New Education Policy

The Union Cabinet of India approved a new National Education Policy on July 29, 2020. The NEP 2020 drafts the vision of India’s new education system by replacing the earlier National Policy of Education, 1986. The policy claims to transform India’s education system. National Education Policy 2020 envisions an India-centric education system that contributes to transforming our nation into a fair and vibrant knowledge society by providing high-quality education to all.

They have introduced the National Education Policy 2020 at the right time, to complement the process and vision of creating quality institutions, a culture of innovation, and a skilled workforce. It was about time that we started a process to transform the Educational Institutions in India, and offer them the ability to meet a certain level, that we can compare them to the likes of the best in the world.

The NEP 2020 enacts some major advances in India’s education policy.

• 5+3+3+4 education structure: The revised policy expands the age group of mandatory schooling from 6 to 14 years to 3-18 years. This new system will include 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre-schooling. A 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years will replace the existing 10+2 structure of the school curriculum.

• A single overarching body of higher education: The Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will now set up a single overarching umbrella body for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. The same set of norms for regulation, accreditation, and academic standards, to apply to both public and private higher education institutions. The Government aims to phase out the affiliation of colleges in 15 years, and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges.

• Cooperation between subject streams to be blurred: As per NEP 2020, the rigid separations between subjects’ streams will be done away with. Students will have the liberty to choose subjects they would like to study across streams. Vocational education to be introduced in schools from Class 6 and will include internships as well.

• No more dropouts: The duration of the undergraduate degree will be 3 or 4 years. It will also give students multiple exit options within this period. Colleges will have to grant a certificate to a student if they would like to leave after completing 1 year in a discipline or field including professional areas, a diploma after 2 years of study, or a Bachelor’s degree after completing a three-year program. An Academic Bank of Credit will be established by the Government for digitally storing academic credits earned from different Higher Educational Institutions so that these can be transferred and counted towards the final degree earned.

• Languages: The regional languages have been given due importance, especially in a country like ours where we are proud of our diversity. This was a step in the right direction.

National Education Policy 2020, is an attempt to address most of the grievances of the education system, which have been pending for decades. This is certainly a historic moment for all the stakeholders involved, be it the teachers, students, or parents. It is intriguing to see how the norms of this policy will be implemented, but we can be sure that this is a new age for the Indian Education landscape.