The Union Cabinet, on Wednesday, announced the new National Education Policy (NEP) in the country, bringing a new phase shift on the current curriculum of all schools and colleges in India. The committee has also given the green light to change the name of HRD Ministry to Education Ministry.
The new policy will feature some major changes in the education system such as a single regulator for higher education institutions, multiple entries and exit options in degree courses, discontinuation of MPhil programs, low stakes board exams, and common entrance exams for universities.
The new policy has been revised after 28 years, the report says. The first education policy was introduced back in 1986, revised in 1992. Since then, no particular changes have been made in the national education system. The new policy has come forward after experiencing certain loopholes during the pandemic.
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Here are the key highlights of the new National Education Policy. The policy will come into the act from July 29, 2020:
- A single common entrance exam is to be held for all universities. The common Entrance exam for all higher education institutes to be held by NTA. The exam will be optional and not mandatory.
- MPhil courses will be discontinued. All the courses at undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. levels will now be interdisciplinary and to be provided with a mixed set of skills for overall student development.
- Undergraduate colleges are to be made more autonomous on the basis of accreditation. Around 45,000 institutions are to given undergrad autonomy, academic, administrative, and financial autonomy.
- Undergrad degree will be provided at 3 or 4 years of completion. Multiple entries and exit points are to be made for college students, accommodating diploma and bachelor courses.
- Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) is to be established. This would digitally store the academic credits for every student, earned from various recognized Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
- Board examinations are to be kept at low stakes and test the presence of actual knowledge. This will enhance the ability of a student and tackle any false practices such as “Rote Learning”.
- Standardization of Indian Sign Language (ISL) is to be done across the country
- By 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIs) shall aim to become multidisciplinary institutions and become research institutes. Each educational hub aims to have 3,000 or more students.
- At least 3.5 crore new seats will be added to higher education institutions. This will help the country to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035.Departments in
- Language, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Indology, Art, Dance, Theatre, Education, Mathematics, Statistics, Pure and Applied Sciences, Sociology, Economics, Sports, Translation, and Interpretation, etc. will be established and strengthened at all higher education institutes.
- The foreign exchange process is to be exercised more. To accompany students with international knowledge, foreign education institutes are invited to set-up campuses in India.
- The three-language formula is to be practiced. Sanskrit is to be promoted as a language option for students in schools and colleges. And Sanskrit universities are to be moved to become more multidisciplinary institutions.
- The School curriculum is also to be reduced to core concepts. There will be an integration of vocational education from Class 6 onwards.
- School report cards are being checked off with skills and capabilities, rather than marks and grades.
- The school fee structure is also to be capped by the government.
- E-courses will be developed in regional languages to promote E-Learning. Virtual labs will be developed and the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) is aimed to be created.
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