National Education Policy | |
---|---|
Created | 2020 |
Commissioned by | Ministry of HRD, Government of India |
Subject | Education |
Full text | |
National Education Policy (2020) at Wikisource |
The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), which was started by the Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020, outlines the vision of new education system of India. [1] The new policy replaces the previous National Policy on Education, 1986. [lower-alpha 1]
Shortly after the release of the policy, the government clarified that no one will be forced to study any particular language and that the medium of instruction will not be shifted from English to any regional language. [2] 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. [3] Education in India is a Concurrent List subject. [4]
The policy has faced criticism from multiple scholars and educationists for its hasty implementation, with some calling it a threat to equitable education. Its implementation has also led to nationwide protests across India. [5] [6]
The NEP 2020 replaces the National Policy on Education of 1986. [lower-alpha 1] 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. [8] The Draft New Education Policy (DNEP) 2019, was later released by Ministry of Human Resource Development, followed by a number of public consultations. [9] The Draft NEP was 484 pages. [10] 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." [11]
The NEP 2020 enacts numerous changes in India's education policy. It aims to increase state expenditure on education from around 3% to 6% of the GDP as soon as possible. [13]
The National Education Policy keeps the mother tongue as the medium of instruction till Grade 5 while recommending its continuance till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit and foreign languages will also be given emphasis. The Policy recommends that all students will learn three languages in their school under the 'formula', of which at least two should be native to India. It also states that no language will be imposed on the students.
Shortly after the release of the policy, the government clarified that the language policy in NEP is a broad guideline; and that it was up to the states, institutions and schools to decide the implementation. [3] A more detailed language strategy would be released in the National Curriculum Framework in 2021. [3] Note was also made that there were already institutions which had implemented this language policy 60 years ago such as the Sardar Patel Vidyalaya. [3] Both the Education Policy of 1986 and the Right to Education Act, 2009 promoted usage of the mother tongue too as an advisory guideline. [2]
After a failed attempt to import international branch campuses in 2012, [24] the NEP 2020 renewed the effort by explicitly allowing for foreign universities to establish campuses in India as well as giving permission for IITs to set up campuses overseas. [25] The policy sets a grand goal of utilizing international education to reestablish India as a Vishwa Guru (or world teacher), which was reiterated by India's vice president, M. Venkaiah Naidu, who expressed a desire to establish India to attract global academic talent. [26] Scholars have raised question about the idea of importing higher education institutions from other countries in order to advance a goal of positioning the country as a world teacher. [27]
The NEP 2020 puts forward many policy changes regarding teachers and teacher education. [28] To become a teacher, a 4-year Bachelor of Education will be the minimum requirement needed by 2030. [29] The teacher recruitment process will also be strengthened and made transparent. [29] The National Council for Teacher Education will frame a National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education by 2021 and a National Professional Standards for Teachers by 2022. [29]
Under NEP 2020, EdTech companies and startups are provided with necessary guidelines and impetus to develop learning management systems, ERP software, assessment platforms, online labs etc. for schools and universities. National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), an autonomous body is also created to facilitate exchange of ideas on technology usage to improve learning. [30] In September 2021, in line with NEP, NITI Aayog partnered with Byju's to provide free access to its tech-driven learning programmes to engineering aspirants from 112 districts. [31]
The NEP emphasises the importance of India's native knowledge traditions and inspiring 'Indianness' in people; in this vein, various Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) initiatives have been undertaken to guide research and propagate understanding of indigenous knowledge. [32] [33]
Under NEP 2020, numerous new educational institutes, bodies and concepts have been given legislative permission to be formed. These include: [1]
The policy proposes new language institutions such as the Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation and the National Institute/ Institutes for Pali, Persian and Prakrit. Other bodies proposed include the National Mission for Mentoring, National Book Promotion Policy, National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, chairperson of the National Education Policy (NEP) drafting panel, commented "No language is being imposed. Multi-lingual flexibility is still the basis for the new NEP 2020". [40] The UGC has asked that awareness about the policy should be spread among students and teachers. [41] Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the policy focuses on 'how to think' rather than 'what to think'. [42]
The IIT Kanpur Director, Abhay Karandikar, supported the new policy, while the IIT Delhi director, V. Ramgopal Rao, compared the new education policy with the Morrill Land-Grant Acts of the United States by calling it a "Morril Moment" for India. [43] He emphasized that the policy promotes educational opportunities for all, aiding the country's development by removing barriers and increasing accessibility to education. Both the chancellor and the vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) called the policy a "positive step forward", while Najma Akhtar, the vice-chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia, called the policy "ground-breaking". [44] [45] Former Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh, said "the policy lays down the road map pretty nicely". [45] Venkaiah Naidu, the Vice President of India, welcomed the policy's flexibility and appreciated its "loftier" goal of bringing out-of-school children into the school system and reducing dropouts. [46]
Lok Sabha MP and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor welcomed the decision but stated his concerns about the implementation of the new policy. [47] A report by the Observer Research Foundation stated the same. [48]
Dhiraj Kumar Nite from Ambedkar University Delhi stated that the removal of the MPhil course was not in harmony with the principles of the NEP. While multiple exit points are offered at the undergraduate level, those interested in a Ph.D. do not have a quick exit point, which the MPhil could have provided if it had been repurposed. [49] The JNU Student's Union (JNUSU) and Delhi University Teacher's Association criticized the government for approving the policy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in India, stating that they had opposed the policy since its draft stage. [50] CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury alleged that suggestions made by academicians were not taken into account, while the politburo of the party condemned the commercialization encouraged by the policy. [51] Kumkum Roy of the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU, stated that the subjects on the studies of Gender Studies, Media, Environment and Development, Culture, Dalit, Discrimination and Exclusion, and Media have not been mentioned for development. In the study of the Constitution, Fundamental Rights have been left out. [52] President of the DMK, M. K. Stalin, stated that the policy was passed without a discussion in the Parliament and would undermine the Tamil language, due to its "compulsory" option of Sanskrit at every level of education. [53] Aishe Ghosh of the JNUSU tweeted that internships under the policy might lead to legalizing child labour. [54] [55]
The Draft NEP of 2019 was criticized for multiple reasons. A social media campaign protested over the inclusion of Hindi in schools in the south Indian states. [56] [57] The Student's Federation of India stated that it threatened the federal character of the educational structure, commercialized education and undermined independent research activity. [58] Madhu Prasad of Frontline pointed out how the draft's merit-based college admissions criteria did not take into account reservations and the caste-based discrimination and oppression faced by many in the country. [59] DP Sharma appreciated the current initiative of end to end transformation of Indian education system but expressed his concerns about the implementation with care and honesty and, [60] connected the self-reliant India mission with education transformation. [61]
The multiple-exit option for undergraduate programs might lead institutions to view student exits as individual choices that could be ignored, without initiating a case management process to identify and address underlying socioeconomic issues. Some argue that this reform exposes the inadequacy of current supportive measures even more starkly. Some experts argue that internationalization may not benefit the entire country, potentially favoring only the wealthy. To enhance India's position in higher education, partnerships with international academic publishers should be considered. Establishing universities in these publishers' names, providing them with brand value, and offering a percentage of profits gained through the use of their educational solutions, such as textbooks, learning support websites, and assessment tools, could be more beneficial. These publishers can also provide competent program structures based on their extensive subject-specific resources, ensuring that citizens receive internationally recognized education. [61]
Such partnerships could prevent teaching jobs from being outsourced to foreigners through internationalization, closely aligning with Manusmriti Chapter 2, Verse 20, while simultaneously improving the quality of domestic teaching staff due to the rich content and support provided by these publishers. Additionally, this approach might attract more international companies to India, drawn by the availability of high-quality talent at a comparatively lower cost. If all states adopt this model, the cost of education would be significantly lower compared to private university fees. Forming alliances with publishers like Wiley, Routledge, and Pearson, and offering them substantial benefits, could strategically improve the higher education landscape in India. [61]
Moreover, there are concerns about expanding the responsibilities of the National Testing Agency. Conducting entrance examinations for university admissions has been increasingly viewed as unscientific and impractical in Western countries, where many institutions are phasing out such tests in the post COVID-19 era. These exams are found to be not reflective of a person's true abilities and act only as gatekeepers of higher education due to the significant time and money required to invest. Western universities consider previous academic performance, applied projects or research activities that demonstrate mastery of knowledge and skills, and extracurricular activities as better predictors of success in graduate school. Additionally, on the cusp of artificial general intelligence in the 21st century, categorizing individuals based on their brainpower is increasingly seen as an outdated and ineffective strategy. The credibility of exams like JEE Main and NEET, conducted by National Testing Agency, is further questioned due to frequent test cheating scandals, raising doubts about their effectiveness and viability as entrance tests. [62] [63] Some fear that teaching responsibilities may shift from academic professors to private ed-tech companies, rather than using these companies' resources to support professors and colleges in delivering education. Additionally, the move toward online modules, as opposed to traditional classroom learning, is seen as part of a national vision promoting a distributed learning model focused on mass training and skill development. [64] In contrast, some express concerns that direct, socially structured, and traditional learning may increasingly become reserved for the privileged few with higher financial means, through specialized institutes and private universities, which are already becoming more exempt from affirmative action regulations. [65]
Education in India is primarily managed by the state-run public education system, which falls under the command of the government at three levels: central, state and local. Under various articles of the Indian Constitution and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, free and compulsory education is provided as a fundamental right to children aged 6 to 14. The approximate ratio of the total number of public schools to private schools in India is 10:3.
The University of Calcutta, informally known as Calcutta University (CU), is a public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. It has 151 affiliated undergraduate colleges and 16 institutes in Kolkata and nearby areas. It was established on 24 January 1857 and is the oldest multidisciplinary university of Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asian Region. Today, the university's jurisdiction is limited to a few districts of West Bengal, but at the time of its establishment it had a catchment area ranging from Kabul to Myanmar. It is accredited as an "A" grade university by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
The Joint Entrance Examination – Advanced (JEE-Advanced) is an academic examination held annually in India that tests the skills and knowledge of the applicants in physics, chemistry and mathematics. It is organised by one of the seven zonal Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs): IIT Roorkee, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, and IIT Guwahati, under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board (JAB) on a round-robin rotation pattern for the qualifying candidates of the Joint Entrance Examination – Main(exempted for foreign nationals and candidates who have secured OCI/PIO cards on or after 04-03-2021). It used to be the sole prerequisite for admission to the IITs' bachelor's programs before the introduction of UCEED, Online B.S. and Olympiad entries, but seats through these new media are very low.
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916. The university incorporated the Central Hindu College, founded by Indian Home Rule-leaguer and Theosophist, Annie Besant in 1898. After Besant and her associates were marginalised, the university was established by Madan Mohan Malaviya with the support of the maharaja of Darbhanga Rameshwar Singh, the maharaja of Benares Prabhu Narayan Singh, and the lawyer Sunder Lal. With over 30,000 students, and 18,000 residing on campus, BHU is the largest residential university in Asia. The university is one of the eight public institutions declared as an Institute of Eminence by the Government of India. It is also one of the 12 institutions from India in BRICS Universities League, a consortium of leading research universities from BRICS countries.
University Grants Commission is a statutory body under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. It was set up in accordance to the UGC Act 1956 and is charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education in India. It provides recognition to universities in India, and disbursements of funds to such recognized universities and colleges. The UGC headquarters are in New Delhi, and it has six regional centres in Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati and Bangalore. A proposal to replace it with another new regulatory body called HECI is under consideration by the Government of India. The UGC provides doctoral scholarships to all those who clear JRF in the National Eligibility Test. On an average, each year ₹725 crore (US$87 million) is spent on doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships by the commission.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural education and research in India. It reports to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture. The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president. It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.
The All India Students' Federation (AISF) is the oldest student organisation in India, founded in 1936.
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation of Ministry of Education, the Government of India. Established in 1961, it is a literary, scientific and charitable Society under the Societies Registration Act. Its headquarters are located at Sri Aurbindo Marg in New Delhi. Dr. Dinesh Prasad Saklani is the director of NCERT since 2022.
The National Digital Library of India is a virtual repository of learning resources, providing services including textbooks, articles, videos, audiobooks, lectures, simulations, fiction, and other kinds of learning media for the learners/user community. It is a project managed by the Ministry of Education, Government of India through its National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT). The objective of the project is to collect and collate metadata and provide full text index from several national and international digital libraries, as well as other relevant sources. The NDLI provides free of cost access to many books and designed to hold content of any languages and provides search support for the 12 most widely used Indian languages. It is developed, operated and maintained by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) is a system of central schools for students predominantly from rural areas in India, targeting socially and economically backward students who lack access to accelerated learning due to financial, social and rural disadvantages.
The National Policy on Education (NPE) is a policy formulated by the Government of India to promote and regulate education in India. The policy covers elementary education to higher education in both rural and urban India. The first NPE was promulgated by the Government of India by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1968, the second by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986, and the third by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board was an experiment towards inter-state integration and cooperation in the sphere of secondary education. There are more than 27,000 schools in India and 240 schools in 28 foreign countries affiliated to the CBSE. All schools affiliated to CBSE follow the NCERT curriculum especially from class 9 to 12. The current Chairperson of CBSE is Rahul Singh, IAS.
Chockalingam Raj Kumar is an Indian academic administrator who is the Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University in Sonipat, Haryana, India, and the Dean of the Jindal Global Law School.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) is a ministry of the Government of India, responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education. The ministry is further divided into two departments: the Department of School Education and Literacy, which deals with primary, secondary and higher secondary education, adult education and literacy, and the Department of Higher Education, which deals with university level education, technical education, scholarships, etc.
Higher education system in India includes both public and private universities. Public universities are supported by the union government and the state governments, while private universities are mostly supported by various bodies and societies. Universities in India are recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which draws its power from the University Grants Commission Act, 1956. The main governing body is the University Grants Commission, which enforces its standards, advises the government, and helps coordinate between the center and the state. Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by various autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Manish Sisodia is an Indian politician, journalist and former social activist who served as the first Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi from 2015 to 2023. He represents the Patparganj constituency in Delhi Legislative Assembly since 2015 and had also represented the constituency from 2013 to 2014. He was in judicial custody on corruption charges in the major Delhi liquor scam between February 2023 and August 2024. He received bail from the Supreme Court of India on 9 August 2024, which according to him was a "victory for honesty and truth", in the face of a vindictive witchhunt by an insecure dispensation empowered by its caged parrots He is one of the founding members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a member of its National Executive Committee.
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is a ranking methodology released annually by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to rank institutions of higher education in India. The framework was approved by the former Ministry of Human Resource Development and launched by the Minister on 29 September 2015.
V. P. Sanu is an Indian politician who is currently the National President of the Students' Federation of India, the students' wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He is also a member of the Kerala state committee of the CPI(M). He contested the parliamentary election in 2019 polls and 2021 by-polls representing CPI(M) in Malappuram, Kerala against IUML and lost both times.
Bharatiya Khel is an initiative of the Indian government under the National Education Policy (NEP) and Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) policies to introduce 75 traditional Indian games into schools across the country. Interschool competitions will be held, with one seasonal game selected each month, and the best-performing schools and teachers will earn certificates of recognition.
The Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), or the Bhāratīya Jñāna Paramparā Vibhāga is a division of the Ministry of Education of the Government of India which purports to promote indigenous Indian systems of knowledge. Established in October 2020, it is located in the AICTE headquarters in New Delhi.
While the last policy was announced in 1992, it was essentially a rehash of a 1986 one.
{{cite web}}
: |last=
has generic name (help)