Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation at 4.30 pm today to mark the first anniversary of the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This policy replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. PM Modi launched multiple key initiatives in the anniversary event.

PM Modi addresses nation to mark first anniversary of National Education Policy (NEP), 2020

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that nation's new education policy focuses on practical learning, acquiring skills and making India a "knowledge economy" in the 21st century.&nbsp;

"Our youth will now be able to learn according to their interests," Modi said, in his virtual inaugural address to the 'Governors' conference on the Role of NEP in Transforming Higher Education'.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/the-new-education-policy-2020-320527">The new Education Policy, 2020</a>

India's National Education Policy (NEP) was approved in July and replaces the 34-year-old policy framed in 1986.&nbsp;

The prime minister said that earlier students used to choose a stream that was beyond their aptitude, but with the new changes in the policy, these issues have been addressed.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/new-education-policy-focusses-on-how-to-think-pm-modi-318796">New Education Policy focusses on how to think: PM Modi</a>

He also said the NEP will promote vocational exposure from a very early age, which will make youth better prepared for life and their employability in India and globally will improve.&nbsp;

Modi further added that to address "brain drain", "the NEP has paved the way for opening campuses of best international institutions in the country to bring them within reach of youth from simple families."&nbsp;

The NEP targets "learning instead of studying" and is based on "critical thinking rather than curriculum" with special attention on "passion, practicality, and performance", he said.&nbsp;

Asserting that India has been an ancient centre of learning, the prime minister said his government is working to make it a hub of "knowledge economy" in the 21st century.&nbsp;

"It is our collective responsibility that the policy is implemented in letter and spirit. The more teachers, parents, students are associated with education policy, the more relevant and broadbased it will be," Modi said.&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that nation's new education policy focuses on practical learning, acquiring skills and making India a "knowledge economy" in the 21st century.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that nation's new education policy focuses on practical learning, acquiring skills and making India a "knowledge economy" in the 21st century. "Our youth will now be able to learn according to their interests," Modi said, in his virtual inaugural address to the 'Governors' conference on the Role of NEP in Transforming Higher Education'. Also read | The new Education Policy, 2020 India's National Education Policy (NEP) was approved in July and replaces the 34-year-old policy framed in 1986. The prime minister said that earlier students used to choose a stream that was beyond their aptitude, but with the new changes in the policy, these issues have been addressed. Also read | New Education Policy focusses on how to think: PM Modi He also said the NEP will promote vocational exposure from a very early age, which will make youth better prepared for life and their employability in India and globally will improve. Modi further added that to address "brain drain", "the NEP has paved the way for opening campuses of best international institutions in the country to bring them within reach of youth from simple families." The NEP targets "learning instead of studying" and is based on "critical thinking rather than curriculum" with special attention on "passion, practicality, and performance", he said. Asserting that India has been an ancient centre of learning, the prime minister said his government is working to make it a hub of "knowledge economy" in the 21st century. "It is our collective responsibility that the policy is implemented in letter and spirit. The more teachers, parents, students are associated with education policy, the more relevant and broadbased it will be," Modi said.

India's new education policy focuses on 'learning' than 'studying': PM Modi

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released the National Education Policy 2020 (“NEP”), laying the path for large scale transformational reforms in both school and higher education sectors.&nbsp;

According to the government, it is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 which was modified in 1992.

The NEP is erected on the foundational pillars of ‘Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability’. This policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to revise and overhaul the education system in our country, including its regulations and governance by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary.

According to the government, the implementation of previous policies has focused largely on issues of access and equity. It may be noted that the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the country (as recorded last in 2018) currently sits at 26..3 per cent.&nbsp;

The GRE depicts the ratio of those students who are successfully enrolling into higher education institutions after the end of their initial schooling years. &nbsp;Further, it may be noted that due to deep-rooted traditional learning methods, the education system in India is not able to adapt with new streams of education.

Amongst the other changes, the NEP proposes to bring about the change in the name of the ministry from the MHRD to the new Education Ministry. The NEP further aims to ensure that 6 per cent of our GDP is spent on education for providing implementation of this policy to the country.&nbsp;

Further, the central government, through this policy has more outreach than the previous NPE by encompassing students from age of 3 years instead of the previous age of 5 years. It also proposes reforms for teachers by mainstreaming their governing regulations. The important highlights of the NEP are enumerated in the succeeding paras.

School Education

The NEP emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels i.e. from pre-school to secondary. Further, the earlier structure of ‘10+2’ has been replaced by a ‘5+3+3+4’ curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child.

All students will take school examinations in grades 3, 5 and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority. Board exams for grades 10 and 12 will be continued but redesigned with holistic development as the central aim. This additional classification of students based on age groups helps not only the government to implement age specific norms for educating the students but also helps the schools in developing curriculums and syllabi which imparts knowledge more efficiently based on age.

Further, the Policy also aims to blur the lines between the current, rigid ‘streams’ concept, in which the students are mandated to opt for either arts, commerce or sciences. It proposes to give enhanced degree of flexibility to students after grade 10 board by allowing them to choose subjects of their choices rather than force streams on them.

The NEP ambitiously proposes to implement a three-language formula. Under this, it is proposed that two out of three languages i.e. mother tongue/local language/regional language will be used as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but may be extended further till Grade 8 and beyond.

With regard to new bodies being set up, a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body for students up to class 12.

Higher Education

There has been consistency shown by NEP by with respect to the continuous reforms related to the higher education sphere in our country. One of the main challenges with higher education in our country is low GER. The Policy aims to tackle the same by making higher education policies much more flexible in favour of the students and providing them with more options to complete their higher education.

The major changes include implementing a four-year undergraduate programme. This program will be multi-disciplinary in nature and will allow the students with multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certifications.&nbsp;

Additionally, a digital credit bank system has also been proposed to be incorporated wherein, if a student happens to stop pursuing a particular degree, but has attained a certain number of credits, he/she may transfer the same to some other institution and can avoid starting at that institution afresh.

For regulation of higher education, the Policy proposes to form a singular umbrella body regulating higher education in India, called the “Higher Education Commission of India” (HECI), however, excluding medicine and legal education. A National Testing Agency will also be set up to conduct a singular exam for higher education institutes.

Under the new Policy, High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries, and similarly, selected universities e.g., those from among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.

Teacher Education

Keeping in mind the role that teachers play in any educational set-up, a new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. It has been proposed that by 2030, the minimum qualification for teaching will be a four-year B.Ed. degree. Stringent action will be taken against substandard standalone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).

In view of the existing educational regime, NEP is a welcome and progressive change for the development of education landscape in India. However, the implementation of the NEP would also require efficient coordination between the Centre and the State Governments, since education is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released the National Education Policy 2020 (“NEP”), laying the path for large scale transformational reforms in both school and higher education sectors.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has released the National Education Policy 2020 (“NEP”), laying the path for large scale transformational reforms in both school and higher education sectors. According to the government, it is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 which was modified in 1992. The NEP is erected on the foundational pillars of ‘Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability’. This policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to revise and overhaul the education system in our country, including its regulations and governance by making both school and college education more holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary. According to the government, the implementation of previous policies has focused largely on issues of access and equity. It may be noted that the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the country (as recorded last in 2018) currently sits at 26..3 per cent. The GRE depicts the ratio of those students who are successfully enrolling into higher education institutions after the end of their initial schooling years. Further, it may be noted that due to deep-rooted traditional learning methods, the education system in India is not able to adapt with new streams of education. Amongst the other changes, the NEP proposes to bring about the change in the name of the ministry from the MHRD to the new Education Ministry. The NEP further aims to ensure that 6 per cent of our GDP is spent on education for providing implementation of this policy to the country. Further, the central government, through this policy has more outreach than the previous NPE by encompassing students from age of 3 years instead of the previous age of 5 years. It also proposes reforms for teachers by mainstreaming their governing regulations. The important highlights of the NEP are enumerated in the succeeding paras. School Education The NEP emphasizes on ensuring universal access to school education at all levels i.e. from pre-school to secondary. Further, the earlier structure of ‘10+2’ has been replaced by a ‘5+3+3+4’ curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively. This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child. All students will take school examinations in grades 3, 5 and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority. Board exams for grades 10 and 12 will be continued but redesigned with holistic development as the central aim. This additional classification of students based on age groups helps not only the government to implement age specific norms for educating the students but also helps the schools in developing curriculums and syllabi which imparts knowledge more efficiently based on age. Further, the Policy also aims to blur the lines between the current, rigid ‘streams’ concept, in which the students are mandated to opt for either arts, commerce or sciences. It proposes to give enhanced degree of flexibility to students after grade 10 board by allowing them to choose subjects of their choices rather than force streams on them. The NEP ambitiously proposes to implement a three-language formula. Under this, it is proposed that two out of three languages i.e. mother tongue/local language/regional language will be used as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but may be extended further till Grade 8 and beyond. With regard to new bodies being set up, a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), will be set up as a standard-setting body for students up to class 12. Higher Education There has been consistency shown by NEP by with respect to the continuous reforms related to the higher education sphere in our country. One of the main challenges with higher education in our country is low GER. The Policy aims to tackle the same by making higher education policies much more flexible in favour of the students and providing them with more options to complete their higher education. The major changes include implementing a four-year undergraduate programme. This program will be multi-disciplinary in nature and will allow the students with multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certifications. Additionally, a digital credit bank system has also been proposed to be incorporated wherein, if a student happens to stop pursuing a particular degree, but has attained a certain number of credits, he/she may transfer the same to some other institution and can avoid starting at that institution afresh. For regulation of higher education, the Policy proposes to form a singular umbrella body regulating higher education in India, called the “Higher Education Commission of India” (HECI), however, excluding medicine and legal education. A National Testing Agency will also be set up to conduct a singular exam for higher education institutes. Under the new Policy, High performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries, and similarly, selected universities e.g., those from among the top 100 universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India. Teacher Education Keeping in mind the role that teachers play in any educational set-up, a new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. It has been proposed that by 2030, the minimum qualification for teaching will be a four-year B.Ed. degree. Stringent action will be taken against substandard standalone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs). In view of the existing educational regime, NEP is a welcome and progressive change for the development of education landscape in India. However, the implementation of the NEP would also require efficient coordination between the Centre and the State Governments, since education is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The new Education Policy, 2020

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has said that the state has rejected the three-language policy that was proposed as per the New Education Policy 2020, adding that he requests the Prime Minister to consider Tamil sentiments and allow states to pursue their own language policy as per the states’ respective ideology.&nbsp;

“It is worrisome and painful that the NEP makes a mention of three-language policy, but the people of Tamil Nadu and all the major political parties prefer carrying forward the two-langauge policy” the statement mentioned.&nbsp;

Making a mention of the first Dravidian party leader CN Annadurai who was elected chief minister, the statement talks about how Anna had announced in the state assembly, in 1968, that Tamil Nadu would follow only the two-language policy.&nbsp;

It also refers to AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran, who as chief minister had passed an assembly resolution, in 1986 that talks about reinforcing the two-language policy. Likewise, former chief minister late Jayalaltihaa too had said that Hindi must not be imposed on non-Hindi speaking states and that such attempts would be opposed and defeated.&nbsp;

It must be noted that Tamil Nadu saw widespread agitations in 1965 when the then Congress state government had attempted to make Hindi the state’s official language.&nbsp;

“When the NEP was in draft stage I had written to PM Modi (in June 2019) on Tamil Nadu preferring to continue with the existing two-language policy. I had emphasized the same in my Independence Day speech and also several Aseebmly debate sessions” Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said in a statement.&nbsp;

In recent days, the Tamil Nadu government has been drawing flak from opposition parties for not having opposed the NEP, which makes a mention of three-language policy. This is given that, Tamil Nadu has been following the two-language (English-Tamil) policy for decades, though the three-language policy leaves it to states to decide on what that language would be.

On Sunday, Union &nbsp;education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that the Centre will not impose any language on any state. The clarification was made through a tweet in Tamil, given the opposition to NEP in Tamil Nadu on the grounds that the policy allegedly imposed Hindi and Sanskrit.

It is needless to say that the issue of Hindi imposition is viewed very seriously in Tamil Nadu for several decades. The Dravidian political movement and all its leaders have also been staunch about protecting Tamil sentiments and identity. With an election impending in 2021, the ruling party is treading carefully by opposing the three language policy one on hand while balancing an alliance with the ruling BJP on the other.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has said that the state has rejected the three-language policy that was proposed as per the New Education Policy 2020, adding that he requests the Prime Minister to consider Tamil sentiments and allow states to pursue their own language policy as per the states’ respective ideology.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has said that the state has rejected the three-language policy that was proposed as per the New Education Policy 2020, adding that he requests the Prime Minister to consider Tamil sentiments and allow states to pursue their own language policy as per the states’ respective ideology. “It is worrisome and painful that the NEP makes a mention of three-language policy, but the people of Tamil Nadu and all the major political parties prefer carrying forward the two-langauge policy” the statement mentioned. Making a mention of the first Dravidian party leader CN Annadurai who was elected chief minister, the statement talks about how Anna had announced in the state assembly, in 1968, that Tamil Nadu would follow only the two-language policy. It also refers to AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran, who as chief minister had passed an assembly resolution, in 1986 that talks about reinforcing the two-language policy. Likewise, former chief minister late Jayalaltihaa too had said that Hindi must not be imposed on non-Hindi speaking states and that such attempts would be opposed and defeated. It must be noted that Tamil Nadu saw widespread agitations in 1965 when the then Congress state government had attempted to make Hindi the state’s official language. “When the NEP was in draft stage I had written to PM Modi (in June 2019) on Tamil Nadu preferring to continue with the existing two-language policy. I had emphasized the same in my Independence Day speech and also several Aseebmly debate sessions” Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said in a statement. In recent days, the Tamil Nadu government has been drawing flak from opposition parties for not having opposed the NEP, which makes a mention of three-language policy. This is given that, Tamil Nadu has been following the two-language (English-Tamil) policy for decades, though the three-language policy leaves it to states to decide on what that language would be. On Sunday, Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said that the Centre will not impose any language on any state. The clarification was made through a tweet in Tamil, given the opposition to NEP in Tamil Nadu on the grounds that the policy allegedly imposed Hindi and Sanskrit. It is needless to say that the issue of Hindi imposition is viewed very seriously in Tamil Nadu for several decades. The Dravidian political movement and all its leaders have also been staunch about protecting Tamil sentiments and identity. With an election impending in 2021, the ruling party is treading carefully by opposing the three language policy one on hand while balancing an alliance with the ruling BJP on the other.

Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami rejects NEP’s three language policy; to continue with two language policy

Foreign envoys of countries whose languages have been included in the National Education Policy 2020 have welcomed the development and said that this will increase the understanding of the country and also increase bilateral cooperation.

The National Education Policy announced by the government included foreign languages-- Korean, Japanese, Thai, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian at the secondary level which the policy says will allow "students to learn about the cultures of the world and to enrich their global knowledge and mobility according to their own interests and aspirations."

Thai envoy Chutintorn Sam Gongsakdi reacting to the development told WION,"Thai is taught in places like Australia &amp; Viet Nam, but in India, it’s an additional honour."

"There are common Pali and Sanskrit roots in our languages, so I hope Indians will not find Thai too difficult," he added.

Russian envoy Nikolay Kudashev said," Happy to see the Russian language listed in the New Education Policy among the electives that students can take up to learn about cultures of the world and enrich global knowledge. It will further strengthen bilateral people-to-people ties."

South Korea's envoy to India Shin Bongkil said, "I think Indian government`s decision about adding Korean as a foreign language for secondary level can be considered as one of symbolic measure to focus on the importance of India-Korea relations."

The Korean Culture Centre in India is preparing to open Korean Language Teacher Training Course with 23 Korean language teacher candidate. These teachers are selected for a 15-week intensive course which will run from 17th August to 24th December.&nbsp;

No mandarin was included in the new education policy. &nbsp;

Foreign envoys of countries whose languages have been included in the National Education Policy 2020 have welcomed the development and said that this will increase the understanding of the country and also increase bilateral cooperation.

Foreign envoys of countries whose languages have been included in the National Education Policy 2020 have welcomed the development and said that this will increase the understanding of the country and also increase bilateral cooperation. The National Education Policy announced by the government included foreign languages-- Korean, Japanese, Thai, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian at the secondary level which the policy says will allow "students to learn about the cultures of the world and to enrich their global knowledge and mobility according to their own interests and aspirations." Thai envoy Chutintorn Sam Gongsakdi reacting to the development told WION,"Thai is taught in places like Australia & Viet Nam, but in India, it’s an additional honour." "There are common Pali and Sanskrit roots in our languages, so I hope Indians will not find Thai too difficult," he added. Russian envoy Nikolay Kudashev said," Happy to see the Russian language listed in the New Education Policy among the electives that students can take up to learn about cultures of the world and enrich global knowledge. It will further strengthen bilateral people-to-people ties." South Korea's envoy to India Shin Bongkil said, "I think Indian government`s decision about adding Korean as a foreign language for secondary level can be considered as one of symbolic measure to focus on the importance of India-Korea relations." The Korean Culture Centre in India is preparing to open Korean Language Teacher Training Course with 23 Korean language teacher candidate. These teachers are selected for a 15-week intensive course which will run from 17th August to 24th December. No mandarin was included in the new education policy.

Envoys welcome inclusion of foreign languages in New Education Policy

India on Wednesday approved a plan to allow foreign universities to open campuses in the country as part of efforts to boost education to strengthen the economy as it struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Politicians affiliated with the left as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party have opposed several attempts by previous administrations to open up the sector to overseas institutions.

But many government officials have been pushing the move as more than 750,000 Indian students study abroad, spending billions of dollars outside the country every year.

The government will allow “entry of top world ranked universities to open campuses in our country”, a government statement said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Modi.

Critics said it remained to be seen whether top-rated universities would open campuses, considering a regulatory framework that will also cap fees charged by educational institutions.

The change comes as part of a policy to increase public spending on education to nearly 6% of gross domestic product from around 4% now.

Education is among sectors Modi is aiming to reform in an effort to bolster the economy in the wake of the pandemic.

The government is seeking to expand access to higher education to 50% of high school students by 2035, aiming to add about 35 million new places for students, and achieve universal adult literacy before that date, Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare told reporters.

The reforms would also include directives such as making school education compulsory from the age of three and encouraging the study of Sanskrit and other Indian languages as well as the use of technology.

Nearly half of the 248 million Indian students studied in private schools in 2019, according to government estimates, as teaching standards in the majority of state-run schools remain low amid a shortage of teachers, poor regulation and inadequate funding.

India on Wednesday approved a plan to allow foreign universities to open campuses in the country as part of efforts to boost education to strengthen the economy as it struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

India on Wednesday approved a plan to allow foreign universities to open campuses in the country as part of efforts to boost education to strengthen the economy as it struggles with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Politicians affiliated with the left as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party have opposed several attempts by previous administrations to open up the sector to overseas institutions. But many government officials have been pushing the move as more than 750,000 Indian students study abroad, spending billions of dollars outside the country every year. The government will allow “entry of top world ranked universities to open campuses in our country”, a government statement said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Modi. Critics said it remained to be seen whether top-rated universities would open campuses, considering a regulatory framework that will also cap fees charged by educational institutions. The change comes as part of a policy to increase public spending on education to nearly 6% of gross domestic product from around 4% now. Education is among sectors Modi is aiming to reform in an effort to bolster the economy in the wake of the pandemic. The government is seeking to expand access to higher education to 50% of high school students by 2035, aiming to add about 35 million new places for students, and achieve universal adult literacy before that date, Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare told reporters. The reforms would also include directives such as making school education compulsory from the age of three and encouraging the study of Sanskrit and other Indian languages as well as the use of technology. Nearly half of the 248 million Indian students studied in private schools in 2019, according to government estimates, as teaching standards in the majority of state-run schools remain low amid a shortage of teachers, poor regulation and inadequate funding.