can cause a generation of kids
with poor English- speaking skills which will eventually limit their networking,
socializing and cognitive skills. The nobel thought behind carving out this point in
the draft can be reiterated to bring about an acceptable policy. An alternative
could be to have various subjects within the curriculum that can present the rich
history of the particular state the child resides in and India at large before the
students. Books can be made mandatory so that no child can miss out on
reading some incredible piece of work by celebrated authors. Audio visuals can
be shown, and a discussion should be initiated amongst the students that would
help in developing their reasoning skills. Heritage walks can be organised to
communicate about the rich heritage of the city they reside in. Street plays,
drama and theatre can also be organized ; these would help in honing the artistic
skills within the kids.
 One major lackadaisical aspect of the policy is the paucity of proper timeline. The
implementation of this policy requires congruence of administration goals at
every stage right from the grass root level to the Ministry which is difficult to
achieve in India.
 Thus, I personally feel there are considerable number of loopholes in NEP 2020
that can cause irrevocable troubles in future and cause more harm than good to
the society. We will have to wait and see whether the elaborate project remains
on paper or translates successfully as per the think tanks of the country.
 Disclaimer: The views expressed are of my own and does not represent any
institution

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Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/slowlyandsteadilymovingforward/implications-of-the-national-education-policy-2020-
on-higher-education-in-india-24554/

Explained: India’s National Education Policy,
2020
New Education Policy 2020: A look at the proposals on curriculum, courses and medium of instruction, and the takeaways
for students, schools and universities.

 New Education Policy 2020: On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet cleared
a new National Education Policy (NEP) proposing sweeping changes in school
and higher education. A look at the takeaways, and their implications for students
and institutions of learning:
What purpose does an NEP serve?
 An NEP is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in
the country. The need for a policy was first felt in 1964 when Congress MP
Siddheshwar Prasad criticised the then government for lacking a vision and
philosophy for education. The same year, a 17-member Education Commission,
headed by then UGC Chairperson D S Kothari, was constituted to draft a national
and coordinated policy on education. Based on the suggestions of this
Commission, Parliament passed the first education policy in 1968.
 A new NEP usually comes along every few decades. India has had three to date.
The first came in 1968 and the second in 1986, under Indira Gandhi and Rajiv
Gandhi respectively; the NEP of 1986 was revised in 1992 when P V Narasimha
Rao was Prime Minister. The third is the NEP released Wednesday under the
Prime Ministership of Narendra Modi.
What are the key takeaways?
 The NEP proposes sweeping changes including opening up of Indian higher
education to foreign universities, dismantling of the UGC and the All India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE), introduction of a four-year
multidisciplinary undergraduate programme with multiple exit options, and
discontinuation of the M Phil programme.
 In school education, the policy focuses on overhauling the curriculum, “easier”
Board exams, a reduction in the syllabus to retain “core essentials” and thrust on
“experiential learning and critical thinking”.
 In a significant shift from the 1986 policy, which pushed for a 10+2 structure of
school education, the new NEP pitches for a “5+3+3+4” design corresponding to
the age groups 3-8 years (foundational stage), 8-11 (preparatory), 11-14
(middle), and 14-18 (secondary). This brings early childhood education (also
known as pre-school education for children of ages 3 to 5) under the ambit of

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formal schooling. The mid-day meal programme will be extended to pre-school
children. The NEP says students until Class 5 should be taught in their mother
tongue or regional language.
 The policy also proposes phasing out of all institutions offering single streams
and that all universities and colleges must aim to become multidisciplinary by
2040.
How will these reforms be implemented?
 The NEP only provides a broad direction and is not mandatory to follow. Since
education is a concurrent subject (both the Centre and the state governments
can make laws on it), the reforms proposed can only be implemen ted
collaboratively by the Centre and the states. This will not happen immediately.
The incumbent government has set a target of 2040 to implement the entire
policy. Sufficient funding is also crucial; the 1968 NEP was hamstrung by a
shortage of funds.
 The government plans to set up subject-wise committees with members from
relevant ministries at both the central and state levels to develop implementation
plans for each aspect of the NEP. The plans will list out actions to be taken by
multiple bodies, including the HRD Ministry, state Education Departments, school
Boards, NCERT, Central Advisory Board of Education and National Testing
Agency, among others. Planning will be followed by a yearly joint review of
progress against targets set.
 What does the emphasis on mother tongue/regional language mean for
English-medium schools?
 Such emphasis is not new: Most government schools in the country are doing
this already. As for private schools, it’s unlikely that they will be asked to change
their medium of instruction. A senior ministry official clarified to The Indian
Express that the provision on mother tongue as medium of instruction was not
compulsory for states. “Education is a concurrent subject. Which is why the
policy clearly states that kids will be taught in their mother tongue or regional
language ‘wherever possible’,” the officer said.
 What about people in transferable jobs, or children of multilingual parents?
 The NEP doesn’t say anything specifically on children of parents with
transferable jobs, but acknowledges children living in multilingual families:
“Teachers will be encouraged to use a bilingual approach, including bilingual
teaching-learning materials, with those students whose home language may be
different from the medium of instruction.”
 How does the government plan to open up higher education to foreign
players?

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 The document states universities from among the top 100 in the world will be
able to set up campuses in India. While it doesn’t elaborate the parameters to
define the top 100, the incumbent government may use the ‘QS World University
Rankings’ as it has relied on these in the past while selecting universities for the
‘Institute of Eminence’ status. However, none of this can start unless the HRD
Ministry brings in a new law that includes details of how foreign universities will
operate in India.
 It is not clear if a new law would enthuse the best universities abroad to set up
campuses in India. In 2013, at the time the UPA-II was trying to push a similar
Bill, The Indian Express had reported that the top 20 global universities, including
Yale, Cambridge, MIT and Stanford, University of Edinburgh and Bristol, had
shown no interest in entering the Indian market.
 Participation of foreign universities in India is currently limited to them entering
into collaborative twinning programmes, sharing faculty with partnering
institutions and offering distance education. Over 650 foreign education providers
have such arrangements in India.
 How will the four-year multidisciplinary bachelor’s programme work?
 This pitch, interestingly, comes six years after Delhi University was forced to
scrap such a four-year undergraduate programme at the incumbent
government’s behest. Under the four-year programme proposed in the new NEP,
students can exit after one year with a certificate, after two years with a diploma,
and after three years with a bachelor’s degree.
 “Four-year bachelor’s programmes generally include a certain amount of
research work and the student will get deeper knowledge in the subject he or she
decides to major in. After four years, a BA student should be able to enter a
research degree programme directly depending on how well he or she has
performed… However, master’s degree programmes will continue to function as
they do, following which student may choose to carry on for a PhD programme,”
said scientist and former UGC chairman V S Chauhan.
 What impact will doing away with the M Phil programme have?
 Chauhan said this should not affect the higher education trajectory at all. “In
normal course, after a master’s degree a student can register for a PhD
programme. This is the current practice almost all over the world. In most
universities, including those in the UK (Oxford, Cambridge and others), M Phil
was a middle research degree between a master’s and a PhD. Those who have
entered MPhil, more often than not ended their studies with a PhD degree. MPhil
degrees have slowly been phased out in favour of a direct PhD programme.”
 Will the focus on multiple disciplines not dilute the character of single-
stream institutions, such as IITs?

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 The IITs are already moving in that direction. IIT-Delhi has a humanities
department and set up a public policy department recently. IIT-Kharagpur has a
School of Medical Science and Technology. Asked about multiple disciplines, IIT-
Delhi director V Ramgopal Rao said, “Some of the best universities in the US
such as MIT have very strong humanities departments. Take the case of a civil
engineer. Knowing how to build a dam is not going to solve a problem. He needs
to know the environmental and social impact of building the dam. Many
engineers are also becoming entrepreneurs. Should they not know something
about economics? A lot more factors go into anything related to engineering
today.”
National Education Policy 2020: What is in it for a student, a parent, a teacher,
or us, as a Higher Education Institution/University?Mridul Madhav Panditrao1 , Minnu
Mridul Panditrao1
 After the independence, in 1948, a commission headed by the second president
of Independent India and one of the greatest teachers (in fact, the Teacher’s day
is celebrated on the occasion of his birth anniversary); Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
commission, tried to revamp the old policies and tried to align them for the
present and future.[9] After a long gap of nearly 18 years, Kothari commission in
1966, National Education Policy 1968 and then in 1986, which was modified in
1992 (1986/92), Yashpal Committee of 1993, National Knowledge Commission
of 2006, Tandon Committee of 2009 and 3rd NEP of 2019, were the major
milestones in the evolution of educational reforms in India to shape the policies in
correlation with the evolving challenges
POLICY IN FOCUS
 In 2015, India adopted what is called as “2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development (SD).” Under this agenda, Goal 4 (SDG 4) seeks to “ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities to all by 2030.” Based on five main foundation pillars, namely,
access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability, NEP2020 has been
aligned to 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
 As we progress and proceed more and more, toward, the information and
communication technology (ICT) oriented and artificial intelligence-dependent
society, the unskilled and semi-skilled level jobs, shall be taken over by machines
and computer/mathematics and technical based jobs shall be more in demand.
With growing challenges due to pollution, climatic alterations, crises in basic
needs and most importantly, constant looming threat of pandemics, there shall
be increased requirement of jobs in physics, chemistry, biology, social sciences
and infectious diseases control in an integrated manner. All of this point to a
need of multidisciplinary teaching/learning process.
 Thus, it would seem to be prudent to make sure that the education must have
less of “content” and more of thought process, critical analysis and problem
solving approach. It should make, the learner, a more creative, innovative,
adaptive and multidisciplinary thinker. The pedagogy should aim to make

16. 16
education more “experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-
oriented, learner-centered, discussion-based, flexible and, of course, enjoyable.”
The curriculum must include basic arts, crafts, humanities, games, sports and
fitness, languages, literature, culture and values, in addition to science and
mathematics, to develop all aspects and capabilities of learners; and make
education more well-rounded, useful and fulfilling to the learner. Education must
build character, enable learners to be ethical, rational, compassionate and
caring, while at the same time prepare them for “gainful, fulfilling
employment.”[1,2] The fundamental and paradigm shift between NEP2020 and
previous policies is, “revision and revamping” of all the aspects of educational
structure including its regulation and governance, to create a new system, that is
aligned with the 21st century aspired educational goals while building on the
India’s traditional value system with more stress on developing the creative
potential of each individual.
NEP2020 , Principles[1,2]
The fundamental principles both for the entire education system as well as
individual institutions included in it are as follows:
 Recognizing, identifying and fostering the unique capabilities of each student.
This is to be achieved by sensitizing teachers as well as parents to promote each
student’s holistic development in both academic and non-academic spheres
 Achieving foundational literacy and numeracy by all students by Grade 3 as the
highest priority
 Flexibility incorporated in the process of learning so that learners have the ability
to choose their learning trajectories and programs and thereby choose their own
paths in life according to their talents and interests
 No hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-
curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams, etc., to eliminate
harmful hierarchies among and silos between different areas of learning
 Multidisciplinarity and a holistic education across the sciences, social sciences,
arts, humanities and sports to ensure the unity and integrity of all knowledge
 Emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and learning for
examinations.
 Creative and critical thinking to encourage logical decision-making and
innovation
 Ethics and human and constitutional values such as empathy, respect for others,
cleanliness, courtesy, democratic spirit, spirit of service, respect for public
property, scientific temper, liberty, responsibility, pluralism, equality and justice
 Promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning

17. 17
 Life skills such as communication, cooperation, teamwork and resilience
 Focused regular formative assessment for learning rather than the summative
assessment that encourages today’s “coaching culture;”
 Extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, removing language
barriers, increasing access for Divyang students and educational planning and
management
 Respect for diversity and respect for the local context in all curriculum, pedagogy
and policy, always keeping in mind that education is a concurrent subject
 Full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure
that all students are able to thrive in the education system
 Synergy in curriculum across all levels of education from early childhood care
and education to school education to higher education
 Teachers and faculty as the heart of the learning process – their recruitment,
continuous professional development, positive working environments and service
conditions
 A “light but tight” regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency and
resource efficiency of the educational system through audit and public disclosure
while encouraging innovation through autonomy, good governance and
empowerment
 Outstanding research as a corequisite for outstanding education and
development; a continuous review of progress based on sustained research and
regular assessment by educational experts
 A rootedness and pride in India and its rich, diverse, ancient and modern culture,
knowledge systems and traditions
 Education is a public service; access to quality education must be considered a
basic right of every child
 Substantial investment in a strong, vibrant public education system, as well as
the encouragement and facilitation of true philanthropic private and community
participation.
The vision of this policy
An education system rooted in Indian ethos
 That contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an
equitable and vibrant knowledge society

18. 18
 By providing high-quality education to all and thereby making India a global
knowledge superpower.
The curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must develop among the students a
deep sense of respect toward
 The fundamental duties and constitutional values
 Bonding with one’s country
 A conscious awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a changing world.
To instill among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian.
 Not only in thought but also in spirit, intellect and deeds, as well as
 To develop knowledge, skills, values and dispositions that support.
 Responsible commitment to human rights
 Sustainable development and living
 Global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.
Actual policy
 There are mainly four parts, the first three being various levels of learning
followed by the actual implementation.
 Part I – School education
 Part II – Higher education
 Part III – Other key areas of focus
 Part IV – Making it happen (implementation).
Part I – School education
 Ensuring universal access to all levels of schooling from pre-primary to Grade 12
 The ultimate target to be achieved shall be 100% gross enrollment ratio (GER).
To achieve this, following initiatives shall be undertaken
 Provision of effective and sufficient infrastructure
 Alternative and innovative education centers to minimize/reverse the dropout rate
 Careful tracking of learning level of students for their universal participation

19. 19
 Continuous interaction between the teachers, counselors and specially trained
social workers with the students and their parents for their continued attendance.
Early childhood care education
 Emphasis on criticality of early years so as to ensure quality early childhood care
and education for all the children between 3 and 6 years by 2025
 A National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and
Education for children up to age of 8 years by NCERT
 All of these activities shall be a joint venture of Ministries of HRD, Women and
Child Development, Health and Family Welfare and Tribal Affairs.
New curricular and pedagogical structure
Main aims shall be
 “Experiential learning” to achieve the holistic development, with reduction in
“content” to promote essential learning and critical thinking
 Wider flexibility and choices of subjects for them to pursue the paths of their own
liking, according to their talent and interests
 No rigid boundary or separation between arts and science, curricular and extra-
curricular activities, vocational and academic streams. All shall be integrated
 Equal emphasis accorded to all subjects such as science, social sciences, art,
languages, sports and mathematics
Design shall be [Figure 1]
 The present day 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a
5+3+3+4 (total of 15 years) curricular structure corresponding to ages 3–8 (5) +
8–11 (3) + 11–14 (3) + 14–18 (4) years, respectively
 This will bring the up until now, uncovered group of age group of 3–6 years under
school curriculum, globally accepted as the crucial stage of mental faculty
development
 Three years of pre-school/Anganwadi + 12 years of schooling
 Essentially, there shall be four stages:
 Foundation stage: 5 years duration: Divided into two parts, namely; 3 years of
pre-school/ Anganwadi, covering ages 3–6 years + 2 years of primary school in
Grades 1–2, covering ages 6–8 years
 Preparatory stage: 3 years duration: Grades 3–5, covering ages 8–11 years

20. 20
 Middle stage: 3 years duration: Grades 6–8, covering ages 11–14 years
 Secondary stage: 4 years duration: Grades 9–12 in two phases, first phase –
Grades 9 and 10, while second phase – Grades 11-12, covering ages 14–18
years.
 NCERT shall be entrusted to develop a new and comprehensive National
Curricular Framework for School Education (NCFSE 2020–21).
 NCERT and SCERT shall develop high-quality textbooks and other materials.
States will take the initiative in preparing their own curricula/textbooks
incorporating their own local state flavor and material, with prioritizing the
availability of these in all regional languages. Reducing the textbooks load and
school bag weight shall be ensured.
Attaining foundational literacy and numeracy
 A national mission on foundational literacy and numeracy will be set up so as to
focus on early language and mathematical skills from Grades 1–3 by 2025. A
national book promotion policy shall be created
Multilingualism and power of language
 The medium of instruction at least until Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and
beyond will be in local/regional language/mother tongue. A project “Languages of
India shall be conducted between Grades 6 and 8, for every student. “Sanskrit”
will be offered as an option, at all the levels of school/higher education under
three language formulas. Classical Indian languages as well as many foreign
languages will be at the secondary level. Indian Sign Language will be
standardized, for offering.
Reforms in assessment
 A new National Assessment Center, performance assessment, review and
analysis of knowledge for holistic development (PARAKH) will be set up. There
shall be a paradigm shift from summative to regular and formative assessment,
which shall be competency based. The board examinations of 10t h and
12th shall continue, but for each of them, the individual will be allowed to take
each of these on two occasions during one school year, one main examination
and one for improvement. The school examinations in the 3rd, 5th and 8th grade
will be conducted by the designated authority.
National entrance test
 The principles for university entrance examinations will be similar. The National
Testing Agency (NTA) will work to offer a high-quality common aptitude test, as
well as specialized common subject examinations in the sciences, humanities,
languages, arts and vocational subjects, at least twice every year.

21. 21
Equitable and inclusive education
 Special emphasis will be for socially and economically disadvantaged group
(SEDGs) inclusive of gender identities (female and transgender), sociocultural
(SC, ST, OBCs and minorities), geographical (rural), disabilities (specially
learning disabilities) and socioeconomic (migrants, low income, orphans and any
other vulnerable) groups. Special attention will be provided to the children with
disabilities, both physical and learning. Special “Bal Bhavans” and “Samajik
Chetna Kendras” will be established to assist the students.
 Support for gifted students/students with special talents There are innate talents
in every student, which must be discovered, nurtured, fostered and developed.
Teachers will aim to encourage students with singular interests and/ or talents in
the classroom by giving them supplementary enrichment material and guidance
and encouragement. Topic-centered and project-based clubs and circles will be
encouraged and supported at the levels of schools, school complexes, districts
and beyond. Examples include science circles, math circles, music and dance
performance circles, chess circles, poetry circles, language circles, drama
circles, debate circles, sports circles, eco clubs, health and well-being clubs/
yoga clubs and so on. Olympiads and competitions in various subjects will be
conducted across the country.
Teacher recruitment and career path
 Recruitment, promotions, assessment of Teachers will be carried out, through, a
robust, transparent and merit based process. “National Professional Standards
for Teachers (NPST)” will be developed by 2022, by National Council for Teacher
Education (NCTE), in collaboration with NCERT, SCERTs. There shall be a
review/revision in 2030 and every 10 years thereafter.
School governance
 To be streamlined.
Accreditation and standard setting of school education
 A State School Standards Authority will be set up. SCERTs shall develop, school
quality assessment and accreditation framework. There shall be same
assessment and accreditation criteria, benchmarks and processes for both public
and private schools.
Vocational education
 The target of at least 50% of learners being exposed to vocational education,
both at school and the higher education level, has been planned to be achieved
by 2015. The students are planned to be oriented with vocational education at
middle and secondary school, which will then be integrated into higher education,
through it is, polytechnics, even local industry. They will learn at least one
vocation, with orientation to many. Ten days of internship between 6 and 8

22. 22
grades with, local experts such as carpenters, potters and gardeners same
program being followed every year during vacation in Grades 6–12.
Part II – Higher education
1. Establishment of new quality universities and colleges
i. Aim: The main aim is to create good, thoughtful, well rounded and creative
individuals. Such individuals may be allowed to study one or more specialized
area in depth so that values such as intellectual curiosity, creativity, ethics &
morality, scientific temperament and social commitment are allowed to
develop, without the rigid barriers of streams, specializations
ii. To create more universities and colleges (HEIs) which offer multidisciplinary
undergraduate as well as graduate programs/education with medium of
instruction in local/Indian and other languages
iii. To establish a National Research Foundation
iv. Institutional and faculty autonomy
v. Increased access, equity, inclusion by revamping of curriculum, pedagogy
and assessment.
2. Institutional Restructuring and consolidation
i. All HEIs to be multidisciplinary by 2040. Single stream HEIs shall either be
phased out or will have to move to be multidisciplinary or as a part of
multidisciplinary HEI clusters
ii. By 2030 at least one large multidisciplinary HEI, in or every district
iii. GER to be increased from 26.3% (2018) to 50% (2035)
iv. Public as well as private HEIs, but emphasis on PUBLIC
v. University will get redefined as: Those which place equal importance on
teaching and research as Research-Intensive Universities (RIU) or those
which place greater emphasis on teaching but still conduct significant
research as Teaching-Intensive Universities (TIU)
vi. Large multidisciplinary institutions, which have main focus on undergraduate
teaching and grant mainly the undergraduate degrees, will be labeled as
Autonomous Degree Granting College (AC). Concept of “affiliated colleges”
shall be gradually phased out in next 15 years (by 2035)
vii. These and HEIs, shall undergo a gradual, stage wise assessment mechanism
before granting graded autonomy. HEIs can have autonomy to gradually
move from one category to other
viii. There shall be essentially no rigid categorization between these three
institutions, namely, these three different institutions, RIUs, TIUs and AC,
shall be in continuum. These shall impart both professional and vocational
education in an integrated manner

23. 23
ix. There shall be cooperation between HEIs, in their development, community
engagement and service, support to school education in various fields and
faculty development
x. The HEIs have an option to run open distance learning (ODL) and online
programs, after getting due accreditation
xi. All the present-day confusing and complex nomenclature pertaining to HEIs
such as, “Deemed to be University,” “Affiliating University,” “Affiliating
Technical University,” and “Unitary University” shall be replaced by simply
“University” after fulfilling stipulated criteria and norms.
3. Toward a more holistic and multidisciplinary education
i. All undergraduate (UG) programs, be it professional, technical and vocational
streams, shall be more holistic. For example, even a purely technical
profession such as engineering shall offer humanities, arts, vocational and
soft skills and vice versa
ii. The UG degree programs will be of 3 or 4 years duration with multiple exit
options in built and with appropriate certification in any discipline/field
inclusive of professional/vocational/technical streams. For example;
a. A certificate after completion of 1 year
b. A diploma after completion of 2 years
c. A bachelor’s degree after completion of 3 years
d. Preference shall be for multidisciplinary degree after 4 years.
iii. A 4-year program may also culminate in to a “Degree with Research,” if
rigorous research project in the major area/s of study as specified by HEI, has
been carried out
iv. An Academic Bank of Credit, for digital storing of academic credits earned
from various HEIs, so that degree from a HEI can be awarded
v. Departments such as art, dance, economics, education, indology, language,
literature, mathematics, music, philosophy, pure and applied science,
sociology, sports, statistics, translation and interpretation shall be established
and strengthened in all the HEIs.
vi. Credit-based courses in community service, environmental education and
value based education will be integral part of HEI
vii. Multidisciplinary Educational and Research Universities (MERUs) – Model
public universities for holistic and holistic education at par with IITs, IIMs shall
be established.
4. Optimal learning environment and support for students
i. HEIs and their faculty will have autonomy to innovate in terms of curriculum,
pedagogy and assessment within a broad framework
ii. CBCS shall be reinvented and revived. Assessment, including final, shall be
decided by HEI with a criterion based grading system. The emphasis will be
on the continuous and comprehensive evaluation

24. 24
iii. High-quality support centers, professional academic and career counseling
for all
iv. Standardization, regulation and accreditation of ODL will take priority.
5. Internationalization
i. The international students shall be facilitated to take admission in Indian
Universities and whatever it takes to achieve this and project India as the
global study destination for premium education at affordable costs
ii. At each HEI, an international students office will be established for facilitation
of foreign students
iii. Research/teaching collaborations, faculty/student exchange and liaisons with
foreign universities on one hand and opening of offshore campuses of high
profile Indian universities in foreign countries on the other, will be encouraged
iv. The top foreign universities will be permitted to operate in India, by executing
special legislative frameworks.
6. Student activity
i. There will be provision of all the facilities required to provide, comfortable,
safe and quality education such as, adequate hostels, medical facilities,
counseling center, various clubs like, sports, art, culture, eco, activity
community service so on and so forth will be established
ii. Financial support, especially, the students belonging to SC, ST, OBC and
other SEDGs, will be supported with scholarships, sponsorships.
7. Faculty motivated, energized and capable
i. Faculty shall have autonomy to design their own curriculum and pedagogical
modalities within approved framework
ii. Faculty recruitment and promotions as per clear, well-defined and transparent
process.
8. Equity and inclusion of higher education – government and HEIs equal partners
i. Approach by the government
a. Assistance to SEDGs, financial and other, irrespective whether public or
private HEI
b. Assistance to fairer gender
c. Earmark HEIs in promising districts/create special education zones
d. Improve technologies.
ii. Approach by HEIs
a. Regulate the fees and other expenditure to the students
b. Provide scholarships, sponsorships and other financial assistance
c. Make admissions, curriculum and opportunities more inclusive
d. Make all the facilities available for the differently abled and disadvantaged

25. 25
e. Non-discrimination, non-harassment and gender equality are the basic
tenets
f. Develop Institutional Development Plan which contains special plans for
SEDGs
iii. Impetus on vocational education
i. Vocational education to be integrated in to school, higher education and
other professional institutions in phase wise manner
ii. B.Voc degree program (2013) to continue but vocational courses to be
included in all the bachelor’s degree programs (3 or 4 years)
iii. By 2025, 50% of learners shall have exposure to vocational education
iv. HEIs to provide vocational education individually or in collaboration with
industry/NGOs
v. “Lok Vidya;” the traditional Indian vocational knowledge will be integrated
vi. Vocational education through ODL mode will be explored
vii. National Committee for Integration of Vocational Education under Ministry
of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) will be established
viii. Indian Standards (ISI) to be aligned with International Standard
Classification of Occupations
ix. With the help of credit-based framework, cross mobility between the
“general” and vocational education to be facilitated.
iv. Research: Catalyzing quality academic research in all the fields through a
New National Research Foundation (NRF)
. Establishment of a new, NRF
i. Goal; to establish and permeate the “Research Culture” throughout our
HEIs/universities
ii. A rotating board of governors (BOG), consisting of eminent researchers
and innovators will govern this
iii. Sphere of activities includes.
a. Find peer-reviewed, competitive grant proposals from all types and all
streams/disciplines
b. Initiate, facilitate and promote research at HEIs
c. Act as a Liaison between researchers and government branches.
9. Transformation of regulatory system of HEIs
i. Under one umbrella of Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), four
independent verticals will be set up, to govern the four major aspects, namely,
. Regulation will be named as National Higher Education Regulatory
Council (NHERC). It will function as a “single” point regulator for all the
education, including teacher education, except medical and legal

26. 26
a. Accreditation – National Accreditation Council (NAC), which will base its
assessment of the institutions on the basis of basic infrastructure, public
self-disclosure, good governance and outcomes
b. Funding – Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) will do
funding/financing using transparent criteria
c. Education – General Education Council (GEC) will frame the learning
outcomes on the basis of specially formulated National Higher Education
Qualification Framework (NHEQF)
ii. All the four bodies as well the mother body shall function on the basis of
transparency, public self-disclosure and the use of technology to avoid the
human bias
iii. Existing professional councils such as Indian Council of Agricultural
Research, Veterinary Council of India, NCTE, Council of Architecture and
National Council for Vocational Education and Training will act as
Professional Standard Setting Bodies.
10. Curbing commercialization of education
i. All education institutes will be audited at similar standard and disclosure as
“not for profit” entity
ii. NAC shall provide complementary check and NHERC will take this in to
consideration as one of the key regulations
iii. All HEIs including private shall transparently disclose all fees and charges
and there shall not be any arbitrary increase of fees/charges during
enrolment.
11. Effective governance and leadership for HEIs
i. Over next 15 years, with graded accreditation and associated graded
autonomy, all the HEIs in India, will aim to become, independent self-
governing institutions pursuing excellence and innovation under specially
selected BOG
ii. BOG of an institution will be empowered to govern the institution free of any
external interference
iii. BOG will be accountable to hold all the regulatory guidelines of HECI though
NHERC.
Part III – Other key areas of focus
1. Professional education: Health-care education
a. All stand-alone universities be it, agricultural, health sciences, legal, technical
shall transform themselves as multidisciplinary and holistic education
providing HEIs
b. All institutions offering either professional or general education will aim to
organically evolve into institutions/clusters offering both seamlessly and in an
integrated manner by 2030

27. 27
c. Health-care education needs to be re-envisioned so that the duration,
structure and design of the educational programs need to match the role
requirements that graduates will play
d. Students will be assessed at regular intervals on well-defined parameters
primarily required for working in primary care and in secondary hospitals
e. Given that people exercise pluralistic choices in health care, our health-care
education system must be integrative meaning thereby that all students of
allopathic medical education must have a basic understanding of Ayurveda,
Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy and vice versa
f. There shall also be a much greater emphasis on preventive health care and
community medicine in all forms of health-care education.
2. Technology in education
a. An autonomous body National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) will be
created to provide a platform for free exchange of ideas on the use of
technology for
1. Learning
2. Assessment
3. Planning
4. Administration.
b. Technology-based education platforms such as “Diksha/Swayam” will be
better integrated.
3. Online and digital education
a. New circumstances and realities require new initiatives. The recent
epidemics/pandemics necessitate that the alternative modes of quality
education are utilized whenever and wherever traditional and in-person
modes of education are not possible
b. Need to carry out carefully designed and appropriately scaled pilot studies to
determine advantages/disadvantages
c. In the meantime, the existing digital platforms and ongoing ICT-based
educational initiatives must be optimized and expanded to meet the current
and future challenges in providing quality education for all
d. The use of technology for online and digital education must adequately
address concerns of equity
e. Teachers require suitable training and development to be effective online
educators, as good teacher in a traditional classroom may not be a good
teacher in an online classroom
f. Aside from changes required in pedagogy, online assessments also require a
different approach, with multiple challenges to conducting online
examinations at scale, including limitations on the types of questions that can
be asked in an online environment, handling network and power disruptions
and preventing unethical practices

28. 28
g. Certain types of courses/subjects, like health sciences practical have
limitations in the online/ digital education space, which can be overcome to a
partial extent with innovative measures
h. Further, unless online education is blended with experiential and activity-
based learning, it will tend to become a screen-based education with limited
focus on the social, affective and psychomotor dimensions of learning.
4. The recommended key initiatives
a. Pilot studies for online education involving appropriate agencies – To
evaluate the benefits of integrating education with online education while
mitigating the drawbacks such as, student device addiction, most preferred
formats of e-content
b. Digital infrastructure – There is a need to invest in creation of open,
interoperable, evolvable, public digital infrastructure in the education sector
that can be used by multiple platforms and point solutions, to solve for India’s
scale, diversity, complexity and device penetration
c. Online teaching platform and tools – Existing e-learning platforms such as
SWAYAM and DIKSHA will be extended to provide teachers with a
structured, user-friendly, rich set of assistive tools for monitoring progress of
learners. Tools, such as two-way video and two-way audio interface for
holding online classes, are a real necessity as the present pandemic has
shown
d. Content creation, digital repository and dissemination – A digital repository of
content including creation of coursework, learning games and simulations,
augmented reality and virtual reality will be developed
e. Addressing the digital divide – The population whose digital access is highly
limited, the existing mass media, such as television, radio and community
radio will be extensively used for telecast and broadcasts. A special focus on
content in all Indian languages will be emphasized
f. Virtual labs – Existing e-learning platforms such as DIKSHA, SWAYAM and
SWAYAMPRABHA will also be leveraged for creating virtual laboratories so
that all students have equal access to quality practical and hands-on
experiment-based learning experiences
g. Training and incentives for teachers – Teachers will undergo rigorous training
in learner-centric pedagogy and on how to become high-quality online content
creators themselves using online teaching platforms and tools
h. Online assessment and examinations – Appropriate bodies, such as the
proposed National Assessment Centre or PARAKH, School Boards, NTA and
other identified bodies, will design and implement assessment frameworks
encompassing design of competencies, portfolio, rubrics, standardized
assessments and assessment analytics
i. Blended models of learning – The importance of face-to-face in-person
learning is not forgotten. Accordingly, different effective models of blended
learning will be identified for appropriate replication for different subjects

29. 29
j. Laying down standards – As research on online/ digital education emerges,
NETF and other appropriate bodies shall set up standards of content,
technology and pedagogy for online/digital teaching-learning for setting up
guidelines.
Part IV – Making it happen (implementation)
1. Strengthening Central Advisory Board of Education
2. Redesignation of MHRD as Ministry of Education
3. Financial and other infrastructural support.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
NEP2020 has been unveiled, with lot of thought process, optimism, as well as fanfare
by Government of India. The proposed delivery of education is extremely broad based,
circumspect and all-encompassing. There are no specific compartments, boundaries
and divisions. The predicted timespan is significantly prolonged, with nearly 20 + years
of duration envisaged. It starts at the grass root; school level goes through the graduate
and even higher level of education. Main thrust as contemplated is on multidisciplinary,
holistic and broad-based education. There is also main emphasis on vocational
education, which is supposed to start earlier in school phase itself. The policy is mainly
divided in to three parts of delivery as per the level of the learner and fourth part as the
ways to make it happen. The levels are school, higher education and other areas,
specifically professional education.
At school level, the old 10+2 system shall be replaced with new 5+3+3+4. More stress
on the local/Indian languages, more help to SEDGs and teachers to be assisted in self-
improvement and thus upgradation.
At university/HEI level, no single stream/discipline university shall remain in existence
but transformed into multidisciplinary, holistic delivery systems. A single nomenclature,
“University,” shall prevail. There shall be MERUs, research shall be on forefront. A
single body National Research Foundation shall be the controlling body. There shall be
HECI to govern the higher education. Four aspects, namely, regulation – will be under
NHERC, accreditation by NAC, funding by HEGC and education by GEC with the help
of NHEQF.
At professional level, a health-care education shall undergo tremendous transformation,
by integrating the various systems of medicine. In view of the ongoing pandemic and
possibility of such things happening, a strong stress on online and digital modality of the
delivery of the content is not only warranted, but is imperative.