National Education Policy 2020 | UPSC Mains Essay Preparation PDF Download

What is National Education Policy 2020?

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is India's first education policy of the 21st century, replacing the National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986. It was drafted by a committee led by Dr. K Kasturirangan under the Ministry of Education.

• This policy introduces various reforms in school and higher education, including technical education, to align with 21st-century requirements. It is based on five foundational principles: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability and is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• NEP 2020 aims to transform India into a global knowledge leader by creating a more holistic, multidisciplinary, and flexible education system that uncovers the unique potential of every student.

How is NEP 2020 different from earlier policies?

Previous policies, such as the 1968 policy inspired by the Kothari Commission and the 1986 NPE (with updates in 1992), focused on universalizing elementary education and promoting primary education. In contrast, NEP 2020 departs from these by emphasizing:

1. Holistic development: Encourages critical thinking, analytical learning, and discussion to enhance India's talent pool.
2. Integration of vocational education: Vocational education will be embedded in mainstream education.
3. Technology-enabled learning: Recognizes the role of digital tools in improving education delivery.
4. Multilingualism with flexibility: Promotes teaching in regional languages and provides the freedom to choose.
5. Flexible, multidisciplinary curriculum: Offers options for subject selection, vocational training, credit transfers, and multiple entry-exit points, increasing autonomy for institutions.

Targets set under NEP 2020

• Universalization of education from Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to Secondary Education by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4.
• Achieving foundational literacy and numeracy skills through a national mission by 2025.
• 100% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in preschool to secondary levels by 2030.
• Increasing GER in higher education to 50% by 2035.
• Reintegrating 2 crore children into the education system through open schooling.
• Preparing teachers for assessment reforms by 2023.
• Creating an inclusive and equitable education system by 2030.

Provisions of NEP 2020

School Education

• Universal access: Expands school education access from preschool to secondary levels.

• Curriculum structure: Replaces the traditional 10+2 system with a 5+3+3+4 structure:

  • Foundational Stage: Ages 3-8 (3 years of pre-primary + Classes 1-2).
  • Preparatory Stage: Ages 8-11 (Classes 3-5).
  • Middle Stage: Ages 11-14 (Classes 6-8).
  • Secondary Stage: Ages 14-18 (Classes 9-12).

• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: A National Mission on foundational literacy and numeracy is introduced.

• Curricula reforms: More subject flexibility, no rigid separation of streams, vocational education from Grade 6, and internships.

• Teacher training: A four-year integrated B.Ed. program with a new national curriculum framework for teacher education.

• Language focus: Encourages teaching in the mother tongue till Grade 5 (preferably till Grade 8) and promotes Sanskrit across all levels.

Assessment and Accreditation

• Establishes the National Assessment Centre (PARAKH) to standardize student evaluations.

Higher Education

• Holistic education: Broad-based, flexible, and multidisciplinary undergraduate programs with vocational integration and multiple entry/exit points.
• Academic Bank of Credit: A digital system for storing and transferring academic credits.
• Research: Establishes the National Research Foundation to strengthen research culture.
• Regulation: Introduces the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a central regulatory body (excluding medical and legal education).
• Technology integration: The National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) will promote tech-enhanced education.
• Promotion of Indian languages: Sets up institutions for translation, interpretation, and the study of Indian languages like Pali, Persian, and Prakrit.

Internationalization

• Allows top Indian universities to open campuses abroad and permits select global universities to operate in India.

Other Recommendations

• Education financing: Reaffirms the commitment to allocate 6% of GDP to education.
• Adult education: Aims for 100% youth and adult literacy with programs covering foundational skills, vocational training, and continuing education.

Initiatives for NEP 2020 Implementation

• Academic Bank of Credit: A national digital system for credit transfer and accumulation.
• NIPUN Bharat: A foundational literacy and numeracy mission.
• Vidya Pravesh: A three-month school preparation module for Grade 1.
• Regional language technical education: Provisions for teaching engineering in regional languages.
• Digital architecture: The National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) strengthens digital infrastructure for education.
• SAFAL: Structured assessments for Grades 3, 5, and 8 focusing on conceptual understanding and application.
• Online degree programs: Permits universities to offer online courses.
• Multidisciplinary expansion: Institutes like IITs are introducing non-engineering courses.

Criticisms of NEP 2020

• Privatization: Critics argue that increased public-private partnerships may marginalize disadvantaged communities.
• Centralization: The policy centralizes decision-making, raising concerns over limited state autonomy.
• Implementation clarity: Lacks a concrete roadmap for implementing reforms.
• Stakeholder engagement: Critics claim insufficient consultation with teachers, parents, and students during policy development.
• Legal complexities: Potential conflicts between the Right to Education Act 2009 and NEP 2020.

Challenges in Implementation

• Scale and diversity: India's large and varied education system makes implementation complex.
• Capacity limitations: Regulatory bodies lack adequate resources to drive the transformations.
• Mother tongue education: Adapting materials for diverse languages and dialects is challenging.
• Digital divide: Many students lack access to smartphones and computers for e-learning.
• Resource constraints: Allocating 6% of GDP to education may be difficult due to competing priorities.