New policy sets sights on total overhaul of education system

nNEW DELHI: The New Education Policy (NEP) attempts to significantly overhaul several aspects of the Indian education system rooted in the previous policy of 1986 and in other areas, attempts to bring a more contemporary approach.

For instance, the norms under the previous policy did not allow foreign varsities to set up campuses, while the 2020 policy does..

The regulation system will be overhauled with one Higher Education Council of India in place of several regulatory bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

The present policy has also mooted a gender-inclusion fund as an equity measure. The policy states that the Government of India will constitute a ‘Genderinclusion Fund’ to build the nation’s capacity to provide equitable quality education for all girls as well as transgender students.

For schools, the purpose is to make learning less stressful and more learning-oriented, the policy states. For instance, all students will participate in a 10-day bagless period during classes 6-8, during which they will intern with local vocational experts, such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists,etc.

New subjects like coding will be introduced at an earlier level, from class 6, to modernize the syllabi, as per the policy. Barriers like science, humanities and commerce, etc, have fallen and students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study, particularly in secondary school — physical education, arts and crafts, and vocational skills — so that they can design their own paths of study and life plans.

Similarly, degrees have also become more flexible. The NEP also lays emphasis on online education, especially to counter situations like the present pandemic.

Higher education institutes will have the flexibility to offer different designs of Master’s programmes — there may be a twoyearprogramme,withthesecond year devoted entirely to research, for those who have completed three-year Bachelor’s degree.