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.
Languages 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 a 'three-language formula', including at least two native Indian languages. 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. A more detailed language strategy would be released in the National Curriculum Framework in 2021. It
recommends additional recruitment of teachers to ensure a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of under 30:1, with a preference for 25:1 in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. Additionally, it
proposes the establishment of a
national digital repository of high-quality resources, development of "enjoyable and inspirational" books for students at all levels in all local languages, and ensuring easy availability of resources for both teachers and students, via an expanded network of school, public, and digital libraries. Finally, it
reinforces the critical need for addressing both the physical and mental health of students, via proper and timely nutrition, and periodic health check-ups. • The "
10 + 2" structure will be replaced with "
5+3+3+4" model. This will be implemented as follows: • Foundational Stage: This is further subdivided into two parts: 3 years of
preschool or
anganwadi, followed by classes 1 and 2 in primary school. This will cover children of ages 3–7 years. The focus of studies will be in activity-based learning. • Preparatory Stage: Classes 3 to 5, which will cover the ages of 8–10 years. It will gradually introduce subjects like speaking, reading, writing, physical education, languages, art, science and mathematics. • Middle Stage: Classes 6 to 8, covering children between ages 11 and 13. It will introduce students to the more abstract concepts in subjects of mathematics, sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. • Secondary Stage: Classes 9 to 12, covering the ages of 14–18 years. It is again subdivided into two parts: classes 9 and 10 covering the first phase while classes 11 and 12 covering the second phase. These 4 years of study are intended to inculcate multidisciplinary study, coupled with depth and critical thinking. Multiple options of subjects will be provided. • Instead of
exams being held every academic year, school students will only attend three exams, in classes 2, 5 and 8. The exam itself would have two parts, namely the objective and the descriptive. Report cards will be "holistic", offering information about the student's skills. • The
Midday Meal Scheme will be extended to include breakfasts. More focus will be given to students' health, particularly mental health, through the deployment of counsellors and social workers.
Higher education • The policy
proposes a 4-year multi-disciplinary bachelor's degree in an undergraduate program with multiple exit options, ranging from a certificate after completing a year in a discipline or field, to a Bachelor's degree 'with research' if the student completes a four-year degree program which includes a 'rigorous' research project in a chosen major area of study. Likewise, the master's program is intended to be flexible in its duration, depending on the prior experience of the student. A Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) has a minimum requirement of a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with Research. • The policy
proposes to transform the regulatory landscape in higher education by ensuring that the four tasks of regulation, accreditation, funding, and academic standard setting are each performed by "distinct, independent and empowered bodies", and within one umbrella institution viz. the to-be-established Higher Education Commission of India (HECI). It cites the need to "create checks-and-balances in the system, minimize conflicts of interest, and eliminate concentration of power" as the reasons behind the delegation of tasks to independent bodies. The proposed four verticals of HECI are: • National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC): to regulate higher education, including teacher education, while excluding medical and legal education. • National Accreditation Council (NAC): to supervise the work of accrediting institutions and specify "phased benchmarks for all HEIs to achieve set levels of quality, self-governance, and autonomy", i.e. to act as a "meta-accrediting body". • Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC): to fund and finance universities and colleges, based on transparent criteria. This will replace the existing
University Grants Commission. • General Education Council (GEC): to create a framework, the National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF), for charting "graduate attributes" i.e. the expected learning outcomes for higher education programs. • The
National Council for Teacher Education will come under the GEC, as a professional standard setting body (PSSB). Other PSSBs will include professional councils such as
Veterinary Council of India,
Council of Architecture,
Indian Council of Agricultural Research and National Council for Vocational Education and Training. • It
proposes to fix the fees of both private and public universities. • The
National Testing Agency will now be given the additional responsibility of conducting entrance examinations for admissions to universities across the country, in addition to the
JEE Main and
NEET. • It
proposes that higher education institutes like the
IITs make changes with regard to the diversity of learning. • It
proposes to internationalize education in India by allowing selected foreign universities to set up campuses in India, making the country an attractive destination for foreign students in search of quality education at an affordable cost, and promoting research collaborations and student exchanges between Indian and global institutions.
International branch campuses After a failed attempt to import
international branch campuses in 2012, 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. 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. 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.
Teachers The NEP 2020 puts forward many policy changes regarding teachers and teacher education. To become a teacher, a 4-year
Bachelor of Education will be the minimum requirement needed by 2030. The teacher recruitment process will also be strengthened and made transparent. 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.
Indigenous knowledge 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.
Other changes Under NEP 2020, numerous new educational institutes, bodies and concepts have been given legislative permission to be formed. These include: •
Academic Bank of Credits, a digital storage of credits earned to help resume education by utilising credits for further education • National Research Foundation, to improve research and innovation • Special Education Zones, to focus on the education of underrepresented group in disadvantaged regions • Gender Inclusion Fund, for assisting the nation in the education of female and transgender children 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. == Reception ==