National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP)

It's fascinating how daily life hardly ever changes, but when one takes a step back, everything is totally different. We have undoubtedly come a long way since the days of blackboards. In the knowledge landscape, the globe is undergoing quick changes. Taking these developments and the future into account is crucial.

Redefining the educational system is what the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) aims to do. Aiming to guarantee that everyone has equal access to high-quality education, NEP 2020 is in place. Furthermore, it will ensure that the Indian ethos is ingrained in the educational system.

What is National Education Policy NEP?

The Union Cabinet of India launched the National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020) on July 29, 2020, and it describes the goal of the country's future educational system. The old policy, the National Policy on Education, 1986, has been replaced. The strategy provides a thorough framework for education from early childhood through higher education, as well as for vocational training in both rural and urban India. By 2030, the initiative seeks to revolutionize the Indian educational sector.

A short time after the program was announced, the government made it clear that no one would be required to study a certain language and that English would not replace other regional languages as the language of instruction.

Evolution of NEP

The National Education Policy of 1986 placed a strong emphasis on the need to reduce disparities and equalize educational opportunities, especially for Indian women, people from Scheduled Tribes (ST), and people from Scheduled Castes (SC). The NEP of 1986 also introduced open universities and distant learning, which resulted in the creation of IGNOU (Indira Gandhi Open University).

The Kothari Commission's recommendation for a standard structure for national schools was 10+2+3. In this system, the primary stage lasted five years, and the upper primary stage lasted three years. The National Education Policy, as was already established, placed a strong emphasis on the education of underprivileged populations. One of the main objectives of the policy was also to keep students in the system. Numerous new goals for improving the educational system were created with the establishment of NEP 2020.

The National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020), which outlines the objectives for the nation's future educational system, was approved by the Union Cabinet of India. The previous National Education Policy (1986) was superseded by NEP 2020. The goal of National Education Policy 2020 is to address the new skill requirements brought on by technological advancements. India embraced the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 in 2015. By 2030, it seeks to "offer inclusive and equitable quality education and encourage lifelong learning opportunities for everyone," reflecting the global education development goal.

National Education Policy in News

The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was recently approved by the Union Cabinet with the intention of bringing about a number of reforms to the Indian educational system, from the secondary level on up to the college level.

• Making "India a global knowledge superpower" is the goal of NEP 2020.

• The Ministry of Education will now be known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development, as agreed by the Cabinet.

• Only three significant revisions to India's educational framework have been made since independence, according to the NEP approved by the Cabinet.

Origin of the Policy

In January 2015, a group under the direction of former Cabinet Secretary T. S. R. Subramanian started the consultation process for the New Education Policy. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, the former head of ISRO, published a draft NEP in 2019 based on the committee's study from June 2017. After a series of open forums, the Ministry of Human Resource Development released the 2019 Draft New Education Policy (DNEP).

There were 484 pages in the NEP draft. According to the Ministry, "more than two lakh proposals were submitted from 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, 6,600 blocks, 6,000 urban local bodies (ULBs), and 676 districts."

Latest Development in NEP 2020

The Union Education Ministry established a 12-person national steering group on September 21, 2021. This organization aims to create a new national curriculum framework (NCF) in line with NEP 2020. The chairman of this committee is K Kasturirangan, who previously led the NEP 2020 drafting team.

• According to recent rumors, a tech platform would also be built up to receive contributions from states at the district and block levels. The committee will consider the ideas obtained through the platform when creating the framework.

• After considering the feedback from different stakeholders, the committee will only then finalize the framework. These include the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE), the Executive Committee (EC), and the General Body (GB) of the NCERT.

Conclusion

A significant step in ensuring access to top-notch education is the government's National Education Policy 2020 program. Without a doubt, the National Education Policy 2020 represents a turning point in the history of the country. It is a fantastic effort that tackles a variety of issues that have plagued the educational system for years. NEP 2020 makes sure that no detail is overlooked, covering everything from pedagogy and teacher training to digitization, equity, and accessibility. The strategy will help the country's overall development in the long run. Implementing this strategy will help students develop new talents and prepare them for the future.

FAQs

Q1. Who developed the national education policy?

Ans. The first education policy was adopted in 1968 while Indira Gandhi was president; the second policy was introduced in 1986 while Rajiv Gandhi was president.

Q2. What is the new policy of education 2022?

Ans. The new NEP is based on four pillars which are Access, Equity, Quality, and Accountability. In this new policy, there will be a 5+3+3+4 structure which comprises 12 years of school and 3 years of Anganwadi/ pre-school replacing old 10+2 structure.

Q3. What is the national education policy for India?

Ans. The policy encompasses both rural and urban India's primary and secondary education as well as higher education. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi all issued the first NPE on behalf of the Indian government in 1968, 1986, and 2022, respectively.