Following the unveiling of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Ministry of Education has taken decisive steps to communicate its provisions to all States and Union Territories (UTs), urging them to adopt the policy for the holistic advancement of the education system.

Key Highlights of NEP 2020:

Universal Access: Ensuring universal access at all levels of schooling from pre-primary to Grade 12.

Early Childhood Care and Education: Ensuring quality early childhood care and education for all children aged 3-6 years.

New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure: Introducing the 5+3+3+4 structure to revolutionize the learning approach.

Integration of Streams: Eliminating separations between arts and sciences, curricular and extra-curricular activities, and vocational and academic streams.

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: Establishing the National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.

Multilingualism: Emphasizing the promotion of multilingualism and the use of Indian languages as the medium of instruction up to Grade 5, and preferably till Grade 8.

Assessment Reforms: Introducing board exams up to two occasions during any given school year, with one main examination and one for improvement.

National Assessment Centre (PARAKH): Setting up a new National Assessment Centre for holistic development.

Equitable and Inclusive Education: Special emphasis on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs).

Gender Inclusion Fund: Establishment of a separate fund for gender inclusion and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

Transparent Teacher Recruitment: Robust and transparent processes for the recruitment of teachers based on merit.

Resources through School Complexes: Ensuring the availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters.

State School Standards Authority (SSSA): Setting up of the State School Standards Authority.

Vocational Education: Exposure to vocational education in the school and higher education system.

Higher Education Goals: Increasing Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50%.

Academic Bank of Credit: Introduction of an Academic Bank of Credit.

Multidisciplinary Education: Introducing holistic multidisciplinary education with multiple entry/exit options.

Common Entrance Exam: Introducing a common entrance exam for admission to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

National Research Foundation (NRF): Setting up the National Research Foundation.

‘Light but Tight’ Regulation: Framing regulations to be ‘light but tight.’

Higher Education Commission of India (HECI): Establishment of the HECI as a single overarching body for the promotion of the higher education sector.

Open and Distance Learning Expansion: Expanding open and distance learning to increase GER.

Internationalization of Education.

Professional Education Integration: Professional education as an integral part of the higher education system.

Teacher Education: Introduction of a 4-year integrated, stage-specific, subject-specific Bachelor of Education.

National Mission for Mentoring: Establishing a National Mission for Mentoring.

National Educational Technology Forum (NETF): Creation of the NETF to integrate technology into education.

Youth and Adult Literacy: Aiming for 100% youth and adult literacy.

Combatting Commercialization: Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances to combat and stop the commercialization of higher education.

Standards of Audit and Disclosure: All education institutions held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as a ‘not-for-profit’ entity.

Public Investment Increase: The Centre and States collaborating to increase public investment in the education sector to reach 6% of GDP.

Education, a concurrent subject, requires collaborative efforts from both the Centre and States to ensure quality education for all. To address concerns and discuss innovative ideas for NEP 2020 implementation, a series of workshops and consultation-cum-review meetings have been held with States/UTs. The implementation was discussed in various national-level conferences and meetings, emphasizing the commitment to the transformative goals set by NEP 2020.

Dr. Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education, shared this information in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today, underlining the ongoing efforts to realize the vision of NEP 2020 nationwide.