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| NEP2020 has introduced systemic academic and administrative reforms within the first five years of its implementation | | |
Vijay Garg
Education and the knowledge paradigms related to it have been the foundation of progressive societies. A rich ancient repository of Bhartiya scholarship has been acknowledged worldwide and has inspired many to contribute in their respective academic fields.
Despite such illustrious knowledge heritage, this nation took 73 years to embrace a National Education Policy in the year 2020 that was aligned with the ‘aspirational goals of 21st century education while building upon India’s knowledge traditions and value systems’. National Education Policy 2020 (NEP2020) was introduced on 29 July 2020 and is completing five years.
This allows us to take a holistic view of the implementation of the policy, assess the conducive changes, overall progress in school and higher education, as well as the further scope of improvement.
Language as a medium of instruction plays a pivotal role in the conceptual clarity of subjects. Educationists have advocated for imparting education in Bhartiya languages since the time we attained independence from the British. Post-independence, one of the earliest recommendations on education in the University Education Commission report (December 1948-August 1949), chaired by Dr Radhakrishnansaid, said that English should be replaced as the medium of instruction as early as practicable by Bhartiya languages.
However, this recommendation only saw the light of the day when NEP2020 recommended that the ‘medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond’ should be in the native language. Availability of textbooks in Bhartiya languages has been an ongoing exercise in the last five years.
Two years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 100 books in 12 Bhartiya languages in line with NEP 2020. DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) is a national web platform used as an education e-infrastructure where energised books (which come with a QR code) for 31 Bhartiya languages and 7 foreign languages are being prepared.
The 2025-26 budget allocation of `347.03 crore for Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme to provide digital books for school and higher education in Bhartiya languages will encourage institutions to adopt Bhartiya languages as a medium of education in the curriculum. The census report of 2011 states that 96.71 per cent have one of the twenty-two scheduled languages as their mother tongue, while only 10.6 per cent stated that they can speak English.
Education in Bhartiya languages as a medium will make education more inclusive and augment the learning outcomes in the coming years. For instance, in Pimpri Chinchwad College located in Maharashtra, B. Tech students were taught Computer Science and Engineering entirely in Marathi. They secured placements in top companies, demonstrating that language is not a barrier to success in technical education.
The burden of the colonial hangover in our textbooks has eventually been replaced by Bhartiya contributions.
While imparting education in Bhartiya languages is one of the primary concerns of NEP2020, it emphasises building a positive cultural identity. National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has launched ten new textbooks for classes five and eight in Hindi, English and Urdu, covering languages, social science, science and art education. More are in the offing with emphasis on conceptual understanding, pedagogical approaches, and experiential learning. Under NEP2020, rooting textbooks in our heritage has been a guiding principle that aims to strengthen our national identity.
NEP2020 has also envisaged the incorporation of hands-on experience and skilling necessities of the 21st century in the curriculum. Regulatory Frameworks ensuring parity and integration of academic and skill-based learning have been formalised by the National Credit Framework(NCrF). This parity and equivalence in academic programs, especially in tertiary education, will assist seamless transfer in a unified credit system.
Multiple entry-exit options for a student in a programme in higher education have introduced academic flexibility. To streamline the academic credentials of the students countrywide, a unique 12-digit ID is being generated for the students called Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) that digitally manages the academic records and stores them in the Academic Bank of Credit. This technology-assisted record management supports the ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ campaign, ensuring accessibility and continuity throughout the country.
Five years of NEP2020 have brought a radical transformation in the education system in the country. An important aspect of taking the leap in its implementation in the next five years would be capacity building of the faculty. At present, NISTHA (National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement) and MMTTC (Malviay Mission Teachers Training Programme) are undertaking training programs for teachers in schools and higher education, respectively. Teachers need to be equipped with new pedagogical methods like experiential learning and competency-based assessments. Robust professional development programs in physical mode can cascade the execution pace of NEP2020. A constant feature across the various education policies in the country, from the Kothari Commission in 1965 to NEP2020, has been the budgetary provision of 6 per cent of the GDP for education.
The 2023-24 annual report of the Ministry of Education states that the Centre and States will work together to increase public investment in the Education sector to reach 6 per cent of GDP at the earliest. Education, being a concurrent subject in the constitution, needs handholding from the Central Government as well as the State Governments.
Initiatives like Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan by the Centre aim to improve existing systems, level performances, learning outcomes and bridge social as well as gender gaps at the school level. However, state Governments are important stakeholder, and their lack of political will may lead to potential gaps in reaching the goals.
A standardised monitoring mechanism can help in effective evaluation and implementation of the National Education Policy, particularly in infrastructure and foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) and early childhood care and education (ECCE). The varying level of engagement with the policy by the states and the sheer size of the country, at times, poses a concern to the uniform and effective implementation of NEP2020.
NEP2020 has introduced systemic academic and administrative reforms within the first five years of its implementation. As a nation preparing to become a developed nation by 2047, significant impetus to education will play a pivotal role in shaping the intellectual and skill capital, and economic strength, of India.
The implementation of National Education Policy 2020 across the country in letter and spirit will prepare citizens who take pride in being Bhartiya, fuel innovation, develop a knowledge economy, foster equity, sustainable development, and democratic values and will be equipped to engage with the world confidently.
Vijay Garg Retired Principal Educational columnist Eminent Educationist street kour Chand MHR Malout Punjab |
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