Prof. Rasal Singh

Education serves as the bedrock of any society, shaping its future and driving both personal and societal progress. In India, the value of education has long been recognized since the Vaidik period. A significant recent development is the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, presenting a comprehensive and contemporary vision for India’s educational landscape, particularly higher education.

Contrary to critics’ perspectives, the NEP heralds a revolutionary approach to higher education in India, emphasizing flexibility, interdisciplinary learning, and skill augmentation. This comprehensive framework aligns with 21st-century demands, significantly enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education.

The NEP broadens perspectives and ensures holistic education, preparing students for complex real-world challenges by fostering critical thinking, creativity, and applied skills. It aims to create a dynamic and inclusive educational ecosystem that meets the evolving needs of individuals and society, signifying a paradigm shift in how education is conceived, structured, and delivered, meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving world where knowledge, skills, and adaptability are crucial for individual and national growth.

The NEP’s credit-based eight-semester format represents a progressive approach to higher education, fostering flexibility and mobility in an interconnected world. This system allows students to transfer credits across institutions, promoting interdisciplinary studies and diverse learning experiences essential for all-inclusive education.

The seamless transfer of credits is particularly beneficial for students who may need to relocate due to personal or professional reasons. For instance, a student studying in Delhi can transfer to a University in Bangalore without losing academic progress. This mobility ensures that education is not hindered by geographic limitations and encourages students to experience diverse cultural and academic environments, enriching their learning experience.

Academic Bank of Credits and other recent UGC notifications support multiple entry and exit points in higher education, allowing students to earn a certificate after one year, a diploma after two years, a degree after three years, and an honors degree after four years. This flexibility caters to diverse student needs and life circumstances.

Moreover, NEP promotes interdisciplinary education by allowing students to take courses across various disciplines. A student majoring in engineering, for example, can opt minor courses in economics, psychology, environmental science or literature. This broadens their perspective, enabling them to understand and tackle complex real-life problems that require knowledge from multiple fields.

The Policy aims to create a student-centric educational ecosystem that balances innovative teaching methods with traditional knowledge systems. This approach nurtures creativity and respects cultural heritage.

Paradoxically, invoking traditional gurukuls to criticize the policy contrasts sharply with the typical stance of left-liberal colleagues who oppose the revival of Indian knowledge traditions and systems. The NEP’s emphasis on decolonizing indian mind and Indianizing education, along with integrating traditional practices, creates a culturally rooted yet modern framework.

Critics overlook the NEP’s success in merging valuable aspects of Indian education with contemporary, flexible, and inclusive approaches. By fostering interdisciplinary learning and adaptability, the NEP prepares students for a competitive global job market, balancing traditional values with contemporary needs to develop well-rounded, innovative thinkers.

Traditional gurukuls emphasized steady minds for academic engagement, and the NEP builds on this by accommodating diverse learning styles and promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities.

The leftists’ view that this model merely caters to the market economy and reflects an ‘American view’ of education oversimplifies the National Education Policy (NEP) and its goals. It is often fashionable, especially among left-liberals, to criticize the ‘American view’ of education, yet they eagerly pursue the American Dream. This reflects a classic paradox between their rhetoric and actions.

Critics might envision a dystopian future where students, burdened with degrees, are trained solely to “survive” in the marketplace. However, the NEP prioritizes skill development to bridge the gap between the knowledge and employability. By integrating courses on communication, digital literacy, critical thinking, and vocational training, it equips students with essential life skills.

Courses on entrepreneurship and innovation encourage creative problem-solving and self-reliance. Multidisciplinary subjects and skill enhancement courses, like those at University of Delhi, foster comprehensive development. Courses such as “Life Skill Education” and “Social Media Marketing” enhance students’ critical thinking and cultural awareness by providing practical knowledge and understanding of modern societal dynamics.

Meanwhile, courses like “Communication in Everyday Life” and “Personality Development and Communication” improve soft skills, equipping students with essential interpersonal abilities and effective communication strategies. This alignment places Indian graduates on par with international counterparts, enhancing global employability and higher education opportunities.

Further, NEP’s shift towards continuous and comprehensive assessment (CCA) over high-stakes exams represents a progressive change. The credit-based system and frequent assessments foster consistent study habits and deeper understanding, effectively moving away from cramming for a single final exam and thereby reducing reliance on rote learning.

This approach reduces exam pressure and promotes ongoing engagement with the subject matter. The University of Delhi’s adoption of CCA supports flexible and reflective evaluation methods. These methods, including projects, presentations, and regular assignments, offer a more accurate and all-round evaluation of students’ abilities.

For instance, in economics, continuous assessments could include real-time market analysis projects and policy critiques, providing practical insights and deeper understanding. While there may be initial challenges, such as the need for additional academic engagement of faculty and infrastructural requirements, these hurdles can be overcome with proper planning and resources. The long-term benefits of a more engaged and well-rounded student far outweigh these initial logistical challenges.

Contrary to the belief that the credit-based system truncates content, the NEP’s streamlined syllabi emphasize depth over breadth, allowing for a thorough exploration of key concepts and themes. For instance, studying selected lines of Walt Whitman’s “Passage to India” in-depth can lead to a nuanced appreciation of its themes and literary techniques. This focused approach fosters critical thinking and analytical skills.

The NEP promotes digital learning by integrating online courses into the curriculum, allowing for greater flexibility, accessibility, and inclusivity in education. This enables students from various backgrounds to access high-quality resources and education from anywhere. While it’s true that some subjects can be self-learned via the internet, structured learning in a university setting offers guided expertise, peer interaction, and academic rigor that self-study cannot match.

The structured environment ensures that students not only acquire knowledge but also develop the ability to apply it effectively, collaborate with peers, and engage in meaningful discussions, all of which are vital for personal and professional growth.

NEP places significant emphasis on practical and experiential learning to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and everyday application. Practical courses and internships are integral to the curriculum, ensuring students gain hands-on experience in their fields of study.

For example, engineering students might engage in projects involving prototype building or collaborating with industries on existing problems, thereby enhancing their practical skills and employability. Internships provide students with practical work experience and exposure to professional environments, further bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Despite initial challenges in implementing practical exams for non-core arts subjects, the NEP’s intention is to enrich the curriculum with hands-on learning and practical application. Criticizing value-added courses (VAC) like “The Art of Being Happy” is restricted, as these courses, designed by University of Delhi, are important, interesting, innovative, and tailored to meet specific learner needs.

They aim to create responsive citizens and better human beings by addressing personal development, mental well-being, and social responsibility, extending education beyond traditional academic boundaries to encompass essential life skills and encompassing growth.

The NEP aims to make education more inclusive and accessible. Key initiatives include promoting regional languages in education, providing scholarships for economically disadvantaged students, and developing infrastructure in far flung areas.

These measures ensure that quality education is available to all, broadening the talent pool and fostering equity in educational opportunities. This inclusivity is crucial for national development, as it helps to create a more equitable society where all individuals, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to succeed and contribute meaningfully.

The policy emphasizes collaboration between educational institutions, society, and industries to ensure education remains relevant and responsive to societal needs and industry demands. This approach fosters innovation, community engagement, and practical learning experiences, helping students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.

By integrating industry insights and societal challenges into the curriculum, the NEP aims to produce graduates who are well-prepared to contribute meaningfully to the economy and address the pressing issues of our times.

While defining the true purpose of higher education is essential, the National Education Policy (NEP) already addresses this by emphasizing both knowledge creation and dissemination, alongside practical skill development. The NEP promotes an approach that balances knowledge production with application and dissemination.

This dual focus prepares students to be both creators of knowledge and adept practitioners, ensuring they are equipped for future challenges. By balancing these elements, the NEP positions itself as a forward-thinking framework capable of evolving with academic and societal needs.

Ultimately, the NEP aims to revolutionize India’s higher education system, making it more flexible, inclusive, and aligned with global standards. By emphasizing holistic development, practical skills, and interdisciplinary learning, NEP seeks to cultivate not just job seekers but innovators, leaders, and lifelong learners who can contribute meaningfully to society.

Implementing and refining the 2020 policy will naturally require time, especially in a diverse country like India, and within prominent institutions such as the University of Delhi.

Given the challenges, stakeholders should focus on the NEP’s principles, undertaking necessary reviews and enhancements for optimal implementation. Rather than outrightly rejecting the NEP, initiating constructive dialogue for its reform and revision is crucial. Open discussions will help identify areas for improvement, ensuring the policy evolves to meet future needs.

Collaboration and constructive feedback from all stakeholders can strengthen the NEP, making it a robust framework that truly transforms Indian education system. Through these efforts, India can aspire to become a global knowledge economy and realize the dream of becoming Viksit Bharat.

(The author is a Professor at Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi.)