On 29 July, NEP 2020 will be celebrating the third year of implementation. Since its implementation, NEP identified the big gaps in our previous educational systems and is continuously trying to attend the same through quality education, from preschool education to sixth standard. NEP is in the opinion that mother tongue should be the medium of instruction to reach the students as well as parents; similarly, the amendments done under Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate programs like pursuing two full-time academic programs simultaneously, pursue education in hybrid mode, including physical and online mode, promoting 4-year undergraduate curriculum, etc. are a new architecture of higher education. NEP 2020 focuses on skill development, and hands-on experience, along with dealing with family and financial problems of the students, relief from parental and peer pressure, and creating a holistic and stress-free environment of education through multiple entry and exit options that ensure flexibility of time framework for student dropouts as well students can shift from one institution to another and one course to another as per convenience.
NEP, as a promoter of skill education, is directly creating academia-industry linkages through the vocationalisation of curriculum and empowering youth through teaching income-generating skills and entrepreneurship like training them in carpentry, black smithery, mechanics, repairing workshops, etc. These are beneficial for the enrichment of students’ inherent skills. Further, large-scale job growth is expected in education, agriculture, digital commerce, data science, and trades with the notion of developing analytical skills, talent management, service orientation and customer service, leadership, and social influence in the upcoming times, which are being also focused on NEP for promoting futuristic skills for futuristic jobs.
NEP in these three years of implementation is catalyzing the quality of the academia. To reduce the burden of rote learning, it has focused on the rationalization of theory content. It is also changing teaching methodologies through open and digital learning. Platforms like SWAYAM, SWAYAM Prabha, Mission Mode Drive, and other MOOC courses are already being popularized vastly. The development of digital structure also includes identifying gaps in digital resources and allocating them as per need, apart from shifting to practical-driven studies, elimination of redundancy in the curriculum to avoid overloading of content, etc; these are all especially focused on NEP 2020.
Comprehensive capacity-building programs to familiarize teachers, school leaders, and administrators with NEP, provide training on innovative teaching methodologies, and the proliferated use of ICT tools, etc are also important aspects of NEP. NEP focuses on advanced curriculum and pedagogy that emphasis on conceptual understanding and critical thinking of the students. It includes revamping and integrating curriculum with yoga, physical education, performing, and visual arts as well student-centric curriculum which they “learn by doing” like going and living in a tribal village to understand tribal lifestyle. To develop the underlying needs of the students under NEP 2020, various programs have been initiated like the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) which envisages increased flexibility and a wider choice of courses and subjects of study by students, particularly at the undergraduate level. Similarly, National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) focuses on enhancing qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills, and aptitude.
NEP 2020 is based on the ideologies of equity and inclusion as well participatory governance. Hence, empowering divyangs, women, LGBTQs, and SEDGs like SC/ST, PVTGs, DNTs, NTs, and SNTs, and providing them with equal access and opportunities is a very important aspect of NEP.
NEP promotes “Lab to Land” and “Land to Lab” which was previously exercised in Indian Gurukula systems. It focuses on subjects of ethos, ethics, and the Indian value system based on the concept of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam. To do so, it is creating a pool of motivated faculty from diverse regions who are ready for life-long learning along with life-long teaching. To promote the Indian knowledge system, it mainly focuses on the development of regional languages. Further, a new height in the development sector can be reached through the promotion of R&D. To ensure it, the National Research Foundation (NRF) has also been formed along with establishing R&D cells at HEIs. NEP 2020 aims to strengthen research and development to showcase the soft power of “Bharat” in front of the world. To ensure so, the focus has been shifted to research areas based on Indian folk culture and orality. Recognition of the Indian Knowledge System as an NTA-NET subject is a major step toward it. Along with the establishment of yoga studies as Centres for Excellence at HEIs, the induction of AYUSH doctors in the government healthcare system to boost ayurveda education, enhanced budget to ICCR for conducting India’s soft power and cultural diplomacy internationally is a major step taken under NEP in these three years of its implementation.
To make India a “Vishwaguru”, admission and supernumerary seats of international students in UG and PG have been reserved from the year 2022. Similarly, Indian knowledge in higher education curricula has been incorporated as a major subject from 2023 onwards. To implement it, the training of faculty on the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is being initiated in 2023.
UGC as a statutory body for higher education in the country has implemented many policies as well as portals for smooth running of the visions of NEP 2020. Some of them include provision of Professor of Practice which aims to bring practitioners, policymakers, and skilled professionals together in HEIs. Till now, 142 HEIs are registered with 4826 professionals under it. Further portals like the E-Samarth portal (for automation engine for universities and HEIs), VIDWAN portal (database of profiles of teaching members at HEI’s & R & D organizations), Karmayogi portal (online platform on uniform standardized training material), etc. have also been launched by the UGC.
PM Modi himself is an ambassador of NEP 2020. To promote it, the PM has actively addressed Kashi Conclave Organized by Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam. Simultaneously, conclave on “School Education in the 21st Century” was also addressed by PM Modi to disseminate the ideas behind NEP 2020.
Thus, NEP 2020 has many tangible outcomes that have been clearly visible in society over the past three years. It was formulated for the Holistic Development of Students and focused on Equity and Inclusion. Through Multiple entry and exit, it provided a flexible way of learning to students. Further, its vision to give Indian Knowledge System global recognition is continuously on the move for making India a “global teacher”. NEP 2020 is a breakthrough in R&D in healthcare which can be observed through vaccine development; the allocation of a budget of almost Rs 89,155 crore for Sickle Cell Anaemia and Thalassemia can help us to achieve PM’s vision to achieve “Fit India, Hit India.”
Thus NEP 2020 is a real game-changer in the history of the Indian education system, enabling new education and training for the new generation to acquire futuristic skills.
Prof T.V. Kattimani is Vice -Chancellor, Central Tribal University of Andhra Pradesh.