Unveiled five years ago: Nepal's NEP 2020 opens fresh opportunities within the Indian education sector
Transforming Education in India: A Look at the National Education Policy 2020
India's education landscape is undergoing a significant transformation with the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The policy, in effect for six years now, aims to make education inclusive, equitable, and future-ready by transforming both school and higher education systems.
One of the key initiatives introduced by the NEP is the NIPUN Bharat mission, which focuses on improving foundational skills in literacy and numeracy for all children by grade 3. This mission recognises the importance of early brain development and aims to ensure that every child achieves these essential skills.
The policy also introduces a new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure, replacing the outdated 10+2 structure. This new structure reflects cognitive development stages and emphasises multidisciplinary learning, flexible subject choices, and the integration of vocational education from grade 6 onwards.
To ensure high-quality education, the policy establishes independent bodies to oversee quality assurance and streamline regulatory systems for higher education. It also promotes the use of technology in education, with a focus on digital literacy, and has launched digital tools and career platforms as part of the policy.
The NEP also encourages the use of regional languages in education, in addition to English and Hindi, and promotes multilingual education to support cultural inclusion. It fosters a holistic, learner-centric approach, emphasising critical thinking, creativity, and research orientation, moving away from rote learning towards competency-based assessment.
The policy also encourages the development of global partnerships for educational collaboration and exchange. A new initiative, 'Mission STEM', has been launched to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Higher education is now embracing flexibility and AI apprenticeships.
The goal of nationwide adoption of the NEP 2020 remains a key objective. The policy is currently focusing on the full-scale implementation of its initiatives, with a particular focus on mainstreaming marginalized children and promoting inclusive, equitable, and future-ready learning. It is encouraging the use of technology in education, with a focus on digital literacy, and promoting vocational training as part of mainstream education.
The NEP 2020 also emphasises the importance of lifelong learning, providing provisions for adult education and lifelong learning opportunities to continually upgrade skills, aligning education with economic growth and social equity. Together, these initiatives represent a multi-dimensional reform to create an education system in India that is accessible, inclusive, equitable, quality-driven, and aligned with the demands of the 21st century and beyond.
- The policy-and-legislation aspect of the National Education Policy 2020 in India includes the establishment of independent bodies for quality assurance in higher education and the streamlining of regulatory systems, as part of the ongoing effort to ensure high-quality education.
- Acknowledging the role of education-and-self-development in the 21st century, the National Education Policy 2020 in India emphasizes lifelong learning, providing provisions for adult education and lifelong learning opportunities, aligning education with economic growth and social equity, and fostering a learner-centric approach that emphasizes critical thinking, creativity, and research orientation.
