Our Information and Broadcasting Minister Mr. Prakash Javadekar and the Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ have announced the 3rd National Education Policy – NEP 2020. Its draft was designed by a panel headed by the former ISRO chief K Kasturiranga in 2019.

This policy will bring a long-awaited reforms that can make revolutionary changes to our education system. as it has tried to address the most of the complaints that remain common across the generations:

  1. Current education doesn’t get you a job. 
  2. The school syllabus is irrelevant to our lives. 
  3. The Russian roulette examination system has plagued the Indian Education System. If you are lucky, you get through. 
  4. Not enough funds allocated to the education budget.

According to DRAFT NEP 2019, 

India has never allocated more than 3% of GDP compared to Finland, spending 7% of GDP. And that’s why Finland is considered the most effective education system in the world. Out of which, a large portion of public expenditure on education comprises salaries of people (including teachers) existing in the system, with grossly inadequate amounts allocated for other matters, e.g., learning resources, school maintenance, laboratories, and midday meals, etc. Amounts allocated for real changes and development of the system are even less necessary for the improvement of key educational outcomes. 

With the NEP -2020, 6% GDP fund to invest in the education. Overall, 20% of public investment (State + Central).

Ministry of HRD has changed to the Ministry of Education. Mr. Pokriyal (Nishank) will be the new Education Minister.

The age range in the Right to education act has increased to 3 to 18. so far, it is 5 to 14 years. The policy recommends providing a healthy breakfast along with the Mid-day meals scheme in the Preschools.

The major reforms in school education brought by NEP 2020 includes

  1. Universalization of Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) national mission to focus on basic literacy and basic numeracy, no rigid separation between arts and sciences streams and removal of separation between vocational and academic and curricular
  2. NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for the Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children aged 8.
  3. National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
  4. Change of academic structure from 10+2 to 5+3+3+4.
  5. Curriculum to integrate 21st Century Skill, Mathematical Thinking temper
  6. No Rigid separation between Arts and Sciences, between curricular and other activities, between Vocational and Academic streams
  7. Flexibility to choose subjects across streams; All subjects offered at two levels of proficiency.
  8. A standard setting body PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) will be set up as a new National Assessment Centre.
  9. Board exams to test only core competencies. It will be conducted in Objective and Subjective twice in a year.
  10. The medium of instruction recommended having in local language/ regional language/ mother tongue. Three language policy will be to continue till class 5th. 
  11. 360 Holistic progress report cards. Reports card will be more comprehensive and will tell about the student’s acquired skills and capabilities during an academic year. 
  12. KGBVs upto grade 12. 
  13. Ten bagless days for students above class 6th, to exposure of informal internships in the vocation of their choice
  14. 50% Gross Enrolment Ration by 2035
  15. National Testing Agency to conduct a standard college entrance exam twice in a year. 
  16. The degree program will be of 4 years of the multidisciplinary Midterm dropout will get credits and options to complete their degree program after the break. 
  17. Over the next 15 years, the college will be given autonomy to give degrees, affiliation to the universities.
  18. Top-rated universities facilitated to come to India and top Indian institutions encouraged to go global. 

Significant Evolution of Education policy. 

National Education Policy – 1968

The first such policy came in 1968 under the Indira Gandhi government based on Kothari Commission. This policy meant that all students, irrespective of caste, creed, and sex would have access to education. Further, it conceives a standard institutional structure of 10+2+3. It also advocated the use of the mother tongue as a medium of teaching at the beginning of the school years. Another primary call was strengthening the research in the universities. Kothari Commission had recommended that at least 6% of GDP should be allocated to education to become a developed nation with compare to the rest of the world. But due to the shortage of economy funds and lack of proper program of action, this education policy was considered unsuccessful.  

National Education Policy – 1986

NEP 1986 issued during the tenure of Mr. Rajeev Gandhi and updated in 1992 under prime minister Mr. P.V. Narsimha Rao. The education ministry has changed to HRD ministry and given a significant focus on the modernization and role of IT. NEP-1986 has introduced Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Mid Day Meal Scheme, Schools like Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Kendriya Vidyalayas and IT education in the curriculum. Majorly attention was given on the teacher’s education and women empowerment. 

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