The Indian education system has been deemed as archaic and obsolete by many as its examination and scoring system inadvertently emphasize  rotten learning models of memorization and repetition with very little or no incentive for real life applications. The objective of the New Education Policy 2020 (NEP), announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, is to bring changes in the present 34-year-old education policy in schools and higher education systems in the country.

The new policy is more practical in approach and is based on the ground reality of the country’s education scenario that puts more emphasis on the creativity and innovation as well as personality development of the students rather than expecting them to score high and mock up the content without getting a basic grasp of concepts. But in the new education policy the undergraduate degree will now either be of a three- or four-year duration, with multiple exit options within this period.

Colleges will have to give a certificate after completion of one year in any discipline or field, including vocational and professional areas; a diploma after two years of study; and a Bachelors’ degree after a three-year programme. The new policy aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education, including vocational education, from 26.3 per cent (2018) to 50 per cent by 2035. For this, 35 million new seats will be added to higher education institutions.

The government will set up a National Research Foundation (NRF) with the aim of catalyzing and energizing research and innovation across all academic disciplines, particularly at the university and college level. SAT-like college test – The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct a common college entrance exam twice every year. Over the next 15 years, colleges will be given graded autonomy to issue degrees. Affiliation with universities will end, and these institutions will be given the status of ‘deemed to be university’.

The New policy suggests a cap on fee charged by private institutions in the higher education space. Top-rated global universities will be facilitated to come to India. Similarly, top Indian institutions will be encouraged to go global.  M. Phil would be discontinued, paving the way for students with masters’ degrees to get PhD.

To ensure the preservation of all Indian languages, the NEP recommends setting up an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation, National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, strengthening the Sanskrit and all other language departments in higher education institutions. The National Education Policy aims to achieve 100 per cent literacy in the country.

Dr. Kuldeep Panwar

Assistant Professor

ECE deptt.