NEP 2020: Proposed reforms for School & Higher Education

NEP 2020 gets nod from Union Cabinet! Let’s take a look at the changes that may come in school education and higher education under NEP 2020:

The Union Cabinet on July 29 approved the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), five years after the first committee to draft it was constituted. The cabinet also approved the proposal to change the name of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to the Ministry of Education. The draft proposes a restructuring of higher education into three categories of institutions that conduct research, teach and degree-granting colleges. Let’s take a look at the changes that may come in school education and higher education under NEP 2020:

NEP 2020: Proposed Reforms for School Education

Putting emphasis on over measuring learning outcomes and assessments, the NEP proposes to universalise early childhood care and education (ECCE) for children ages 3 to 6 by 2030 and also achieve 100% gross enrolment ratio in school education over the same period. Following are the main elements proposed for school education:

• National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8
• “Group or rationalise” schools into “school complexes” by 2025 in States and Union Territories
• The new curricular and pedagogical framework of 5+3+3+4 years with a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) from age 3.
• Mother tongue or local language, regional language to be a medium of instruction for at least up to Class 5. English to be optional up to Class 8.
• Board exams only for Classes 10 and 12. School exams in Classes 3, 5 and 8
• Reduction in the curriculum to core concepts
• For all recognized school boards, a National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) to be set up as a standard-setting body.
• Gender-Inclusion Fund’ to provide equitable quality education for all girls as well as transgender students.
• Board exams to test knowledge application, to include ‘modular exams’.
• Vocational programmes to be introduced from Class 6

NEP 2020: Proposed reforms for Higher Education

• Achieve 50% gross enrolment ratio by 2035
• Universities to be divided into three categories: research-intensive, teaching intensive and autonomous degree-granting Colleges
• Use of “graded autonomy” to phase out the system of ‘affiliated colleges’ over a period of 15 years.
• Undergraduate degree programmes will last three or four years with multiple exit options
• Exit options include Certificate after completing one year in a discipline, diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s degree after a 3-year programme and 4-year Multidisciplinary Bachelor's programme.
• Major and minor system in degrees allowing students the option of multidisciplinary choices. For instance, Physics with Fashion Design
• Academic credit backs to enable credit transfer 
• Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs) will be set up
• Internationalization of education –allow entry of foreign universities, student and faculty mobility
• The autonomy of more faculty and institutional autonomy
• Governance of Higher Education Institution (HEIs) by independent boards having academic and administrative autonomy
• Fee fixation for private and public universities
• Multidisciplinary HEIs by 2040
• Professional education to be an integral part of the higher education system
• A single regulator, Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), will regulate with the same norms for every type of institution, private and public except for legal and medical colleges. 
• Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) to be established.
• Common rules and regulations for private and public higher education institutions under the National Education Programme, 2020. MPhil Degree will be discontinued.
• The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.
• Students will have to sit for a common entrance exam for admissions to colleges and universities. The National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the common entrance test.
• Efforts to preserve and promote all Indian languages including classical, tribal and endangered languages will be undertaken
• Education fee in colleges and universities will also be capped 
• Establishment of a National Research Foundation (NRF)
• National institutes for Pali, Persian and Prakrit will be set up.

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