The National Education Policy of 2020 has been developed to help India continue its ascent to providing quality education that is universally accessible. Universal quality and accessible education is essential to develop human capital - the resource India has in excess owing to its population. High-quality education is needed to promote leadership on the global stage in terms of economic growth, social justice and equality, scientific advancement, national integration, and cultural preservation. The policy envisions taking India on the path to becoming a global knowledge superpower through an education system that makes the country an equitable and vibrant knowledge society. It looks to promote pride in being Indian, deep-rooted in thought, spirit, intellect, and deed. It aims to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen in students, the future of India.
The NEP 2020 has identified that there is a gap between the current state of learning outcomes and what is required and seeks to reform education and the education system in India and align it to the Sustainable Development Goal 4 - Quality Education which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. These reforms are aimed to be carried out through four pillars - Access, Equity, Quality, and Accountability.
Access - The Policy is working towards Curtailing Dropout Rates and Ensuring Universal Access to Education at All Levels by focusing on strengthening support mechanisms for education, improving the curriculum to make it more interesting and engaging, and making learning holistic and integrated.
Equity - The Policy reaffirms that inclusive and equitable education is the pathway to an inclusive and equitable society and education in India must be such that no child loses out on opportunities to learn due to their circumstances of birth and background.
Quality - The Policy commits to raising public expenditure into educational investments to finance education and all of its support services to ensure quality education that is needed for India’s future economic, social, cultural, intellectual, and technological progress and growth.
Accountability - The Policy is bringing into perspective the choice-based credit system to increase overall accountability in the ecosystem and have students make informed choices that directly facilitate their goals.
The implementation of the NEP 2020 has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, in May 2022, Prime Minister Modi chaired a meeting to review the implementation of the Policy. Like it is for any policy, the implementation of the NEP will require synchronized initiatives and actions taken by all governing and impacting bodies concerned. The policy is to be implemented in a phased manner such that the most critical and urgent actions are taken up first and in a comprehensive manner to ensure the base of the implementation process is strong. It is also essential that the amalgamation of the required resources - financial, human, and infrastructural, and parallel activities are carefully carried out to ensure resource optimization and zero wastage.
The NEP 2020 will function with key principles in mind that will serve as the groundwork for the education system and the institutions within it with assistance from State and Central governments. The NEP is expected to be in full swing between 2030-2040 after which the governing bodies expect to undertake a comprehensive review of the same to understand the progress made and if any changes are to be made.
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