Govt unveils sweeping changes for education

NEW POLICY Greater flexibility in exam system, curriculum pattern, medium of instruction

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet passed India’s first new National Education Policy in at least 28 years, recommending primary education in local languages, facilitating the possible entry of foreign universities in India, creating a single higher-education regulator, and easier board examinations -- wide-ranging reforms aimed at making the Indian education system more contemporary and skill-oriented. NEP also renamed the HRD (human resources development) ministry as the education ministry.

The policy also sets ambitious targets: increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50% from the current 26%, creating an additional 35 million seats in colleges, and increasing the education budget to 6% of the GDP from the present 4%. The NEP lays down that by 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIS) shall aim to become multidisciplinary, with at least 3,000. It also says that by 2030 there will be at least one large multidisciplinary institution in or near every district. It also moots Special Education Zones (SEZ) in backward districts.

Information and broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, flanked by HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and HRD secretaries Amit Khare and Anita Karwal, said it was after 34 years that India’s education policy was being overhauled. Indeed, while the last policy was announced in 1992, it was essentially a rehash of a 1986 one. The policy, drafted by a committee headed by former Isro chief K Kasturirangan submitted its report last year.

The new policy brings with it a range of initiatives that touch every aspect of teaching and learning from the pre-school level to higher education including research. Some, like the recommendation on local languages or mother-tongues may be controversial. An early draft was criticised for this very issue, with allegations that the government was using it as a way to impose Hindi on people in non-hindi speaking parts of the country. It is not clear whether the recommendation will be a rule or a guideline.

SCHOOLS

The policy has emphasised that the mother tongue, local language or the regional language should be the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. It also said that Sanskrit will be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula.

“The policy makes it clear that mother tongue should be the preferable medium of instruction wherever possible. However, there is going to be no imposition of any language. It will be for the states to decide,” said a senior HRD ministry official who asked not to be named. Several foreign languages will also be offered at the secondary level.