Context: India’s education system in the past had been characterised by outdated policies, corruption, and a disconnect from India's civilisational ethos. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a decisive shift towards accessibility, equity, and modernisation.
Relevance of the Topic:Mains: Education transformation in India: Key Initiatives.
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
- The NEP 2020 outlines the vision of the new education system of India. It replaces the previous National Policy on Education of 1986.
- The NEP 2020 is based on five key pillars: Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability.
Read More: National Education Policy 2020
India’s Educational Landscape: Key Initiatives
In the recent decade, the government has undertaken significant reforms in the educational landscape. This has resulted in improved educational enrollment and reduction of structural inequities.
1. Promoting Inclusivity:
- Since 2014-15, the enrolment of Scheduled Castes (SC) in higher education has increased by 50%, Scheduled Tribes (ST) by 75%, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by 54% since 2014-15.
- Female enrolment across all categories has grown by an impressive 38.8%, crossing 2.18 crore in 2022-23. Among Muslim minority students, the female enrolment rose by 57.5%.
This is in line with NEP 2020 which aims to decentralise education and promote inclusivity.
2. Women’s Empowerment in Education:
- In higher education, PhD enrolment among women has increased by 135%.
- Women in the field of higher education STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) constitute 43%.
- Female teachers constitute 44% of the teaching workforce, up from 38% in 2014.
3. Increased Government Investment in Education:
- Per-child government expenditure has risen by 130%, from ₹10,780 (2013-14) to ₹25,043 (2021-22).
- Through NEP 2020, enhanced focus on early childhood education, foundational learning, and numeracy for holistic development.
- Focus on modernisation of government schools with improved infrastructure and pedagogy. E.g.,
- Introduction of coding from middle school.
- Establishment of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL): Over 10,000 ATLs are operational in 2024.
4. Higher Education Reforms and Global Recognition:
- In higher education, sustainable revenue models have freed universities from resource dependency.
- India now has 11 universities in the QS World Rankings top 500, a remarkable improvement from the past.
- Research publications have increased by 88% since 2015, propelling India to 39 in the Global Innovation Index, up from 76 in 2014.
- Anusandhan-National Research Foundation has been established to boost research and innovation in collaboration with industry and academia.
5. Restoring Indian Knowledge Traditions and Language Primacy:
- NEP 2020 has restored primacy to all Indian languages and knowledge traditions, overcoming the decades of ‘English-first’ policies.
- Through the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) initiative, over 8,000 higher education institutions have adopted the IKS curriculum.
- Through the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Yojana, 15,000 original and translated textbooks in 22 Indian languages will be published.
The government envisions an educational renaissance aligning with India’s rich intellectual heritage. The educational initiatives along with NEP 2020 aim to propel India into the ranks of developed nations.