Government Approves The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020

The National Education Policy (NEP) has been approved by the Indian government. Through this policy, India will aim to revamp its education policy after 34 years. It replaces the educational policy formulated in 1986. There is a range of reforms that come with the new educational policy.

For Pre-primary education, the NEP aims to provide foundational literacy and numeracy for all by 2025. Moreover, a special National Fund will be created to provide scholarships. In addition, the special National Fund will help develop resources and facilities for students from underrepresented groups.

Further, the National Education Policy (NEP) will attempt to reintegrate dropouts and ensure universal access to education. For this, the NEP plans to achieve access and participation in free and compulsory school education for all children in the age group of 3-18 years by 2030.

Moreover, the NEP has proposed changing the existing 10+2 Curricular and Pedagogical Structure with 5+3+3+4 design covering the children in the age group 3-18 years. This would involve 3 years of pre-primary school and Grades 1, 2;
Three years of the Preparatory (or Latter Primary) Stage: Grades 3, 4, 5; Three years of the Middle (or Upper Primary) Stage: Grades 6, 7, 8; and Four years of the High (or Secondary) Stage: Grades 9, 10, 11, 12.

With the new National Education Policy (NEP) India would be promoted as a global study destination that provides premium education at affordable costs. An International Students Office will be set up at each institution hosting foreign students. High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries. Esteemed universities from around the world will be facilitated to operate in India.

In addition, the NEP will also give increased flexibility to students so they can study across the arts, humanities, sciences, sports, and vocational subjects. Departments in Languages, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Indology, Art, Dance, Theatre, Education, Mathematics, Statistics, Pure and Applied Sciences, Sociology, Economics, Sports, Translation, and Interpretation, etc. will be established and strengthened at all higher education institutions (HEIs).

Children will be immersed in three languages early on, from the Foundational Stage. Moreover, a National Research Foundation will be established to grant competitive funding for outstanding research proposals across all disciplines. Lastly, the NEP plans to create the Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog or National Education Commission, headed by the Prime Minister of India. It will be responsible for developing, articulating, implementing, evaluating and revising the vision of education in the country.