Cabinet Approves National Education Policy 2020, paving way for transformational
reforms in school and higher education systems in the country New Policy aims
for Universalization of Education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 %
GER in school education by 2030
NEP 2020 will bring 2 crore out of school
children back into the main stream New 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years
of schooling and 3 years of Anganwadi/ Pre-schooling Emphasis on Foundational
Literacy and Numeracy,
no rigid separation between academic streams,
extracurricular, vocational streams in schools ;
Vocational Education to start
from Class 6 with Internships
Teaching upto at least Grade 5 to be in mother
tongue/ regional language
Assessment reforms with 360 degree Holistic Progress
Card,
tracking Student Progress for achieving Learning Outcomes
GER in higher
education to be raised to 50 % by 2035 ; 3.5 crore seats to be added in higher
education Higher Education curriculum to have Flexibility of Subjects Multiple
Entry / Exit to be allowed with appropriate certification Academic Bank of
Credits to be est Posted On: 29 JUL 2020 5:20PM by PIB Delhi The Union Cabinet
chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the National Education
Policy 2020 today, making way for large scale, transformational reforms in both
school and higher education sectors. This is the first education policy of the
21st century and replaces the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education
(NPE), 1986. Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality,
Affordability and Accountability, this policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge
society and global knowledge superpower by making both school and college
education more holistic, flexible, multidisciplinary, suited to 21st century
needs and aimed at bringing out the unique capabilities of each student.
Important Highlights School Education Ensuring Universal Access at all levels of
school education NEP 2020 emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school
education at all levels- pre school to secondary. Infrastructure support,
innovative education centres to bring back dropouts into the mainstream,
tracking of students and their learning levels, facilitating multiple pathways
to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes, association of
counselors or well-trained social workers with schools, open learning for
classes3,5 and 8 through NIOS and State Open Schools, secondary education
programs equivalent to Grades 10 and 12, vocational courses, adult literacy and
life-enrichment programs are some of the proposed ways for achieving this. About
2 crore out of school children will be brought back into main stream under NEP
2020. Early Childhood Care &Education with new Curricular and Pedagogical
Structure With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the 10+2
structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular
structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14- 18 years respectively.
This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school
curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for
development of mental faculties of a child. The new system will have 12 years of
schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre schooling. NCERT will develop a
National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and
Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8 . ECCE will be delivered
through a significantly expanded and strengthened system of institutions
including Anganwadis and preschools that will have teachers and Anganwadi
workers trained in the ECCE pedagogy and curriculum. The planning and
implementation of ECCE will be carried out jointly by the Ministries of HRD,
Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare (HFW), and Tribal
Affairs. Attaining Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Recognizing Foundational
Literacy and Numeracy as an urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning, NEP
2020 calls for setting up of a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and
Numeracy by MHRD. States will prepare an implementation plan for attaining
universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all
learners by grade 3 by 2025.A National Book Promotion Policy is to be
formulated. Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy The school curricula and
pedagogy will aim for holistic development of learners by equipping them with
the key 21st century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance
essential learning and critical thinking and greater focus on experiential
learning. Students will have increased flexibility and choice of subjects. There
will be no rigid separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and
extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams. Vocational
education will start in schools from the 6th grade, and will include
internships. A new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School
Education, NCFSE 2020-21, will be developed by the NCERT. Multilingualism and
the power of language The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local
language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5,
but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of
school and higher education as an option for students, including in the
three-language formula. Other classical languages and literatures of India also
to be available as options. No language will be imposed on any student. Students
to participate in a fun project/activity on ‘The Languages of India’, sometime
in Grades 6-8, such as, under the ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’ initiative.
Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level. Indian
Sign Language (ISL) will be standardized across the country, and National and
State curriculum materials developed, for use by students with hearing
impairment. Assessment Reforms NEP 2020 envisages a shift from summative
assessment to regular and formative assessment, which is more competency-based,
promotes learning and development, and tests higher-order skills, such as
analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity. All students will take
school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the
appropriate authority. Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but
redesigned with holistic development as the aim. A new National Assessment
Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for
Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body . Equitable and
Inclusive Education NEP 2020 aims to ensure that no child loses any opportunity
to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. Special
emphasis will be given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups(SEDGs)
which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities and
disabilities. This includes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special
Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups. Children with disabilities
will be enabled to fully participate in the regular schooling process from the
foundational stage to higher education, with support of educators with cross
disability training, resource centres, accommodations, assistive devices,
appropriate technology-based tools and other support mechanisms tailored to suit
their needs. Every state/district will be encouraged to establish “Bal Bhavans”
as a special daytime boarding school, to participate in art-related,
career-related, and play-related activities. Free school infrastructure can be
used as Samajik Chetna Kendras Robust Teacher Recruitment and Career Path
Teachers will be recruited through robust, transparent processes. Promotions
will be merit-based, with a mechanism for multi-source periodic performance
appraisals and available progression paths to become educational administrators
or teacher educators. A common National Professional Standards for Teachers
(NPST) will be developed by the National Council for Teacher Education by 2022,
in consultation with NCERT, SCERTs, teachers and expert organizations from
across levels and regions. School Governance Schools can be organized into
complexes or clusters which will be the basic unit of governance and ensure
availability of all resources including infrastructure, academic libraries and a
strong professional teacher community. Standard-setting and Accreditation for
School Education NEP 2020 envisages clear, separate systems for policy making,
regulation, operations and academic matters. States/UTs will set up independent
State School Standards Authority (SSSA). Transparent public self-disclosure of
all the basic regulatory information, as laid down by the SSSA, will be used
extensively for public oversight and accountability. The SCERT will develop a
School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) through
consultations with all stakeholders. Higher Education Increase GER to 50 % by
2035 NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education
including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035. 3.5 Crore new
seats will be added to Higher education institutions. Holistic Multidisciplinary
Education The policy envisages broad based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under
Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects,
integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points with
appropriate certification. UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple
exit options and appropriate certification within this period. For example,
Certificate after 1 year, Advanced Diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s Degree
after 3 years and Bachelor’s with Research after 4 years. An Academic Bank of
Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from
different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted towards final degree
earned. Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par
with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of
global standards in the country. The National Research Foundation will be
created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building
research capacity across higher education. Regulation Higher Education
Commission of India(HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body
the for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. HECI to
have four independent verticals - National Higher Education Regulatory Council
(NHERC) for regulation, General Education Council (GEC ) for standard setting,
Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding, and National Accreditation
Council( NAC) for accreditation. HECI will function through faceless
intervention through technology, &will have powers to penalise HEIs not
conforming to norms and standards. Public and private higher education
institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation,
accreditation and academic standards. Rationalised Institutional Architecture
Higher education institutions will be transformed into large, well resourced,
vibrant multidisciplinary institutions providing high quality teaching,
research, and community engagement. The definition of university will allow a
spectrum of institutions that range from Research-intensive Universities to
Teaching-intensive Universities and Autonomous degreegranting Colleges.
Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise
mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges. Over a
period of time, it is envisaged that every college would develop into either an
Autonomous degree-granting College, or a constituent college of a university.
Motivated, Energized, and Capable Faculty NEP makes recommendations for
motivating, energizing, and building capacity of faculty thorugh clearly
defined, independent, transparent recruitment , freedom to design
curricula/pedagogy, incentivising excellence, movement into institutional
leadership. Faculty not delivering on basic norms will be held accountable
Teacher Education A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for
Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation
with NCERT. By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a
4-year integrated B.Ed. degree .Stringent action will be taken against
substandard stand-alone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs). Mentoring Mission
A National Mission for Mentoring will be established, with a large pool of
outstanding senior/retired faculty – including those with the ability to teach
in Indian languages – who would be willing to provide short and long-term
mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers. Financial support
for students Efforts will be made to incentivize the merit of students belonging
to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. The National Scholarship Portal will be
expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving
scholarships. Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free
ships and scholarships to their students. Open and Distance Learning This will
be expanded to play a significant role in increasing GER. Measures such as
online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student
services, credit-based recognition of MOOCs, etc., will be taken to ensure it is
at par with the highest quality in-class programmes. Online Education and
Digital Education: A comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting online
education consequent to the recent rise in epidemics and pandemics in order to
ensure preparedness with alternative modes of quality education whenever and
wherever traditional and in-person modes of education are not possible, has been
covered. A dedicated unit for the purpose of orchestrating the building of
digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity building will be created in
the MHRD to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher
education. Technology in education An autonomous body, the National Educational
Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free
exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment,
planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels
of education will be done to improve classroom processes, support teacher
professional development, enhance educational access for disadvantaged groups
and streamline educational planning, administration and management Promotion of
Indian languages To ensure the preservation, growth, and vibrancy of all Indian
languages, NEP recommends setting an Indian Institute of Translation and
Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and
Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs, and use
mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programmes .
Internationalization of education will be facilitated through both institutional
collaborations, and student and faculty mobility and allowing entry of top world
ranked Universities to open campuses in our country. Professional Education All
professional education will be an integral part of the higher education system.
Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and
agricultural universities etc will aim to become multi-disciplinary
institutions. Adult Education Policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult
literacy. Financing Education The Centre and the States will work together to
increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the
earliest. Unprecedented Consultations NEP 2020 has been formulated after an
unprecedented process of consultation that involved nearly over 2 lakh
suggestions from 2.5 lakhs Gram Panchayats, 6600 Blocks, 6000 ULBs, 676
Districts. The MHRD initiated an unprecedented collaborative, inclusive, and
highly participatory consultation process from January 2015. In May 2016,
‘Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy’ under the Chairmanship of
Late Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary, submitted its report.
Based on this, the Ministry prepared ‘Some Inputs for the Draft National
Education Policy, 2016’. In June 2017 a ‘Committee for the Draft National
Education Policy’ was constituted under the Chairmanship of eminent scientist
Padma Vibhushan, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, which submitted the Draft National
Education Policy, 2019 to the Hon’ble Human Resource Development Minister on
31st May, 2019. The Draft National Education Policy 2019 was uploaded on MHRD’s
website and at ‘MyGov Innovate’ portal eliciting views/suggestions/comments of
stakeholders, including public. ********* VRRK/AK (Release ID: 1642049)
