The United States (US) State Department has curated an educational programme that is in line with India's New Education Policy (NEP). The new programme will allow Indian students to pursue a&nbsp;one-year professional master's degree with an industrial specialisation in American universities.

The programme has been developed by&nbsp;Akhilesh Lakhtakia, a Jefferson Science Fellow at the State Department’s South and Central Asia (SCA) bureau.&nbsp;Lakhtakia was roped in from&nbsp;Penn State University where he was serving as a&nbsp;professor of engineering science and mechanics to study India's NEP. The State Department wanted him to come up with a programme that is beneficial to the students, governments as well universities of the two countries.&nbsp;

The courses are currently confined to&nbsp;science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines and will start beginning the fall semester of 2024. Specialised courses on&nbsp;wireless technology, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, quantum engineering,&nbsp;5G and 7G communication systems,&nbsp;semiconductor processing, nano-technology, and photonics among others are currently being offered.&nbsp;

With the State Department acting as a facilitator, over 20 American and 25 Indian universities are in discussion to take advantage of the initiative.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-1st-g20-education-working-group-meeting-begins-in-india-558391">Watch |&nbsp;WION Dispatch: First&nbsp; G20 Education working group meeting in India</a>

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Notably, once the course is completed, students will be eligible to stay in the US for up to three years, as per current visa rules. The move is intended to allow them to gain&nbsp;work experience in industry and repay student loans.

“What was proposed was very much to my liking. It is student-centred, flexible, multidisciplinary, futuristic, and international. If this can be implemented, it will simply revolutionise school and higher education,"&nbsp;Lakhtakia was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.&nbsp;

"The State Department brought me in to understand how, in line with NEP, the two countries can work together. The objective was to create a win-win, but in my mind, my client was the Indian student,” he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/the-new-education-policy-2020-320527">Also read |&nbsp;The new Education Policy, 2020</a>

<h2>Win-win situation</h2>

The starting of the courses is a win-win situation for the State Department and the Commerce Department. While the former will be able to deepen people-to-people linkages and enhance soft power, the latter will see more revenue generation as foreign students arrive on the US shores.&nbsp;

Since the skilled and cream of the crop will be pursuing these highly specialised one-year courses, they will be able to contribute to the American economy in an active way straightway.&nbsp;

Explaining the decision,&nbsp;Lakhtakia said:&nbsp;“A usual master’s degree in the US is for two years. But we thought that over 12 months, students can get a master’s degree with 30 credits. The idea is also to have a strong experimental component so that graduates when they go into industry, can become effective fairly quickly.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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The United States (US) State Department has curated an educational programme that is in line with India's New Education Policy (NEP). The new programme will allow Indian students to pursue a one-year professional master's degree with an industrial specialisation in American universities.

The United States (US) State Department has curated an educational programme that is in line with India's New Education Policy (NEP). The new programme will allow Indian students to pursue a one-year professional master's degree with an industrial specialisation in American universities. The programme has been developed by Akhilesh Lakhtakia, a Jefferson Science Fellow at the State Department’s South and Central Asia (SCA) bureau. Lakhtakia was roped in from Penn State University where he was serving as a professor of engineering science and mechanics to study India's NEP. The State Department wanted him to come up with a programme that is beneficial to the students, governments as well universities of the two countries. The courses are currently confined to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines and will start beginning the fall semester of 2024. Specialised courses on wireless technology, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, quantum engineering, 5G and 7G communication systems, semiconductor processing, nano-technology, and photonics among others are currently being offered. With the State Department acting as a facilitator, over 20 American and 25 Indian universities are in discussion to take advantage of the initiative. Watch | WION Dispatch: First G20 Education working group meeting in India × Notably, once the course is completed, students will be eligible to stay in the US for up to three years, as per current visa rules. The move is intended to allow them to gain work experience in industry and repay student loans. “What was proposed was very much to my liking. It is student-centred, flexible, multidisciplinary, futuristic, and international. If this can be implemented, it will simply revolutionise school and higher education," Lakhtakia was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. "The State Department brought me in to understand how, in line with NEP, the two countries can work together. The objective was to create a win-win, but in my mind, my client was the Indian student,” he added. Also read | The new Education Policy, 2020 Win-win situation The starting of the courses is a win-win situation for the State Department and the Commerce Department. While the former will be able to deepen people-to-people linkages and enhance soft power, the latter will see more revenue generation as foreign students arrive on the US shores. Since the skilled and cream of the crop will be pursuing these highly specialised one-year courses, they will be able to contribute to the American economy in an active way straightway. Explaining the decision, Lakhtakia said: “A usual master’s degree in the US is for two years. But we thought that over 12 months, students can get a master’s degree with 30 credits. The idea is also to have a strong experimental component so that graduates when they go into industry, can become effective fairly quickly.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US designs one-year master's programme for Indian students in line with education policy NEP

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

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the inaugural session of the Governors' Conference on the National Education Policy on Monday through video conference.

Modi said in a tweet, "At 10:30 am tomorrow, September 7, I will join a conference with Rashtrapati Ji, Governors and VCs of universities on the National Education Policy 2020 and its transformational impact. Deliberations from this conference will strengthen our efforts to make India a knowledge hub."

The conference titled 'Role of NEP-2020 in Transforming Higher Education' is being organised by the Ministry of Education.

The Governors' Conference is also being attended by education ministers of all states, vice-chancellors of state universities and other senior officials, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

The statement noted that the NEP-2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century which was announced after 34 years of the previous National Policy on Education in 1986.

The NEP-2020 is directed towards major reforms in both school and higher education levels.

"The new National Education Policy strives for making India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society. It envisions an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming India into a global superpower," the statement said.

It added that the comprehensive transformation the NEP aims will bring about a paradigm shift in the country's education system and create an enabling and reinvigorated educational ecosystem for a new 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' as envisaged by the prime minister.

Various webinars, virtual conferences, and conclaves on many aspects of the National Education Policy 2020 are being organised across the country.

The Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission had earlier organised a 'Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy-2020', which was addressed by Modi.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the inaugural session of the Governors' Conference on the National Education Policy on Monday through video conference.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the inaugural session of the Governors' Conference on the National Education Policy on Monday through video conference. Modi said in a tweet, "At 10:30 am tomorrow, September 7, I will join a conference with Rashtrapati Ji, Governors and VCs of universities on the National Education Policy 2020 and its transformational impact. Deliberations from this conference will strengthen our efforts to make India a knowledge hub." The conference titled 'Role of NEP-2020 in Transforming Higher Education' is being organised by the Ministry of Education. The Governors' Conference is also being attended by education ministers of all states, vice-chancellors of state universities and other senior officials, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said. The statement noted that the NEP-2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century which was announced after 34 years of the previous National Policy on Education in 1986. The NEP-2020 is directed towards major reforms in both school and higher education levels. "The new National Education Policy strives for making India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society. It envisions an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming India into a global superpower," the statement said. It added that the comprehensive transformation the NEP aims will bring about a paradigm shift in the country's education system and create an enabling and reinvigorated educational ecosystem for a new 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' as envisaged by the prime minister. Various webinars, virtual conferences, and conclaves on many aspects of the National Education Policy 2020 are being organised across the country. The Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission had earlier organised a 'Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy-2020', which was addressed by Modi.

President Kovind, PM Modi to address Governors' Conference on NEP on Monday

In the first session of this 'WION Education Summit', we decoded the national education policy 2020, launched on June 29 by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Prakash Javadekar & Human Resource Development (HRD) minister (now Union Education Minister) Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, claiming that this policy aims to overhaul the country’s education system.

WION Education Summit: Decoding National Eduction Policy 2020

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

The Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy 2020 on Wednesday. Below are some of the key features of the new policy:

* This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.

* The new policy aims for universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030 and aims to raise GER in higher education to 50 per cent by 2025.

*To enroll for a Ph.D, a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with Research shall be required. The M.Phil programme shall be discontinued.

* NEP 2020 will bring two crore out of school children back into the main stream.

* The 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. It will include 12 years of schooling and three years of Anganwadi and pre-schooling.

* NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of eight.

* NEP 2020 calls for setting up of a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by the Education Ministry. States will prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners by grade 3 by 2025.

* A National Book Promotion Policy is to be formulated.

* 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 aim.

* 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.

* NEP emphasises on setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.

* Every state/district will be encouraged to establish ''Bal Bhavans'' as a special daytime boarding school, to participate in art-related, career-related, and play-related activities. Free school infrastructure can be used as Samajik Chetna Kendras.

* A common National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by the National Council for Teacher Education by 2022, in consultation with NCERT, SCERTs, teachers and expert organizations from across levels and regions.

* States/UTs will set up independent State School Standards Authority (SSSA). The SCERT will develop a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) through consultations with all stakeholders.

* NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3 per cent in 2018 to 50 per cent by 2035 and aims to add 3.5 crore new seats to higher education institutions.

* The policy envisages broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification.

* 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 fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

* Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education.

* Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards.

* Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges.

* A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT.

* By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree.

* Stringent action will be taken against substandard stand-alone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).

* A National Mission for Mentoring will be established, with a large pool of outstanding senior/retired faculty who would be willing to provide short and long-term mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers.

* The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to track the progress of students receiving scholarships.

* Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students.

* Measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of MOOCs, etc., will be taken to ensure distance learning is at par with the highest quality in-class programmes.

* A comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting online education consequent to the recent rise in epidemics and pandemics in order to ensure preparedness with alternative modes of quality education whenever and wherever traditional modes of education are not possible, has been covered.

* A dedicated unit for the purpose of orchestrating the building of digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity building will be created in the HRD ministry to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher education.

* An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration.

* NEP recommends setting an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs, &nbsp;and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI &nbsp;programmes.

* Internationalisation of education will be facilitated through both institutional collaborations, and student and faculty mobility and allowing entry of top world ranked universities to open campuses in India.

* Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities etc will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.

* Policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy.

* The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6 per cent of GDP at the earliest.

The Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy 2020 on Wednesday. Below are some of the key features of the new policy: * This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.

The Union Cabinet approved the National Education Policy 2020 on Wednesday. Below are some of the key features of the new policy: * This is the first education policy of the 21st century and replaces the thirty-four-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986. * The new policy aims for universalisation of education from pre-school to secondary level with 100 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030 and aims to raise GER in higher education to 50 per cent by 2025. *To enroll for a Ph.D, a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with Research shall be required. The M.Phil programme shall be discontinued. * NEP 2020 will bring two crore out of school children back into the main stream. * The 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. It will include 12 years of schooling and three years of Anganwadi and pre-schooling. * NCERT will develop a National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of eight. * NEP 2020 calls for setting up of a National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by the Education Ministry. States will prepare an implementation plan for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools for all learners by grade 3 by 2025. * A National Book Promotion Policy is to be formulated. * 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 aim. * 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. * NEP emphasises on setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups. * Every state/district will be encouraged to establish ''Bal Bhavans'' as a special daytime boarding school, to participate in art-related, career-related, and play-related activities. Free school infrastructure can be used as Samajik Chetna Kendras. * A common National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by the National Council for Teacher Education by 2022, in consultation with NCERT, SCERTs, teachers and expert organizations from across levels and regions. * States/UTs will set up independent State School Standards Authority (SSSA). The SCERT will develop a School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) through consultations with all stakeholders. * NEP 2020 aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3 per cent in 2018 to 50 per cent by 2035 and aims to add 3.5 crore new seats to higher education institutions. * The policy envisages broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification. * 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 fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education. * Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. * Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards. * Affiliation of colleges is to be phased out in 15 years and a stage-wise mechanism is to be established for granting graded autonomy to colleges. * A new and comprehensive National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, will be formulated by the NCTE in consultation with NCERT. * By 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree. * Stringent action will be taken against substandard stand-alone Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs). * A National Mission for Mentoring will be established, with a large pool of outstanding senior/retired faculty who would be willing to provide short and long-term mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers. * The National Scholarship Portal will be expanded to track the progress of students receiving scholarships. * Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students. * Measures such as online courses and digital repositories, funding for research, improved student services, credit-based recognition of MOOCs, etc., will be taken to ensure distance learning is at par with the highest quality in-class programmes. * A comprehensive set of recommendations for promoting online education consequent to the recent rise in epidemics and pandemics in order to ensure preparedness with alternative modes of quality education whenever and wherever traditional modes of education are not possible, has been covered. * A dedicated unit for the purpose of orchestrating the building of digital infrastructure, digital content and capacity building will be created in the HRD ministry to look after the e-education needs of both school and higher education. * An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration. * NEP recommends setting an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI), National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in HEIs, and use mother tongue/local language as a medium of instruction in more HEI programmes. * Internationalisation of education will be facilitated through both institutional collaborations, and student and faculty mobility and allowing entry of top world ranked universities to open campuses in India. * Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities etc will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions. * Policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy. * The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6 per cent of GDP at the earliest.

From 4 years B.Ed. degree to removing M.Phil: Highlights of National Education Policy 2020

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.

National Education Policy 2020: India opens door for foreign universities

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved National Education Policy 2020 bringing major reforms in higher education.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said a 21st century National Education Policy (NEP) has been approved by the cabinet today.

"Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given approval to the new education policy for the 21st century. It is important as for 34 years there were no changes in the education policy. I am confident that this will be welcomed by entire society and nation as well as the world`s educators," he said.

Amit Khare, Higher Education Secretary, said it was a historic day and the country has got a New Education Policy (NEP) after 34 years.

"Following the new education policy and reforms, we will achieve 50 per cent Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) by 2035," he said.

He said the NEP includes graded academic, administrative and financial autonomy for institutions and a single regulator for all higher education, working under a self-disclosure based transparent system for approvals in place of numerous `inspections`.

"There are over 45,000 affiliated colleges in our country. Under graded autonomy, academic, administrative and financial autonomy will be given to colleges on the basis of the status of their accreditation. E-courses will be developed in regional languages. Virtual labs will be developed and a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) is being created," Khare said.He said a wide consultation process was adopted in the formulation of NEP 2020.

"All 2.5 lakh gram panchayats were approached through online platform. Opinions of governments, departments, academic and common people were taken," he said.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved National Education Policy 2020 bringing major reforms in higher education. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said a 21st century National Education Policy (NEP) has been approved by the cabinet today.

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved National Education Policy 2020 bringing major reforms in higher education. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said a 21st century National Education Policy (NEP) has been approved by the cabinet today. "Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given approval to the new education policy for the 21st century. It is important as for 34 years there were no changes in the education policy. I am confident that this will be welcomed by entire society and nation as well as the world`s educators," he said. Amit Khare, Higher Education Secretary, said it was a historic day and the country has got a New Education Policy (NEP) after 34 years. "Following the new education policy and reforms, we will achieve 50 per cent Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) by 2035," he said. He said the NEP includes graded academic, administrative and financial autonomy for institutions and a single regulator for all higher education, working under a self-disclosure based transparent system for approvals in place of numerous `inspections`. "There are over 45,000 affiliated colleges in our country. Under graded autonomy, academic, administrative and financial autonomy will be given to colleges on the basis of the status of their accreditation. E-courses will be developed in regional languages. Virtual labs will be developed and a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) is being created," Khare said.He said a wide consultation process was adopted in the formulation of NEP 2020. "All 2.5 lakh gram panchayats were approached through online platform. Opinions of governments, departments, academic and common people were taken," he said. (With inputs from ANI)

Union Cabinet approves National Education Policy 2020

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