New Education Policy 2020 - Transforming Schools and Higher Education in Country

The New Education Policy was launched on Wednesday, July 29. The Union cabinet approved the policy that aims to change the country’s education system. Union Ministers for Information and Broadcasting (I&B)Prakash Javadekar and Human Resource Development (HRD) and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, made the announcement on the NEP- 2020. The new academic session will begin in September-October – the delay is due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak – and the government aims to introduce the policy before the new session kicks in

                                                                         Earlier If a student opts for Science in Higher Education and then palns to prepare for government Services which basically includes all streams subject then his/her previous knowledge is not as much helpful .NEP aims to provide Students that they can choose Science subjects with arts which was earlier given three choices Science , arts and Commerce .

Main Highlights of National Educational Policy 2020:

1.10+2 existing policy to be changed as 5+3+3+4 structure:

Earlier after 10 standard education pattern is divided into three streams Science, Commerce and arts which becomes a sudden change for student,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.

2. 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.

3. New Regulating Body:

Higher Education Commission of India(HECI) will be set up as a single 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 the National Accreditation Council( NAC) for accreditation. HECI will  function through faceless intervention through technology, & will have powers to penalize 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.

4. Teacher Education:

A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be made by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree. Strict action will be taken against substandard stand-alone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).

5. Higher Education:

Earlier if a student is enrolled for three year degree plan and due to some financial condition, he quit in between then the whole year is considered void. But now if he wants to resume the degree he need not to start from the first year but can resume from where he left with credit based system.  

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 making a strong research culture and building research capacity.

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New Policy aims for Universalization of Education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 % GER in school education by 2030	New 5+3+3+4 school curriculum with 12 years of schooling and 3 years of Anganwadi/ Pre-schooling
NEP 2020 will bring 2 crore out of school children back into the main stream	Higher Education curriculum to have Flexibility of Subjects
National Research Foundation to be established to	The three-language learned by children will be the choices of States, regions, and of the students, so long as at least two of the three languages are native to India.