Content

1. Classrooms of Change: NEP 2020 and the New Era of Schooling
2. Higher Education under NEP 2020: Reimagining India’s Academic Landscape

Classrooms of Change: NEP 2020 and the New Era of Schooling

Background and Vision

• Launched on July 29, 2020, NEP 2020 replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education (1986).
• Anchored in SDG-4: Inclusive and Quality Education for All by 2030.
• Envisions a learner-centric, flexible, and inclusive education system driven by curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
• Integrates India’s civilizational knowledge traditions with 21st-century skills.

Relevance : GS 2(Education , Schemes)

Structural Reforms: 5+3+3+4 and NCFs

• Replaces 10+2 with 5+3+3+4 structure:
  • 5 years: Foundational (3 pre-primary + Grades 1–2)
  • 3 years: Preparatory (Grades 3–5)
  • 3 years: Middle (Grades 6–8)
  • 4 years: Secondary (Grades 9–12)
• Supported by:
  • NCF-FS 2022: Play-based foundational curriculum (ages 3–8).
  • NCF-SE 2023: Multidisciplinary, competency-based learning framework.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) & ECCE

• >85% brain development occurs before age 6 – NEP prioritizes ECCE.
• Key programs:
  • NIPUN Bharat (2021): Targeting FLN for all by 2026–27.
  • Vidya Pravesh: 12-week play-based school readiness program.
  • Balvatikas: 3 crore+ children enrolled in pre-primary.
  • NCF-FS adopted by all 36 States/UTs.
  • Jadui Pitara: Toys, puppets, puzzles for age-appropriate, multilingual learning.
• Digital push: 2,778 FLN content pieces on DIKSHA; e-Jaadui Pitara launched.
• Teacher capacity: 12.97 lakh teachers trained under NISHTHA.

Impact:

• ASER 2024:
  • Reading: 23.4% of Class III students in govt. schools read Grade II-level text (vs. 16.3% in 2022).
  • Arithmetic: 27.6% perform subtraction (vs. 20.2% in 2022).
• PARAKH 2024: Rural Grade 3 students outperform urban peers in Math & Language.

Universal Access and Equity

• Samagra Shiksha ensures seamless schooling from pre-primary to Grade 12.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio (2023–24):
  • Primary: 97.8%
  • Upper Primary: 96.57%
• Infrastructure improvements:
  • Drinking water (98.4%), Girls’ toilets (97.1%), Electricity (85.1%), Ramps (85.1%).
• Residential Schools:
  • 1,137 Netaji Subhash Avasiya Vidyalayas (1.15 lakh SEDG students).
  • 5,269 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (7.58 lakh girls).
• NIOS: Re-integrating out-of-school children and Agniveers with flexible learning.
• Vidyanjali portal: 30,000+ assets contributed; 1.7 crore students impacted.

Inclusion and Disability Support

• PRASHAST app: Early disability screening tool under RPwD Act (2016).
• ISL as a Subject: Indian Sign Language now taught at secondary level.
  • 1,000+ ISL videos and talking books in 46 subjects.
• UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (2021) awarded to India for inclusive literacy efforts.

Curriculum Reform & Competency-Based Learning

• Emphasis on experiential, toy-based, and integrated learning.
• New textbooks:
  • Mridang (English), Sarangi (Hindi), Joyful Mathematics.
• Introduction of new subject: “The World Around Us” (Grades 3–5).
• Vocational Education:
  • Exposure from Grade 3.
  • CBSE + UGC notify National Credit Framework (NCrF) implementation in schools (Grades 9–12).

Use of Technology

• DIKSHA platform:
  • Available in 133 Indian languages.
  • Includes QR-coded textbooks, teacher training (NISHTHA), and student resources.
• PM eVidya:
  • “One Nation, One Digital Platform” with 200 DTH TV channels.
• Rashtriya Vidya Samiksha Kendra (RVSK):
  • Real-time monitoring via State VSKs.
  • Tracks KPIs for evidence-based decisions.

Teacher Development and Capacity Building

• NEP 2020 emphasizes teachers as change agents.
• NISHTHA: Over 14 lakh teachers trained across ECCE and FLN.
• DIKSHA provides:
  • Interactive lessons, multilingual content, career advancement modules.

Reforming Assessment and School Quality

• Shift from rote to formative, holistic, and competency-based assessments.
• PARAKH: National Assessment Centre.
  • 2024 survey covered 21.15 lakh students and 2.7 lakh teachers.
• Holistic Progress Cards:
  • Cover academics, socio-emotional skills, creativity, and community engagement.
• SQAAF (School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework):
  • Quality evaluation across: Administration, Curriculum, Assessment, Infrastructure, Inclusiveness.

Challenges Ahead

• Digital divide persists: Only 72% of schools have internet access.
• Teacher shortages, especially in rural and tribal regions.
• FLN outcomes, while improving, still lag behind global benchmarks.
• Balancing multilingual education with standardisation in assessments.
• Integration of vocational and academic pathways still nascent.

Conclusion: Towards a New Paradigm

• NEP 2020 is a visionary step, aligning education with India’s demographic dividend and global aspirations.
• By fostering joyful learning, inclusion, critical thinking, and teacher empowerment, it transforms Indian classrooms from rote-centric spaces to hubs of innovation and equality.
• Continued investment, capacity building, and community participation will determine whether this reform becomes a revolution.

Higher Education under NEP 2020: Reimagining India’s Academic Landscape

Foundational Vision & Systemic Shift

• NEP 2020: First education policy in 34 years; adopted after 2L+ public suggestions & 5 years of consultations.
• Envisions a flexible, multidisciplinary, learner-centric ecosystem aligned with 21st-century skills and rooted in Indian knowledge systems.
• Anchored in 5 pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability.

Relevance : GS 2(Education , Schemes)

GER Target & Structural Reforms

• Target: 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2035.
• 4-year UG programmes with Multiple Entry & Exit (MEME) options—already adopted by 153 universities.
• Academic Bank of Credits (ABC): Digital academic credit repository; 97 CFIs onboarded.
• Biannual Admissions: Implemented to enhance student flexibility and intake capacity.
• Curriculum & Credit Framework (2022): Interdisciplinary, credit-based, portable, and hybrid-friendly.

Inclusion & Access

• PM Vidya Lakshmi Scheme (2024):
  • ₹2,358 crore loans sanctioned to 13,358 students; 8,379 loans disbursed.
  • Collateral-free up to ₹7.5 lakh; 3% interest subvention for families below ₹8 lakh.
  • Target: 22 lakh students annually + 7 lakh more till 2030–31.
• Support for Divyangjans: Inclusive pedagogy guidelines, assistive tech, personalised counselling.
• Standalone colleges converted to multi-disciplinary HEIs by 2040; 1 major HEI per district by 2030.

Digital & Online Education Expansion

• SWAYAM MOOCs: 5.15+ crore enrolments, 16,530+ courses; 388 universities permit 40% credit transfer.
• Virtual Labs: 900+ labs, 1,200+ experiments.
• NDLI: 8 crore+ digital resources (video, text, audio).
• SWAYAM Plus (2024): Industry-aligned digital university base (AI, Data Science).
• Anuvadini & e-KUMBH: Multilingual education in 22 Indian languages.

Equity Through Financing & Schemes

• PM-USHA:
  • ₹100 crore to each of 35 public universities for research, autonomy, global linkages.
  • Outcome-linked grants tied to NIRF & accreditation scores.
• HEFA (2017–2024):
  • ₹44,449 crore sanctioned for 201 projects; benefited IITs, IIMs, NITs, CUs.
• NEAT & IDEA Labs:
  • 393 EdTech partners onboarded; 1.15 lakh EWS students aided.
  • 423 IDEA Labs established promoting STEM, AI, and experiential learning.

Quality Assurance & Autonomy

• Higher Education Commission of India (HECI): Upcoming single regulator replacing UGC, AICTE, NAAC.
• Graded Autonomy: Performance-based freedom via new Autonomous College (2023) & Deemed University (2023) regulations.
• NAAC Revamp: Outcome-linked metrics (employment, research, community impact).
• NIRF 2.0: Now linked with funding; includes equity, innovation, digital access.

Research, Innovation & Start-ups

• Anusandhan NRF (2023):
  • ₹50,000 crore hybrid fund.
  • PhD enrolment: 2.34 lakh (↑100%); Women ↑136%.
  • India: 3rd globally in publications (2024); patent filings hit 92,168 (25% by HEIs).
• 16,051 Innovation Councils in HEIs across 28 States/8 UTs.
• KAPILA Scheme: 10,800 patents filed; 71,000 trained in IP literacy.

Faculty & Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS)

• Malaviya Mission (MMTTP): 2.5 lakh faculty trained in AI, STEM, ethics.
• IKS Mission: 51 centres; 88 research projects; 5,527 internships.
• RDCs (Research & Development Cells): Present in 2,871 HEIs.
• ASMITA: 22,000 books in 22 languages by 2029.

Globalization of Indian Higher Education

• Indian HEIs Abroad:
  • IIT Madras–Zanzibar, IIT Delhi–Abu Dhabi, IIM Ahmedabad–Dubai.
• Foreign Universities in India:
  • Deakin & Wollongong (Gift City), Southampton (Gurugram); 6 others given Letters of Approval.
• Study in India Campaign:
  • 47,602 foreign students; 8,000+ courses; 600+ HEIs from 136+ countries.
• Twinning/Dual/Joint Degrees: 103 Indian HEIs collaborating with foreign universities.
• SPARC: ₹515 crore for 799 research projects, 51 patents filed.

Institutional Expansion (2014–2025)

• Total Central HEIs rose from 115 → 157.
  • Central Universities: 40 → 48
  • IITs: 16 → 23
  • IIMs: 13 → 21
  • IIITs: 9 → 25
  • NITs: 31 → 32
• Sindhu Central University in Ladakh launched PG courses in tech & public policy.
• Centers of Excellence in AI: IISc (Health), IIT Kanpur (Sustainable Cities), IIT Ropar (Agri), IIT Madras (Education) — ₹1,490 crore combined outlay.

International Rankings & Reputation

• India: Most represented in QS Asia Rankings 2025 – 163 universities out of 987.
• 7 Indian universities in Asia’s Top 100 (IITs, DU, IISc).
• QS Subject Rankings 2025: 79 Indian HEIs, 10 among global top 50.
• Strengthening global academic brand via dual degrees, SPARC, and Study in India.

Conclusion: India’s Higher Education – Future-Ready

NEP 2020 is not just a reform, but a reimagination of the Indian academic landscape:

• Bridging equity, inclusion, and excellence.
• Digital-first, industry-aligned, and research-driven.
• Positioned to become a global education and innovation hub by 2047.