New Education Policy 2020

Key Highlights of the New Education Policy 2020

Of the many changes formulated by the NEP, the key changes are:

1. Public spending on education by states and the Center has been increased to 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
2. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has been renamed as the Ministry of Education
3. There will be no rigid separation between arts and science, academic and vocational, curricular and extracurricular streams
4. Education of gifted children will be looked into
5. Establishment of a Gender Inclusion fund

New Pedagogy and Curriculum for School Education

Universalisation of Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) will be implemented. The existing educational structure of 10 + 2 years has been redesigned to 3+2+3+3+4 years, which will be as follows:

Foundational Stage: This will be for a total of five years:

1. Three years at an Anganwadi/Balvatika/preschool/playschool for children in the age group of three to six years with multi-level play and activity-based learning
2. Two years in class 1 and 2 for children in the age group of six to eight with multi-level play and activity-based learning

Preparatory Stage: This will for a total of three years:

1. For classes three through five
2. For children in the age group of 8 to 11 years
3. Activity-based and interactive classroom learning

Middle Stage: This will be for a total of 3 years:

1. For classes six through eight
2. For children in the age group of 11 to 14 years
3. Experiential learning in science, mathematics, social sciences, arts, and humanities

Secondary Stage: This will be for a total of four years:

1. For classes nine through 12
2. For children in the age group 14 to 18 years
3. Multidisciplinary study, student's choice of subjects, critical thinking

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Language Policy in the New Education Policy 2020

The following are the key points of the language policy in school education:

1. No language will be imposed on any state
2. Up to class 5 and preferably till class 8, the mother tongue will the medium of instruction as far as possible in both private and public schools
3. There will be a three-language system with languages chosen by the states, regions, and students
4. Of the three languages, two should be native languages of India
5. Sanskrit will be offered at all levels of school and higher education
6. Other classical languages will be made available, mostly as online modules
7. Foreign languages will be offered from the secondary level onwards

Changes in Board Exams under NEP 2020

The following are the key highlights for class 10 and class 12 board exams:

1. Board exams will be redesigned to test core competencies rather than memorisation of facts
2. They will be redesigned to be easier for students
3. Students will be permitted to take the exams twice
4. There may be modular or semester-wise board exams
5. There may be exams for different levels of difficulty
6. Objective and descriptive type questions may have different exams
7. A modular model, rather than just one board, may be in place by the year 2023

Undergraduate Education under NEP 2020

In undergraduate education, the following are the key changes:

1. Undergraduate degrees will have a duration of 4 years
2. Undergraduate degrees will be multi-disciplinary, holistic, and flexible
3. There will be multiple exit options with appropriate certifications at each exit point such as:
   1. Certificate after completing one year in a vocational or professional field
   2. Diploma after two years
   3. Bachelor's degree after three years
4. Students completing the four-year degree program can obtain a degree with research if the research subject is within the area of study

Higher Education Reforms under NEP 2020

The following are the key points in the higher education category:

1. Postgraduate programs will have a duration of one to two years
2. There will be no M.Phil. programmes
3. In 15 years, the college affiliation system will be gradually phased out
4. Every college will develop into either a constituent college of a university or into an autonomous degree-granting institution
5. There will be a new umbrella regulatory body for all higher education courses except for legal and medical courses
6. An Academic Bank of Credit will be established to facilitate smoother transfer between institutions
7. All standalone technical universities, legal universities, agricultural universities, and health science universities will become multi-disciplinary institutions.

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NIOS and State Open Schools under NEP 2020

For the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Open Schools, the following are the key points:

1. A, B, and C levels can be offered that are equivalent to grades 3, 5, and 8 of the formal schooling systems
2. Secondary school programs can be offered that are equivalent to grades 10 and 12

Teacher Education under NEP 2020

The following has been proposed for teacher education:

1. The minimum qualification for teaching will be a B.Ed. degree
2. The B.Ed. degree will be a four-year integrated course

Digital Approaches in Education under NEP 2020

Some of the features of the NEP that emphasise on the integration of technology include the following:

1. A National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), an autonomous body, will be established for the exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance the efficiency of the education sector
2. A new unit will be established dedicated to creating digital education resources including digital infrastructure, capacity building, and digital content
3. Integration of technology to improve classroom processes will be initiated across all levels

Timeline of the Formation of the NEP

While the National Education Policy was framed in 1986, it was modified in 1992. The report for the draft was submitted to the Ministry in May 2019. The Draft National Education Policy 2019 was shared on the MyGov Innovate portal and on the MHRD website inviting suggestions from the public and other stakeholders.

The foundational pillars of the draft NEP were accountability, access, affordability, equity, and quality. A meeting on the draft was held in November 2019. Finally, the National Education Policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020.

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