Hand Book On Nep 2020: Internal Quality Assurance Cell

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NIZAM COLLEGE (AUTONOMOUS)

Constituent college of Osmania University


INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE CELL

HAND BOOK ON NEP 2020


For Higher Educational Institutions

Edited by

Dr. P. HIMA BINDU


IQAC Coordinator
Assistant Professor of Physics
Nizam College

www.nizamcollege.ac.in

AUGUST 15, 2020

Basheerbagh, Hyderabad
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 2

ABOUT THIS BOOK

This hand book enables the reader to get an overview of the National (New) Educational
policy especially for Higher Educational Institutions. The main content has been adapted from
the 66 pages NEP 2020 guidelines. Sub headings have been provided to ease the
understanding of the points mentioned. No extra content has been added to the NEP 2020
guidelines. The author doesn’t take the credit of any of the points mentioned in this document.
This handbook has been prepared for the private use of Nizam college faculty, and others (or
HEIs) can refer to it for knowledge purposes only. For more clarity on the New Education
Policy, please refer to the main document available on HRDC and UGC websites.

(Edited for the use of colleges or universities)

Editor address:
Dr. P. Hima Bindu
IQAC Co-ordinator
Assistant Professor of Physics
Nizam College (OU)
Basheerbagh, Hyderabad
Telangana - 500001

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 3

INDEX

Sl.No Page
Topic No
VISION 5
PART II HEIGHER EDUCATION
1 QUALITY UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES 6
1.1 PROBLEMS 6
1.2 KEY CHANGES 6
2 INSTITUTIONAL RESTRUCTURING AND CONSOLIDATION 7
3 TOWARDS A MORE HOLISTIC AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION 8
3.1 CURRICULAR STRUCTURE 8
a. STRUCTURE OF DEGREE PROGRAMME 9
b. MODEL PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES 9
c. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION 10
4 OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS 10
4.1 QUALITY LEARNING 10
4.2 EVALUATION 10
4.3 ACADEMIC PLAN 10
4.4 STUDENT SUPPORT 11
4.5 ONLINE EDUCATION 11
4.6 INTERNATIONALIZATION 11
4.7 STUDENT ACTIVITY AND PARTICIPATION 11
4.8 FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS 12
5 MOTIVATED, ENERGIZED AND CAPABLE FACULTY 12
5.1 INCENTIVIZING FACULTY 12
5.2 PROMOTIONS 12
5.3 ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP 13
6 EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION 13
6.1 CONJUNCTION WITH SCHOOL EDUCATION 13
6.2 HEI SPECIFIC ACTIONS 13
6.2.1 STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY GOVERNMENTS 13
6.2.2 STEPS TO BE TAKEN BY ALL HEIs 14
7 TEACHER EDUCATION 14
7.1 TRAINING PhD STUDENTS 15
7.2 FOR FACULTY 15
8 REIMAGINING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION 15
8.1 PARTNERSHIP 16
9 CATALYSING QUALITY ACADEMIC RESEARCH THROUGH A
NEW NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION
9.1 RESEARCH FUNDING 16
9.2 ACTIVITIES OF NRF 17
10 TRANSFORMING THE REGULATORY SYSTEM OF HIGHER 17
EDUCATION
10.1 ACCREDITATION 17
10.2 FINANCING HEIs 18
10.3 GENERAL EDUCATION COUNCIL 18

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 4

10.4 PROFESSIONAL STANDARD SETTING BODIES 18


10.5 CURBING COMMERCILIZATION OF EDUCATION 19
11 EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP FOR HEIs 19
11.1 SELECTION OF ADMINISTRATORS 20
11.2 INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 20
PART III OTHER KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
12 PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION 20
12.1 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION 20
12.2 LEGAL EDUCATION 21
12.3 HEALTHCARE EDUCATION 21
12.4 TECHNICAL EDUCATION 21
13 ADULT EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING 21
14 PROMOTION OF INDIAN LANGUAGES, ARTS AND CULTURE 23
14.1 STRATEGIES 23
14.2 THROUGH PROGRAMMES 23
14.3 THE IITI 24
14.4 PROMOTING SANSKRIT 24
14.5 CLASSICAL LANGUAGE INSTITUTES 24
14.6 PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION 25
15 TECHNOLOGY USE AND INTEGRATION 25
15.1 THE NETF 25
15.2 TEACHING-LEARNING 26
16 ONLINE AND DIGITAL EDUCATION: ENSURING EQUITABLE USE 27
OF TECHNOLOGY
16.1 DEDICATED UNIT FOR DIGITAL EDUCATION 28
PART-IV MAKE IT HAPPEN
17 STRENGTHENING THE CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF 28
EDUCATION
18 FINANCING: AFFORDABLE AND QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL 28
19 IMPLEMENTATION 29
19.1 PRINCIPLES 29
ABBREVIATIONS 30

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 5

What is National Education Policy (NEP) 2020?

The gap between the current state of learning outcomes and what is required must be
bridged through undertaking major reforms that bring the highest quality, equity, and integrity
into the system, from early childhood care and education through higher education. The aim must
be for India to have an education system by 2040 that is second to none, with equitable access to
the highest-quality education for all learners regardless of social or economic background. This
National Education Policy 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and aims to
address the many growing developmental imperatives of our country. This Policy proposes the
revision and revamping of all aspects of the education structure, including its regulation and
governance, to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st century
education, including SDG4, while building upon India’s traditions and value systems. The
National Education Policy lays particular emphasis on the development of the creative potential
of each individual. It is based on the principle that education must develop not only cognitive
capacities - both the ‘foundational capacities’ of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’
cognitive capacities, such as critical thinking and problem solving – but also social, ethical, and
emotional capacities and dispositions.

VISION

❖ This National Education Policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that
contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant
knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global
knowledge superpower.
❖ The Policy envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must develop among
the students a deep sense of respect towards the Fundamental Duties and Constitutional values,
bonding with one’s country, and a conscious awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a
changing world.
❖ The vision of the Policy is to instill among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not
only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills,
values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable
development and living, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 6

(Part II of NEP 2020)

HIGHER EDUCATION

1. QUALITY UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

➢ Higher education plays an extremely important role in promoting human as well as societal
wellbeing and in developing India as envisioned in its Constitution - a democratic, just, socially
conscious, cultured, and humane nation upholding liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice for all.
➢ A quality higher education must enable personal accomplishment and enlightenment, constructive
public engagement, and productive contribution to the society. It must prepare students for more
meaningful and satisfying lives and work roles and enable economic independence.

➢ Higher education must form the basis for knowledge creation and innovation thereby contributing
to a growing national economy. The purpose of quality higher education is, therefore, more than the
creation of greater opportunities for individual employment. It represents the key to more vibrant,
socially engaged, cooperative communities and a happier, cohesive, cultured, productive, innovative,
progressive, and prosperous nation.

1.1 PROBLEMS

Some of the major problems currently faced by the higher education system in India include:
(a) a severely fragmented higher educational ecosystem;
(b) less emphasis on the development of cognitive skills and learning outcomes;
(c) a rigid separation of disciplines, with early specialisation and streaming of students into
narrow areas of study;
(d) limited access particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged areas, with few HEIs that
teach in local languages
(e) limited teacher and institutional autonomy;
(f) inadequate mechanisms for merit-based career management and progression of faculty and
institutional leaders;
(g) lesser emphasis on research at most universities and colleges, and lack of competitive peer
reviewed research funding across disciplines;
(h) suboptimal governance and leadership of HEIs;
(i) an ineffective regulatory system; and
(j) large affiliating universities resulting in low standards of undergraduate education.

1.2 KEY CHANGES

The policy’s vision includes the following key changes to the current system:
(a) moving towards a higher educational system consisting of large, multidisciplinary universities and
colleges, with at least one in or near every district, and with more HEIs across India that offer medium
of instruction or programmes in local/Indian languages;
(b) moving towards a more multidisciplinary undergraduate education;
(c) moving towards faculty and institutional autonomy;
(d) revamping curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and student support for enhanced student
experiences;
(e) reaffirming the integrity of faculty and institutional leadership positions through merit
appointments and career progression based on teaching, research, and service;
(f) establishment of a National Research Foundation to fund outstanding peer-reviewed research
and to actively seed research in universities and colleges;
(g) governance of HEIs by high qualified independent boards having academic and administrative
autonomy;
(h) “light but tight” regulation by a single regulator for higher education;

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 7

(i) increased access, equity, and inclusion through a range of measures, including greater opportunities
for outstanding public education; scholarships by private/philanthropic universities for disadvantaged
and underprivileged students; online education, and Open Distance Learning (ODL); and all
infrastructure and learning materials accessible and available to learners with disabilities.

2. INSTITUTIONAL RESTRUCTURING AND CONSOLIDATION

✓ The main thrust of this policy regarding higher education is to end the fragmentation of higher
education by transforming higher education institutions into large multidisciplinary universities,
colleges, and HEI clusters/Knowledge Hubs, each of which will aim to have 3,000 or more
students.
✓ Moving to large multidisciplinary universities and HEI clusters is thus the highest
recommendation of this policy regarding the structure of higher education.
✓ A university will mean a multidisciplinary institution of higher learning that offers under-graduate
and graduate programmes, with high quality teaching, research, and community engagement.
✓ The definition of university will thus allow a spectrum of institutions that range from
those that place equal emphasis on teaching and research i.e., Research-intensive Universities, those
that place greater emphasis on teaching but still conduct significant research i.e. Teaching-intensive
Universities.
✓ Autonomous degree-granting College (AC) will refer to a large multidisciplinary institution of
higher learning that grants undergraduate degrees and is primarily focused on undergraduate teaching
though it would not be restricted to that and it need not be restricted to that and it would generally be
smaller than a typical university.
✓ A stage-wise mechanism for granting graded autonomy to colleges, through a transparent
system of graded accreditation, will be established. Colleges will be encouraged, mentored,
supported, and incentivized to gradually attain the minimum benchmarks required for each level of
accreditation.
✓ With appropriate accreditations, Autonomous degree-granting Colleges could evolve into
Research-intensive or Teaching-intensive Universities, if they so aspire.

** Over a period of time, it is envisaged that every college would develop into either an Autonomous
degree-granting College, or a constituent college of a university - in the latter case, it would be fully
a part of the university.

❖ HEIs will have the autonomy and freedom to move gradually from one category to another,
based on their plans, actions, and effectiveness. The Accreditation System will develop and use
appropriately different and relevant norms across this range of HEIs.

❖ In addition to teaching and research, HEIs will have other crucial responsibilities, which
they will discharge through appropriate resourcing, incentives, and structures. These include
supporting other HEIs in their development, community engagement and service, contribution to
various fields of practice, faculty development for the higher education system, and support to
school education.

 By 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIs) shall aim to become multidisciplinary
institutions and shall aim to have larger student enrolments. This can be planned phase wise, first
by 2030.
 By 2030, be at least one large multidisciplinary HEI in or near every district. Steps shall be taken
towards developing high-quality higher education institutions both public and private that have
medium of instruction in local/Indian languages or bilingually.
 The aim will be to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational
education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035.
 Growth will be in both public and private institutions, with a strong emphasis on developing a
large number of outstanding public institutions. There will be a fair and transparent system which

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 8

will give an equitable opportunity for all public institutions to grow and develop, and will be based
on transparent, pre-announced criteria from within the accreditation norms of the Accreditation
System.

“HEIs delivering education of the highest quality as laid down in this Policy will be incentivized in
expanding their capacity.”

 Institutions will have the option to run Open Distance Learning (ODL) and online
programmes, provided they are accredited to do so, in order to enhance their offerings, improve
access, increase GER, and provide opportunities for lifelong learning (SDG 4).
 All ODL programmes and their components leading to any diploma or degree will be of standards
and quality equivalent to the highest quality programmes run by the HEIs on their campuses.
 Top institutions accredited for ODL will be encouraged and supported to develop high-quality
online courses. Such quality online courses will be suitably integrated into curricula of HEIs, and
blended mode will be preferred.
 Single-stream HEIs will be phased out over time, and all will move towards becoming vibrant
multidisciplinary institutions or parts of vibrant multidisciplinary HEI clusters, in order to
enable and encourage high-quality multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary teaching and research
across fields.
 The autonomy of public institutions will be backed by adequate public financial support and
stability.
 Private institutions with a public-spirited commitment to high-quality equitable education will be
encouraged.
 All colleges currently affiliated to a university shall attain the required benchmarks over time to
secure the prescribed accreditation benchmarks and eventually become autonomous degree-
granting colleges.
 The overall higher education sector will aim to be an integrated higher education system,
including professional and vocational education.
 The present complex nomenclature of HEIs in the country such as ‘deemed to be university’,
‘affiliating university’, ‘affiliating technical university', ‘unitary university’ shall be replaced
simply by 'university' on fulfilling the criteria as per norms.

3. TOWARDS A MORE HOLISTIC AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY EDUCATION

▪ The notion of a ‘knowledge of many arts’ or what in modern times is often called the ‘liberal arts’
(i.e., a liberal notion of the arts) must be brought back to Indian education, as it is exactly the kind of
education that will be required for the 21st century.
▪ Assessments of educational approaches in undergraduate education that integrate the humanities
and arts with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) shall
be, in the long term, the approach of all undergraduate programmes, including those in professional,
technical, and vocational disciplines.

▪ Even engineering institutions, such as IITs, will move towards more holistic and multidisciplinary
education with more arts and humanities. Students of arts and humanities will aim to learn more
science and all will make an effort to incorporate more vocational subjects and soft skills.

3.1 CURRICULAR STRUCTURE

• Imaginative and flexible curricular structures will enable creative combinations of disciplines
for study, and would offer multiple entry and exit points, thus, removing currently prevalent rigid
boundaries and creating new possibilities for life-long learning.
• Flexibility in curriculum and novel and engaging course options will be on offer to students, in
addition to rigorous specialization in a subject or subjects. This will be encouraged by increased faculty
and institutional autonomy in setting curricula. Pedagogy will have an increased emphasis on

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 9

communication, discussion, debate, research, and opportunities for cross-disciplinary and


interdisciplinary thinking.
• Departments in Languages, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Indology, Art, Dance, Theatre,
Education, Mathematics, Statistics, Pure and Applied Sciences, Sociology, Economics, Sports,
Translation and Interpretation, and other such subjects needed for a multidisciplinary, stimulating
Indian education and environment will be established and strengthened at all HEIs. Credits will be
given in all Bachelor’s Degree programmes for these subjects if they are done from such departments
or through ODL mode when they are not offered in-class at the HEI.
• Towards the attainment of such a holistic and multidisciplinary education, the flexible and
innovative curricula of all HEIs shall include credit-based courses and projects in the areas of
community engagement and service, environmental education, and value-based education.
• Environment education will include areas such as climate change, pollution, waste management,
sanitation, conservation of biological diversity, management of biological resources and biodiversity,
forest and wildlife conservation, and sustainable development and living.
• As part of a holistic education, students at all HEIs will be provided with opportunities for
internships with local industry, businesses, artists, crafts persons, etc., as well as research internships
with faculty and researchers at their own or other HEIs/research institutions, so that students may
actively engage with the practical side of their learning and, as a by-product, further improve their
employability.

a. STRUCTURE OF DEGREE PROGRAMME

• The undergraduate degree will be of either 3 or 4-year duration, with multiple exit options within
this period, with appropriate certifications, e.g., a certificate after completing 1 year in a discipline or
field including vocational and professional areas, or a diploma after 2 years of study, or a Bachelor ’s
degree after a 3-year programme.
• The 4-year multidisciplinary Bachelor's programme, however, shall be the preferred option
since it allows the opportunity to experience the full range of holistic and multidisciplinary education
in addition to a focus on the chosen major and minors as per the choices of the student.
• An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) shall be established which would digitally store the
academic credits earned from various recognized HEIs so that the degrees from an HEI can be awarded
taking into account credits earned. The 4-year programme may also lead to a degree ‘with Research’
if the student completes a rigorous research project in their major area(s) of study as specified by the
HEI.

• HEIs will have the flexibility to offer different designs of Master’s programmes:

(a) there may be a 2-year programme with the second year devoted entirely to research for those who
have completed the 3-year Bachelor ’s programme;
(b) for students completing a 4-year Bachelor ’s programme with Research, there could be a 1-year
Master’s programme; and
(c) there may be an integrated 5-year Bachelor’s/Master’s programme.
(d) Undertaking a Ph.D. shall require either a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with
Research.

***The M.Phil. programme shall be discontinued.

b. MODEL PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Model public universities for holistic and multidisciplinary education, at par with IITs, IIMs, etc.,
called MERUs (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities) will be set up and will aim to
attain the highest global standards in quality education. They will also help set the highest standards
for multidisciplinary education across India.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 10

c. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

• HEIs will focus on research and innovation by setting up start-up incubation centres; technology
development centres; centres in frontier areas of research; greater industry-academic linkages; and
interdisciplinary research including humanities and social sciences research. Given the scenario of
epidemics and pandemics, it is critical that HEIs take the lead to undertake research in areas of
infectious diseases, epidemiology, virology, diagnostics, instrumentation, vaccinology and other
relevant areas. HEIs will develop specific hand holding mechanisms and competitions for promoting
innovation among student communities.

4. OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS

4.1 QUALITY LEARNING

• Effective learning requires a comprehensive approach that involves appropriate curriculum,


engaging pedagogy, continuous formative assessment, and adequate student support. The
curriculum must be interesting and relevant, and updated regularly to align with the latest
knowledge requirements and to meet specified learning outcomes.
• High-quality pedagogy is then necessary to successfully impart the curricular material to students;
pedagogical practices determine the learning experiences that are provided to students, thus
directly influencing learning outcomes. The assessment methods must be scientific, designed to
continuously improve learning and test the application of knowledge.
• The development of capacities that promote student wellness such as fitness, good health, psycho-
social well-being, and sound ethical grounding are also critical for high-quality learning.
• Providing suitable resources and infrastructure, such as quality libraries, classrooms, labs,
technology, sports/recreation areas, student discussion spaces, and dining areas, a number of
initiatives will be required to ensure that learning environments are engaging and supportive, and
enable all students to succeed.

4.2 EVALUATION

• Curriculum and pedagogy will be designed by institutions and motivated faculty to ensure a
stimulating and engaging learning experience for all students, and continuous formative assessment
will be used to further the goals of each programme.
• All assessment systems shall also be decided by the HEI, including those that lead to final certification.
The Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) will be revised for instilling innovation and flexibility.
• HEIs shall move to a criterion-based grading system that assesses student achievement based on the
learning goals for each programme, making the system fairer and outcomes more comparable.
• HEIs shall also move away from high-stakes examinations towards more continuous and
comprehensive evaluation.

4.3 ACADEMIC PLAN

• Each institution will integrate its academic plans ranging from curricular improvement to quality of
classroom transaction - into its larger Institutional Development Plan (IDP).
• Each institution will be committed to the holistic development of students and create strong internal
systems for supporting diverse student cohorts in academic and social domains both inside and outside
formal academic interactions in the classroom.
• Over time, such activities could be incorporated into the curriculum once appropriate faculty expertise
and campus student demand is developed.

“Faculty will have the capacity and training to be able to approach students not just as
teachers, but also as mentors and guides.”

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 11

4.4 STUDENT SUPPORT

• Universities and colleges will be required to set up high-quality support centres and will be given
adequate funds and academic resources to carry student support effectively.
• There will also be professional academic and career counselling available to all students, as well as
counsellors to ensure physical, psychological and emotional well-being.

4.5 ONLINE EDUCATION

• ODL and online education provide a natural path to increase access to quality higher
education.
• ODL programmes will aim to be equivalent to the highest quality in-class programmes available.
• Norms, standards, and guidelines for systemic development, regulation, and accreditation of ODL
will be prepared, and a framework for quality of ODL that will be recommendatory for all HEIs will
be developed.

“ Finally, all programmes, courses, curricula, and pedagogy across subjects, including those inclass,
online, and in ODL modes as well as student support will aim to achieve global standards of quality.”

4.6 INTERNATIONALIZATION

Courses and programmes in subjects, such as Indology, Indian languages, AYUSH systems of medicine,
yoga, arts, music, history, culture, and modern India, internationally relevant curricula in the sciences,
social sciences, and beyond, meaningful opportunities for social engagement, quality residential facilities
and on-campus support, etc. will be fostered to attain the goal of global quality standards, attract greater
numbers of international students, and achieve the goal of ‘international-ization at home’.

→ India will be promoted as a global study destination providing premium education at affordable
costs by setting up an International Students Office at each HEI hosting foreign students to
coordinate all matters relating to welcoming and supporting students arriving from abroad.
→ Research/teaching collaborations and faculty/student exchanges with high-quality foreign
institutions will be facilitated, and relevant mutually beneficial MOUs with foreign countries will
be signed.
→ 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.
→ A legislative framework facilitating such entry will be put in place, and such universities will be
given special dispensation regarding regulatory, governance, and content norms on par with other
autonomous institutions of India.

Credits acquired in foreign universities will be permitted, where appropriate as per the requirements of
each HEI, to be counted for the award of a degree.

4.7 STUDENT ACTIVITY AND PARTICIPATION

Students are the prime stakeholders in the education system and hence they will be given
plenty of opportunities for participation in sports, culture/arts clubs, eco-clubs, activity clubs,
community service projects, etc.
In every education institution, there shall be counselling systems for handling stress and
emotional adjustments. Furthermore, a systematized arrangement shall be created to
provide the requisite support to students from rural backgrounds, including increasing hostel
facilities as needed. All HEIs will ensure quality medical facilities for all students in their
institutions.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 12

4.8 FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS

Financial assistance to students shall be made available through various measures. Efforts will be made
to incentivize the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs. The National Scholarship
Portal will be expanded to support, foster, and track the progress of students receiving scholarships. Private
HEIs will be encouraged to offer larger numbers of free ships and scholarships to their students.

5 MOTIVATED, ENERGIZED AND CAPABLE FACULTY

5.1 INCENTIVIZING FACULTY

➢ The most important factor in the success of higher education institutions is the quality and
engagement of its faculty. However, despite the various improvements in the status of the academic
profession, faculty motivation in terms of teaching, research, and service in HEIs remains far lower than
the desired level.
➢ The various factors that lie behind low faculty motivation levels must be addressed to ensure that
each faculty member is happy, enthusiastic, engaged, and motivated towards advancing her/his students,
institution, and profession.

The NEP recommends the following initiatives to achieve the best, motivated, and capable faculty in
HEIs:
i. All HEIs will be equipped with the basic infrastructure and facilities, including clean drinking
water, clean working toilets, blackboards, offices, teaching supplies, libraries, labs, and pleasant
classroom spaces and campuses.
ii. Every classroom shall have access to the latest educational technology that enables better learning
experiences.
iii. Teaching duties also will not be excessive, and student-teacher ratios not too high, so that the
activity of teaching remains pleasant and there is adequate time for interaction with students,
conducting research, and other university activities.
iv. Faculty will be appointed to individual institutions and generally not be transferable across
institutions so that they may feel truly invested in, connected to, and committed to their institution
and community.

➢ Faculty will be given the freedom to design their own curricular and pedagogical approaches
within the approved framework, including textbook and reading material selections, assignments, and
assessments.
➢ Excellence will be further incentivized through appropriate rewards, promotions,recognitions, and
movement into institutional leadership. Meanwhile, faculty not delivering on basic norms will be held
accountable.

5.2 PROMOTIONS

▪ HEIs will have clearly defined, independent, and transparent processes and criteria for faculty
recruitment. Whereas the current recruitment process will be continued, a ‘tenure-track’ i.e.,
suitable probation period shall be put in place to further ensure excellence.
▪ There shall be a fast-track promotion system for recognizing high impact research and
contribution.
▪ A system of multiple parameters for proper performance assessment, for the purposes of ‘tenure’
i.e., confirmed employment after probation, promotion, salary increases, recognitions, etc.,
including peer and student reviews, innovations in teaching and pedagogy, quality and impact of
research, professional development activities, and other forms of service to the institution and the
community, shall be developed by each HEI and clearly enunciated in it ’s Institutional
Development Plan (IDP).

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 13

5.3 ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP

The presence of outstanding and enthusiastic institutional leaders that cultivate excellence and
innovation is the need of the hour.
Excellent faculty with high academic and service credentials as well as demonstrated leadership
and management skills will be identified early and trained through a ladder of leadership positions.
Leadership positions shall not remain vacant, but rather an overlapping time period during
transitions in leadership shall be the norm to ensure the smooth running of institutions.
Institutional leaders will aim to create a culture of excellence that will motivate and incentivize
outstanding and innovative teaching, research, institutional service, and community outreach from
faculty members and all HEI leaders.

6. EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

6.1 CONJUNTION WITH SCHOOL EDUCATION

❖ Making quality higher education opportunities available to all individuals must be among
the highest priorities.
❖ This Policy envisions ensuring equitable access to quality education to all students, with a
special emphasis on SEDGs.
❖ The dynamics and also many of the reasons for exclusion of SEDGs from the education
system are common across school and higher education sectors.
❖ The approach to equity and inclusion must be common across school and higher education.
There must be continuity across the stages to ensure sustainable reform.
❖ The policy initiatives required to meet the goals of equity and inclusion in higher education
must be read in conjunction with those for school education.

6.2 HEI SPECTIFIC ACTIONS

• There are certain facets of exclusion, that must be addressed specifically, and include lack of
knowledge of higher education opportunities, economic opportunity cost of pursuing higher education,
financial constraints, admission processes, geographical and language barriers, poor employability
potential of many higher education programmes, and lack of appropriate student support mechanisms.
• For this purpose, additional actions that are specific to higher education shall be adopted by all
Governments and HEIs:

6.2.1 Steps to be taken by Governments

(a) Earmark suitable Government funds for the education of SEDGs


(b) Set clear targets for higher GER for SEDGs
(c) Enhance gender balance in admissions to HEIs
(d) Enhance access by establishing more high-quality HEIs in aspirational districts and Special Education
Zones containing larger numbers of SEDGs
(e) Develop and support high-quality HEIs that teach in local/Indian languages or bilingually
(f) Provide more financial assistance and scholarships to SEDGs in both public and private HEIs
(g) Conduct outreach programmes on higher education opportunities and scholarships among SEDGs
(h) Develop and support technology tools for better participation and learning outcomes.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 14

6.2.2. Steps to be taken by all HEIs

(a) Mitigate opportunity costs and fees for pursuing higher education
(b) Provide more financial assistance and scholarships to socio-economically disadvantaged students
(c) Conduct outreach on higher education opportunities and scholarships
(d) Make admissions processes more inclusive
(e) Make curriculum more inclusive
(f) Increase employability potential of higher education programmes
(g) Develop more degree courses taught in Indian languages and bilingually
(h) Ensure all buildings and facilities are wheelchair-accessible and disabled-friendly
(i) Develop bridge courses for students that come from disadvantaged educational backgrounds
(j) Provide socio-emotional and academic support and mentoring for all such students through suitable
counselling and mentoring programmes
(k) Ensure sensitization of faculty, counsellor, and students on gender-identity issue and its inclusion in
all aspects of the HEI, including curricula
(l) Strictly enforce all no-discrimination and anti-harassment rules
(m) Develop Institutional Development Plans that contain specific plans for action on increasing
participation from SEDGs, including but not limited to the above items.

7. TEACHER EDUCATION

➢ Teacher education is vital in creating a pool of schoolteachers that will shape the next generation.
Teacher preparation is an activity that requires multidisciplinary perspectives and knowledge, formation
of dispositions and values, and development of practice under the best mentors.
➢ By 2030, only educationally sound, multidisciplinary, and integrated teacher education
programmes shall be in force.
➢ All teacher education programmes must be conducted within composite multidisciplinary
institutions. Hence, universities and colleges will also run B.Ed. programmes, in collaboration with other
departments such as psychology, philosophy, sociology, neuroscience, Indian languages, arts, music,
history, literature, physical education, science and mathematics.
➢ All stand-alone TEIs will be required to convert to multidisciplinary institutions by 2030, since
they will have to offer the 4-year integrated teacher preparation programme.

“The 4-year integrated B.Ed. offered by such multidisciplinary HEIs will, by 2030, become
the minimal degree qualification for school teachers.”

➢ The HEI offering the 4-year integrated B.Ed. may also run a 2-year B.Ed., for students who have
already received a Bachelor’s degree in a specialized subject.
➢ A 1-year B.Ed. may also be offered for candidates who have received a 4-year undergraduate
degree in a specialized subject.
➢ Scholarships for meritorious students will be established for the purpose of attracting outstanding
candidates to the 4-year, 2-year, and 1-year B.Ed. programmes.
➢ Each higher education institution will have a network of government and private schools to work
closely with, where potential teachers will student-teach along with participating in other activities such
as community service, adult and vocational education, etc.
➢ The admission to pre-service teacher preparation programmes shall be through suitable subject
and aptitude tests conducted by the National Testing Agency, and shall be standardized keeping in view
the linguistic and cultural diversity of the country.
➢ The faculty profile in Departments of Education will necessarily aim to be diverse and but
teaching/field/research experience will be highly valued. Faculty with training in areas of social sciences
that are directly relevant to school education programmes will be attracted and retained in teacher
education institutions.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 15

7.1 TRAINING PhD STUDENTS

• All fresh Ph.D. entrants, irrespective of discipline, will be required to take credit-base courses
in teaching/education/pedagogy/writing related to their chosen Ph.D subject during their doctoral
training period.
• Exposure to pedagogical practices, designing curriculum, credible evaluation systems,
communication, and so on will be ensured
• Ph.D students will also have a minimum number of hours of actual teaching experience gathered
through teaching assistantships and other means.

“Ph.D. programmes at universities around the country will be reoriented for this purpose.”

7.2 FOR FACULTY

 In-service continuous professional development for college and university teachers will
continue through the existing institutional arrangements and ongoing initiatives.
 The use of technology platforms such as SWAYAM/DIKSHA for online training of teachers
will be encouraged, so that standardized training programmes can be administered to large
numbers of teachers within a short span of time.

“A National Mission for Mentoring shall be established, with a large pool of outstanding senior/ retired
faculty – including those with the ability to teach in Indian languages – who would be willing to provide
short and long-term mentoring/professional support to university/college teachers.”

8. REIMAGINING VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

This policy aims to overcome the social status hierarchy associated with vocational education
and requires integration of vocational education programmes into mainstream education in all
education institutions in a phased manner.
 Beginning with vocational exposure at early ages in middle and secondary school, quality
vocational education will be integrated smoothly into higher education.
 It will ensure that every child learns at least one vocation and is exposed to several more.
 This would lead to emphasizing the dignity of labour and importance of various vocations
involving/Indian arts and artisanship.
 By 2025, at least 50% of learners through the school and higher education system shall have
exposure to vocational education, for which a clear action plan with targets and timelines will be
developed.
 The number of students in vocational education will be considered while arriving at the GER
targets. The development of vocational capacities will go hand-in-hand with the development of
‘academic’ or other capacities.
 Higher education institutions will offer vocational education either on their own or in partnership
with industry and NGOs.
 The B.Voc. degrees introduced in 2013 will continue to exist, but vocational courses will also be
available to students enrolled in all other Bachelor’s degree programmes, including the 4-year
multidisciplinary Bachelor ’s programmes.
 HEIs will also be allowed to conduct short-term certificate courses in various skills including soft
skills.
 The possibility of offering vocational courses through ODL mode will also be explored.
 Vocational education will be integrated into all school and higher education institutions in a
phased manner over the next decade.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 16

8.1 PARTNERSHIP
• Individual institutions that are early adopters must innovate to find models and practices that
work and then share these with other institutions through mechanisms set up by NCIVE, so as to
help extend the reach of vocational education.
• Different models of vocational education, and apprenticeships, will also be experimented by
higher education institutions.
• Incubation centres will be set up in higher education institutions in partnership with industries.

“The credit-based Framework will also facilitate mobility across ‘general’ and vocational education.”

9. CATALYSING QUALITY ACADEMIC RESEARCH THROUGH A NEW


NATIONAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Facing and addressing the societal challenges will require high-quality interdisciplinary research across
fields that must be done in India and cannot simply be imported; the ability to conduct one ’s own research
also enables a country to much more easily import and adapt relevant research from abroad. Research in
the arts and humanities, along with innovations in the sciences and social sciences, are, therefore,
extremely important for the progress and enlightened nature of a nation.
• Research and innovation at education institutions in India, particularly those that are engaged in
higher education, is critical.
• Thus, this Policy envisions a comprehensive approach to transforming the quality and quantity of
research in India.
• This includes career counselling in schools towards identifying student interests and talents,
promoting research in universities, the multidisciplinary nature of all HEIs and the emphasis on
holistic education, the inclusion of research and internships in the undergraduate curriculum,
faculty career management systems that give due weightage to research, and the governance and
regulatory changes that encourage an environment of research and innovation.

To build on these various elements in a synergistic manner, and to thereby truly grow and
catalyze quality research in the nation, this policy envisions the establishment of a National Research
Foundation (NRF).
• The overarching goal of the NRF will be to enable a culture of research to permeate through our
universities.
• In particular, the NRF will provide a reliable base of merit-based but equitable peer-reviewed
research funding, and by undertaking major initiatives to seed and grow research at State
Universities and other public institutions where research capability is currently limited.
• The NRF will competitively fund research in all disciplines. Successful research will be
recognized, and where relevant, implemented through close linkages with governmental agencies
as well as with industry and private/philanthropic organizations.

9.1 RESEARCH FUNDING

• Institutions that currently fund research at some level, such as the Department of Science and
Technology (DST), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Bio-Technology (DBT), Indian
Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Indian Council of
Historical Research (ICHR), and University Grants Commission (UGC), as well as various private and
philanthropic organizations, will continue to independently fund research according to their priorities and
needs.
• However, NRF will carefully coordinate with other funding agencies and will work with science,
engineering, and other academies to ensure synergy of purpose and avoid duplication of efforts.
• The NRF will be governed, independently of the government, by a rotating Board of Governors
consisting of the very best researchers and innovators across fields.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 17

9.2 ACTIVITIES OF NRF

The primary activities of the NRF will be to:

(a) fund competitive, peer-reviewed grant proposals of all types and across all disciplines;
(b) seed, grow, and facilitate research at academic institutions, particularly at universities and
colleges where research is currently in a nascent stage, through mentoring of such institutions;
(c) act as a liaison between researchers and relevant branches of government as well as industry, so as to
allow breakthroughs to be optimally brought into policy and/or implementation; and
(d) recognise outstanding research and progress

10. TRANSFORMING THE REGULATORY SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The regulatory system of higher education will ensure that the distinct functions of regulation,
accreditation, funding, and academic standard setting will be performed by distinct, independent, and
empowered bodies. This is considered essential to create checks-and-balances in the system, minimize
conflicts of interest, and eliminate concentrations of power.

➢ The first vertical of Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be the National Higher
Education Regulatory Council (NHERC).
➢ It will function as the common, single point regulator for the higher education sector including
teacher education and excluding medical and legal education, thus eliminating the duplication and
disjunction of regulatory efforts by the multiple regulatory agencies that exist at the current time.
➢ NHERC will be set up to regulate in a ‘light but tight’ and facilitative manner, meaning that a few
important matters particularly financial probity, good governance, and the full online and offline
public self-disclosure of all finances, audits, procedures, infrastructure, faculty/staff, courses, and
educational outcomes will be very effectively regulated.
➢ This information will have to be made available and kept updated and accurate by all higher
education institutions on a public website maintained by NHERC and on the institutions’
websites.
➢ Any complaints or grievances from stakeholders and others arising out of the information placed
in public domain shall be adjudicated by NHERC.
➢ Feedback from randomly selected students including differently-abled students at each HEI will
be solicited online to ensure valuable input at regular intervals.

10.1 ACCREDITATION

The primary mechanism to enable above mentioned regulation will be accreditation. The second vertical
of HECI will, therefore, be a ‘meta-accrediting body’, called the National Accreditation Council
(NAC).

✓ Accreditation of institutions will be based primarily on basic norms, public self-disclosure,


good governance, and outcomes, and it will be carried out by an independent ecosystem of
accrediting institutions supervised and overseen by NAC.
✓ The task to function as a recognized accreditor shall be awarded to an appropriate number of
institutions by NAC.
✓ In the short term, a robust system of graded accreditation shall be established, which will
specify phased benchmarks for all HEIs to achieve set levels of quality, self-governance, and
autonomy.
✓ In turn, all HEIs will aim, through their Institutional Development Plans (IDPs), to attain the
highest level of accreditation over the next 15 years, and thereby eventually aim to function
as self-governing degree-granting institutions/clusters.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 18

10.2. FINANCING HEIs

The third vertical of HECI will be the Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC), which will carry out
funding and financing of higher education based on transparent criteria, including the IDPs prepared by
the institutions and the progress made on their implementation. HEGC will be entrusted with the
disbursement of scholarships and developmental funds for launching new focus areas and expanding
quality programme offerings at HEIs across disciplines and fields.

10.3 GENERAL EDUCATION COUNCIL

The fourth vertical of HECI will be the General Education Council (GEC), which will frame
expected learning outcomes for higher education programmes, also referred to as ‘graduate attributes’.

▪ A National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF) will be formulated by the


GEC and it shall be in sync with the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) to ease
the integration of vocational education into higher education.
▪ Higher education qualifications leading to a degree/diploma/certificate shall be described by the
NHEQF in terms of such learning outcomes.
▪ The GEC shall set up facilitative norms for issues, such as credit transfer, equivalence, etc.,
through the NHEQF.
▪ The GEC will be mandated to identify specific skills that students must acquire during their
academic programmes.

10.4 PROFESSIONAL STANDARD SETTING BODIES (PSSBs)

The professional councils, such as the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR),
Veterinary Council of India (VCI), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Council of
Architecture (CoA), National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) etc., will
act as Professional Standard Setting Bodies (PSSBs).
They will play a key role in the higher education system and will be invited to be members
of the GEC.
These bodies, after restructuring as PSSBs, will continue to draw the curricula, lay down
academic standards and coordinate between teaching, research and extension of their
domain/discipline, as members of the GEC.
Thus, PSSBs would also set the standards or expectations in particular fields of learning
and practice while having no regulatory role.
All HEIs will decide how their educational programmes respond to these standards,
among other considerations, and would also be able to reach out for support from these standard-
setting bodies or PSSBs, if needed.

“Responsibility and accountability shall devolve to the HEIs concomitantly. No distinction in such
expectations shall be made between public and private HEIs”

➢ HECI itself will be resolving disputes among the four verticals.


➢ Each vertical in HECI will be an independent body consisting of persons having high expertise in
the relevant areas along with integrity, commitment, and a demonstrated track record of public
service.
➢ HECI itself will be a small, independent body of eminent public-spirited experts in higher
education, which will oversee and monitor the integrity and effective functioning of HECI.
➢ Suitable mechanisms will be created within HECI to carry out its functions, including
adjudication.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 19

10.5 CURBING COMMERCIALIZATION OF EDUCATION

❖ Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of
higher education.
❖ All education institutions will be held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as a ‘not for profit’
entity.
❖ There will be transparent public disclosure of all these financial matters with recourse to grievance-
handling mechanisms to the general public.
❖ The accreditation system developed by NAC will provide a complementary check on this system,
and NHERC will consider this as one of the key dimensions of its regulatory objective.
❖ All HEIs - public and private - shall be treated on par within this regulatory regime.
❖ There will be common national guidelines for all legislative Acts that will form private HEIs.
❖ These common minimal guidelines will enable all such Acts to establish private HEIs, thus enabling
common standards for private and public HEIs.
❖ These common guidelines will cover Good Governance, Financial Stability & Security, Educational
Outcomes, and Transparency of Disclosures.
❖ Transparent mechanisms for fixing of fees with an upper limit, for different types of institutions
depending on their accreditation, will be developed so that individual institutions are not adversely
affected.
❖ This will empower private HEIs to set fees for their programmes independently, though within the
laid-out norms and the broad applicable regulatory mechanism.
❖ Private HEIs will be encouraged to offer freeships and scholarships in significant numbers to their
students.
❖ All fees and charges set by private HEIs will be transparently and fully disclosed, and there shall be
no arbitrary increases in these fees/charges during the period of enrolment of any student.
❖ This fee determining mechanism will ensure reasonable recovery of cost while ensuring that HEIs
discharge their social obligations.

11. EFFECTIVE GOVERNANACE AND LEADERSHIP FOR HEIs

A. Through a suitable system of graded accreditation and graded autonomy, and in a phased
manner over a period of 15 years, all HEIs in India will aim to become independent self-governing
institutions pursuing innovation and excellence.

➢ Upon receiving the appropriate graded accreditations that deem the institution ready for such a
move, a Board of Governors (BoG) shall be established consisting of a group of highly qualified,
competent, and dedicated individuals having proven capabilities and a strong sense of
commitment to the institution.
➢ The BoG of an institution will be empowered to govern the institution free of any external
interference, make all appointments including that of head of the institution, and take all decisions
regarding governance.
➢ There shall be overarching legislation that will supersede any contravening provisions of other
earlier legislation and would provide for constitution, appointment, modalities of functioning,
rules and regulations, and the roles and responsibilities of the BoG.
➢ New members of the Board shall be identified by an expert committee appointed by the Board;
and the selection of new members shall be carried out by the BoG itself. Equity considerations
will also be taken care of while selecting the members.
➢ It is envisaged that all HEIs will be incentivized, supported, and mentored during this process, and
shall aim to become autonomous and have such an empowered BoG by 2035.
➢ The BoG shall be responsible and accountable to the stakeholders through transparent self-
disclosures of all relevant records.
➢ It will be responsible for meeting all regulatory guidelines mandated by HECI through the
National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC).

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 20

11.1. SELECTION OF ADMINISTRATORS

→ All leadership positions and Heads of institutions will be offered to persons with high academic
qualifications and demonstrated administrative and leadership capabilities along with abilities to
manage complex situations.
→ Leaders of an HEI will demonstrate strong alignment to Constitutional values and the overall
vision of the institution, along with attributes such as a strong social commitment, belief in
teamwork, pluralism, ability to work with diverse people, and a positive outlook.
→ The selection shall be carried out by the BoG through a rigorous, impartial, merit-based, and
competency-based process led by an Eminent Expert Committee (EEC) constituted by the BoG.
→ While stability of tenure is important to ensure the development of a suitable culture, at the same
time leadership succession will be planned with care to ensure that good practices that define an
institution’s processes do not end due to a change in leadership; leadership changes will come
with sufficient overlaps, and not remain vacant, in order to ensure smooth transitions.
→ Outstanding leaders will be identified and developed early, working their way through a ladder of
leadership positions.

11.2. INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

▪ All HEIs, in turn, will display commitment to institutional excellence, engagement with their
local communities, and the highest standards of financial probity and accountability.
▪ Each institution will make a strategic Institutional Development Plan on the basis of which
institutions will develop initiatives, assess their own progress, and reach the goals set therein,
which could then become the basis for further public funding.
▪ The IDP shall be prepared with the joint participation of Board members, institutional leaders,
faculty, students, and staff.

Part III. OTHER KEY AREAS OF FOCUS


12. PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Professional education becomes an integral part of the overall higher education system.

12.1 AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION

Stand-alone agricultural universities, legal universities, health science universities, technical


universities, and stand-alone institutions in other fields, shall aim to become multidisciplinary
institutions offering holistic and multidisciplinary education.
All institutions offering either professional or general education will aim to organically evolve
into institutions/clusters offering both seamlessly, and in an integrated manner by 2030.
Agricultural education with allied disciplines will be revived.
Both capacity and quality of agriculture and allied disciplines must be improved in order to
increase agricultural productivity through better skilled graduates and technicians, innovative
research, and market-based extension linked to technologies and practices.
The preparation of professionals in agriculture and veterinary sciences through programmes
integrated with general education will be increased sharply.
The design of agricultural education will shift towards developing professionals with the ability
to understand and use local knowledge, traditional knowledge, and emerging technologies while
being cognizant of critical issues such as declining land productivity, climate change, food
sufficiency for our growing population, etc.
Institutions offering agricultural education must benefit the local community directly; one

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 21

approach could be to set up Agricultural Technology Parks to promote technology incubation and
dissemination and promote sustainable methodologies.
12.2 LEGAL EDUCATION

• Legal education needs to be competitive globally.


• The curricula for legal studies must reflect socio-cultural contexts along with, in an evidence-
based manner, the history of legal thinking, principles of justice, the practice of jurisprudence,
and other related content appropriately and adequately.
• State institutions offering law education must consider offering bilingual education for future
lawyers and judges - in English and in the language of the State in which the institution is
situated.

12.3 HEALTHCARE EDUCATION

➢ Healthcare education needs to be re-envisioned so that the duration, structure, and design of the
educational programmes need to match the role requirements that graduates will play.
➢ Students will be assessed at regular intervals on well-defined parameters primarily required for
working in primary care and in secondary hospitals.
➢ Our healthcare education system must be integrative meaning thereby that all students of
allopathic medical education must have a basic understanding of Ayurveda, Yoga and
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH), and vice versa.
➢ There shall also be a much greater emphasis on preventive healthcare and community medicine
in all forms of healthcare education.

12.4. TECHNICAL EDUCATION

 Technical education includes degree and diploma programmes in, engineering, technology,
management, architecture, town planning, pharmacy, hotel management, catering technology etc.,
which are critical to India ’s overall development.
 There will not only be a greater demand for well qualified manpower in these sectors, it will also
require closer collaborations between industry and higher education institutions to drive innovation
and research in these fields.
 Technical education will also aim to be offered within multidisciplinary education institutions and
programmes and have a renewed focus on opportunities to engage deeply with other disciplines.
 India must also take the lead in preparing professionals in cutting-edge areas that are fast gaining
prominence, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), 3-D machining, big data analysis, and machine
learning, in addition to genomic studies, biotechnology, nanotechnology, neuroscience, with important
applications to health, environment, and sustainable living that will be woven into undergraduate
education for enhancing the employability of the youth.

13. ADULT EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING

Strong and innovative government initiatives for adult education - in particular, to facilitate
community involvement and the smooth and beneficial integration of technology - will be affected as
soon as possible to expedite this all-important aim of achieving 100% literacy.

13.1. First, an outstanding adult education curriculum framework will be developed by a new and
well-supported constituent body of the NCERT that is dedicated to adult education, so as to develop
synergy with and build upon NCERT’s existing expertise in establishing outstanding curricula for
literacy, numeracy, basic education, vocational skills, and beyond.

❖ The curriculum framework for adult education will include at least five types of programmes,
each with clearly defined outcomes:
(a) foundational literacy and numeracy;

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 22

(b) critical life skills (including financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and
awareness, child care and education, and family welfare);
(c) vocational skills development (with a view towards obtaining local employment);
(d) basic education (including preparatory, middle, and secondary stage equivalency); and
(e) continuing education (including engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences,
technology, culture, sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or use to local
learners, such as more advanced material on critical life skills).

❖ The framework would keep in mind that adults in many cases will require rather different
teaching-learning methods and materials than those designed for children.

13.2. Second, suitable infrastructure will be ensured so that all interested adults will have access to adult
education and lifelong learning. A key initiative in this direction will be to use schools/ school complexes
after school hours and on weekends and public library spaces for adult education courses which will be
ICT-equipped when possible and for other community engagement and enrichment activities. The sharing
of infrastructure for school, higher, adult, and vocational education, and for other community and volunteer
activities, will be critical for ensuring efficient use of both physical and human resources as well as for
creating synergy among these five types of education and beyond. For these reasons, Adult Education
Centres (AECs) could also be included within other public institutions such as HEIs, vocational training
centres, etc.

13.3. Third, the instructors/educators will be required to deliver the curriculum framework to mature
learners for all five types of adult education as described in the Adult Education Curriculum Framework.
These instructors will be trained by the National, State, and district level resource support institutions to
organize and lead learning activities at Adult Education Centres, as well as coordinate with volunteer
instructors. Qualified community members including from HEIs as part of each HEI’s mission to engage
with their local communities will be encouraged and welcomed to take a short training course and
volunteer, as adult literacy instructors, or to serve as one-on-one volunteer tutors, and will be recognized
for their critical service to the nation. States will also work with NGOs and other community organizations
to enhance efforts towards literacy and adult education.

13.4. Fourth, all efforts will be undertaken to ensure the participation of community members in adult
education. Social workers/counsellors travelling through their communities to track and ensure
participation of non-enrolled students and dropouts will also be requested, during their travels, to gather
data of parents, adolescents, and others interested in adult education opportunities both as learners and as
teachers/tutors. The social workers/counsellors will then connect them with local Adult Education
Centres (AECs). Opportunities for adult education will also be widely publicized, through advertisements
and announcements and through events and initiatives of NGOs and other local organizations.

13.5. Fifth, improving the availability and accessibility of books is essential to inculcating the habit of
reading within our communities and educational institutions. This Policy recommends that all
communities and educational institutions - schools, colleges, universities and public libraries - will be
strengthened and modernized to ensure an adequate supply of books that cater to the needs and interests
of all students, including persons with disabilities and other differently-abled persons. Steps will be taken
to enhance online accessibility of library books and further broad basing of digital libraries. For ensuring
vibrant libraries in communities and educational institutions, it will be imperative to make available
adequate library staff and also devise appropriate career pathways and CPD for them. Other steps will
include strengthening all existing libraries, setting up rural libraries and reading rooms in disadvantaged
regions, making widely available reading material in Indian languages, opening children’s libraries and
mobile libraries, establishing social book clubs across India and across subjects, and fostering greater
collaborations between education institutions and libraries.

13.6. Finally, technology will be leveraged to strengthen and even undertake the above initiatives. Quality
technology-based options for adult learning such as apps, online courses/modules, satellite based TV
channels, online books, and ICT-equipped libraries and Adult Education Centres, etc. will be developed,

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 23

through government and philanthropic initiatives as well as through crowd sourcing and competitions. In
many cases, quality adult education could thereby be conducted in an online or blended mode.

14. PROMOTION OF INDIAN LANGUATES, ARTS AND CULTURE

• It is through the development of a strong sense and knowledge of their own cultural history, arts,
languages, and traditions that children can build a positive cultural identity and self-esteem. Thus,
cultural awareness and expression are important contributors both to individual as well as societal
well-being.
• The happiness/well-being, cognitive development, and cultural identity of individuals are important
reasons that Indian arts of all kinds must be offered to students at all levels of education, starting with
early childhood care and education.
• Culture is encased in our languages. Art, in the form of literature, plays, music, film, etc. cannot be
fully appreciated without language.
• In order to preserve and promote culture, one must preserve and promote a culture’s languages.
• Teaching and learning of Indian languages need to be integrated with school and higher education at
every level.
• For languages to remain relevant and vibrant, there must be a steady stream of high-quality learning
and print materials in these languages including textbooks, workbooks, videos, plays, poems, novels,
magazines, etc.
• Languages must also have consistent official updates to their vocabularies and dictionaries, widely
disseminated, so that the most current issues and concepts can be effectively discussed in these
languages.
• Languages must be used more extensively for conversation and for teaching-learning.

14.1 STRATEGIES

✓ Strong departments and programmes in Indian languages, comparative literature, creative writing,
arts, music, philosophy, etc. will be launched and developed across the country, and degrees
including 4- year B.Ed. dual degrees will be developed in these subjects.
✓ These departments and programmes will, in particular help to develop a large cadre of high-quality
language teachers - as well as teachers of art, music, philosophy and writing - who will be needed
around the country to carry out this Policy.
✓ The NRF will fund quality research in all these areas. Outstanding local artists and craftspersons
will be hired as guest faculty to promote local music, art, languages, and handicraft, and to ensure
that students are aware of the culture and local knowledge where they study.
✓ Every higher education institution and even every school or school complex will aim to have
Artist(s)-in-Residence to expose students to art, creativity, and the rich treasures of the
region/country.
✓ More HEIs, and more programmes in higher education, will use the mother tongue/local
language as a medium of instruction, and/or offer programmes bilingually, in order to increase
access and GER and also to promote the strength, usage, and vibrancy of all Indian languages.
✓ Private HEIs too will be encouraged and incentivized to use Indian languages as medium of
instruction and/or offer bilingual programmes.
✓ Four-year B.Ed. dual degree programmes offered bilingually will also help, e.g. in training
cadres of science and mathematics teachers to teach science bilingually at schools across the
country.

14.2 THROUGH PROGRAMMES

▪ High-quality programmes and degrees in Translation and Interpretation, Art and Museum
Administration, Archaeology, Artefact Conservation, Graphic Design, and Web Design within the
higher education system will also be created.
▪ In order to preserve and promote its art and culture, develop high-quality materials in various

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 24

Indian languages, conserve artefacts, develop highly qualified individuals to curate and run museums and
heritage or tourist sites, thereby also vastly strengthening the tourism industry.
▪ Under ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’, 100 tourist destinations in the country will be identified where
educational institutions will send students to study these destinations and their history, scientific
contributions, traditions, indigenous literature and knowledge, etc., as a part of augmenting their
knowledge about these areas.

14.3. THE IITI

➢ India will also urgently expand its translation and interpretation efforts in order to make high
quality
➢ learning materials and other important written and spoken material available to the public in
various Indian and foreign languages.
➢ For this, an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) will be established.
➢ IITI would provide a truly important service for the country, as well as employ numerous
multilingual language and subject experts, and experts in translation and interpretation, which
will help to promote all Indian languages.
➢ The IITI shall also make extensive use of technology to aid in its translation and interpretation
efforts. The IITI could naturally grow with time, and be housed in multiple locations including
in HEIs to facilitate collaborations with other research departments as demand and the number
of qualified candidates grows.

14.4. PROMOTING SANSKRIT

Sanskrit will be mainstreamed with strong offerings in school – including as one of the language
options in the three-language formula - as well as in higher education.
It will be taught not in isolation, but in interesting and innovative ways, and connected to other
contemporary and relevant subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, linguistics,
dramatics, yoga, etc.
Sanskrit Universities too will move towards becoming large multidisciplinary institutions of
higher learning.
Departments of Sanskrit that conduct teaching and outstanding interdisciplinary research on
Sanskrit and Sanskrit Knowledge Systems will be established/strengthened across the new
multidisciplinary higher
education system.
Sanskrit will become a natural part of a holistic multidisciplinary higher education if a student so
chooses.
Sanskrit teachers in large numbers will be professionalized across the country in mission mode
through the offering of 4-year integrated multidisciplinary B.Ed. dual degrees in education and
Sanskrit.

14.5. CLASSICAL LANGUAGE INSTITUTES

→ India will expand its institutes and universities studying all classical languages and literature, with
strong efforts to collect, preserve, translate, and study the tens of thousands of manuscripts that
have not yet received their due attention.
→ Sanskrit and all Indian language institutes and departments across the country will be significantly
strengthened, with adequate training given to large new batches of students to study, in particular,
the large numbers of manuscripts and their interrelations with other subjects.
→ Classical language institutes will aim to be merged with universities, while maintaining their
autonomy, so that faculty may work, and students too may be trained as part of robust and rigorous
multi-disciplinary programmes.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 25

→ Universities dedicated to languages will become multidisciplinary, towards the same end; where
relevant, they may then also offer B.Ed. dual degrees in education and a language, to develop
outstanding language teachers in that language.
→ A new institution for Languages will be established.
→ National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit will also be set up within a university
campus.
→ Similar initiatives will be carried out for institutes and universities studying Indian arts, art history,
and Indology.
→ Research for outstanding work in all these areas will be supported by the NRF.
→ For each of the languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India,
Academies will be established consisting of some of the greatest scholars and native speakers to
determine simple yet accurate vocabulary for the latest concepts, and to release the latest
dictionaries on a regular basis (analogous to the successful efforts for many other languages
around the world).
→ Academies for other highly spoken Indian languages may also be similarly established by the
Centre and/or States.

14.6. PRESERVATION AND PROMOTION

• All languages in India, and their associated arts and culture will be documented through a web-based
platform/portal/wiki, in order to preserve endangered and all Indian languages and their associated
rich local arts and culture.
• The platform will contain videos, dictionaries, recordings, and more, of people (especially elders)
speaking the language, telling stories, reciting poetry, and performing plays, folk songs and dances,
and more.
• People from across the country will be invited to contribute to these efforts by adding relevant
material onto these platforms/portals/wikis.
• Universities and their research teams will work with each other and with communities across the
country towards enriching such platforms.
• These preservation efforts, and the associated research projects, e.g., in history, archaeology,
linguistics, etc., will be funded by the NRF.
• Scholarships for people of all ages to study Indian Languages, Arts, and Culture with local
masters and/or within the higher education system will be established.
• Proficiency in Indian languages will be included as part of qualification parameters for employment
opportunities.

15. TECHNOLOGY USE AND INTEGRATION

New technologies involving artificial intelligence, machine learning, block chains, smart boards, handheld
computing devices, adaptive computer testing for student development, and other forms of educational
software and hardware will not just change what students learn in the classroom but how they learn, and
thus these areas and beyond will require extensive research both on the technological as well as educational
fronts.

15.1. THE NETF

❖ 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, and so on, both for school and higher education.
❖ The aim of the NETF will be to facilitate decision making on the induction, deployment, and use of
technology, by providing to the leadership of education institutions, State and Central governments,
and other stakeholders, the latest knowledge and research as well as the opportunity to consult and
share best practices.
❖ The NETF will have the following functions:

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 26

a) provide independent evidence-based advice to Central and State Government agencies on


technology-based interventions;
b) build intellectual and institutional capacities in educational technology;
c) envision strategic thrust areas in this domain; and
d) articulate new directions for research and innovation.

❖ The NETF will maintain a regular inflow of authentic data from multiple sources including educational
technology innovators and practitioners and will engage with a diverse set of researchers to analyze
the data.
❖ To support the development of a vibrant body of knowledge and practice, the NETF will organize
multiple regional and national conferences, workshops, etc. to solicit inputs from national and
international educational technology researchers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners.

15.2 TEACHING-LEARNING

• A rich variety of educational software, for all the above purposes, will be developed and made
available for students and teachers at all levels. All such software will be available in all major Indian
languages and will be accessible to a wide range of users including students in remote areas and
Divyang students.
• Teaching-learning e-content will continue to be developed by all States in all regional languages, as
well as by the NCERT, CIET, CBSE, NIOS, and other bodies/institutions, and will be uploaded onto
the DIKSHA platform. This platform may also be utilized for Teacher ’s Professional Development
through e-content.
• CIET will be strengthened to promote and expand DIKSHA as well as other education technology
initiatives. Suitable equipment will be made available to teachers at schools so that teachers can
suitably integrate e-contents into teaching-learning practices.
• Technology-based education platforms, such as DIKSHA/SWAYAM, will be better integrated across
school and higher education, and will include ratings/reviews by users, so as to enable content
developers create user friendly and qualitative content.

15.3 DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES

➢ Particular attention will need to be paid to emerging disruptive technologies that will necessarily
transform the education system
➢ One of the permanent tasks of the NETF will be to categorize emergent technologies based on
their potential and estimated timeframe for disruption, and to periodically present this analysis to
MHRD. Based on these inputs, MHRD will formally identify those technologies whose emergence
demands responses from the education system.
➢ In the context of AI, NRF may consider a three-pronged approach:
(a) advancing core AI research,
(b) developing and deploying application-based research, and
(c) advancing international research efforts to address global challenges in areas such as
healthcare, agriculture, and climate change using AI.
➢ HEIs will play an active role not only in conducting research on disruptive technologies but also in
creating initial versions of instructional materials and courses including online courses in cutting-
edge domains and assessing their impact on specific areas such as professional education.
➢ Once the technology has attained a level of maturity, HEIs with thousands of students will be
ideally placed to scale these teaching and skilling efforts, which will include targeted training for
job readiness.
➢ Disruptive technologies will make certain jobs redundant, and hence approaches to skilling and
deskilling that are both efficient and ensure quality will be of increasing importance to create and
sustain employment.
➢ Institutions will have autonomy to approve institutional and non-institutional partners to deliver
such training, which will be integrated with skills and higher education frameworks.
➢ Universities will aim to offer Ph.D. and Masters programmes in core areas such as Machine

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 27

Learning as well as multidisciplinary fields “AI + X” and professional areas like health care,
agriculture, and law.
➢ They may also develop and disseminate courses in these areas via platforms, such as SWAYAM.
➢ For rapid adoption, HEIs may blend these online courses with traditional teaching in undergraduate
and vocational programmes.
➢ HEIs may also offer targeted training in low expertise tasks for supporting the AI value chain such
as data annotation, image classification, and speech transcription.
➢ Efforts to teach languages to school students will be dovetailed with efforts to enhance Natural
Language Processing for India’s diverse languages.

Other disruptive technologies that are expected to change the way we live, and, therefore, change the way
we educate students, include those relating to clean and renewable energy, water conservation, sustainable
farming, environmental preservation, and other green initiatives; these will also receive prioritized
attention in education.

16. ONLINE AND DIGITAL EDUCATION: ENSURING EQUITABLE USE OF


TECHNOLOGY

New circumstances and realities require new initiatives. The recent rise in epidemics and
pandemics necessitates that we are ready with alternative modes of quality education whenever and
wherever traditional and in-person modes of education are not possible. In this regard, the National
Education Policy 2020 recognizes the importance of leveraging the advantages of technology while
acknowledging its potential risks and dangers. The existing digital platforms and ongoing ICT-based
educational initiatives must be optimized and expanded to meet the current and future challenges in
providing quality education for all.

Given the emergence of digital technologies and the emerging importance of leveraging
technology for teaching-learning at all levels from school to higher education, this Policy recommends the
following key initiatives:
(a) Pilot studies for online education: Appropriate agencies, such as the NETF, CIET, NIOS, IGNOU,
IITs, NITs, etc. will be identified to conduct a series of pilot studies, in parallel, to evaluate the benefits of
integrating education with online education while mitigating the downsides and also to study related areas,
such as, student device addiction, most preferred formats of e-content, etc. The results of these pilot studies
will be publicly communicated and used for continuous improvement.
(b) Digital infrastructure: There is a need to invest in creation of open, interoperable, evolvable, public
digital infrastructure in the education sector that can be used by multiple platforms and point solutions, to
solve for India’s scale, diversity, complexity and device penetration.
(c) Online teaching platform and tools: Appropriate existing e-learning platforms such as SWAYAM,
DIKSHA, will be extended to provide teachers with a structured, user-friendly, rich set of assistive tools
for monitoring progress of learners. Tools, such as, two-way video and two way- audio interface for
holding online classes are a real necessity.
(d) Content creation, digital repository, and dissemination: A digital repository of content including
creation of coursework, Learning Games & Simulations, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality will be
developed, with a clear public system for ratings by users on effectiveness and quality. For fun based
learning student-appropriate tools like apps, gamification of Indian art and culture, in multiple languages,
with clear operating instructions, will also be created. A reliable backup mechanism for disseminating e-
content to students will be provided.
(e) Addressing the digital divide: Given the fact that there still persists a substantial section of the
population whose digital access is highly limited, the existing mass media, such as television, radio, and
community radio will be extensively used for telecast and broadcasts. Such educational programmes will
be made available 24/7 in different languages to cater to the varying needs of the student population. A
special focus on content in all Indian languages will be emphasized and required; digital content will need
to reach the teachers and students in their medium of instruction as far as possible.
(f) Virtual Labs: Existing e-learning platforms such as DIKSHA, SWAYAM and SWAYAMPRABHA
will also be leveraged for creating virtual labs so that all students have equal access to quality practical

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 28

and hands-on experiment-based learning experiences. The possibility of providing adequate access to
SEDG students and teachers through suitable digital devices, such as tablets with pre-loaded content, will
be considered and developed.
(g) Training and incentives for teachers: Teachers will undergo rigorous training in learner-centric
pedagogy and on how to become high-quality online content creators themselves using online teaching
platforms and tools. There will be emphasis on the teacher’s role in facilitating active student engagement
with the content and with each other.
(h) Online assessment and examinations: Appropriate bodies, such as the proposed National Assessment
Centre or PARAKH, School Boards, NTA, and other identified bodies will design and implement
assessment frameworks encompassing design of competencies, portfolio, rubrics, standardized
assessments, and assessment analytics. Studies will be undertaken to pilot new ways of assessment using
education technologies focusing on 21st century skills.
(i) Blended models of learning: While promoting digital learning and education, the importance of face-
to-face in-person learning is fully recognized. Accordingly, different effective models of blended learning
will be identified for appropriate replication for different subjects.
(j) Laying down standards: As research on online/digital education emerges, NETF and other appropriate
bodies shall set up standards of content, technology, and pedagogy for online/digital teaching-learning.
These standards will help to formulate guidelines for e-learning by States, Boards, schools and school
complexes, HEIs, etc.

16.1. DEDICATED UNIT FOR DIGITAL EDUCATION

A dedicated unit for the purpose of orchestrating the building of digital infrastructure, digital
content and capacity building will be created in the Ministry to look after the e-education needs of both
school and higher education. Since technology is rapidly evolving, and needs specialists to deliver high
quality e-learning, a vibrant ecosystem has to be encouraged to create solutions that not only solve India’s
challenges of scale, diversity, equity, but also evolve in keeping with the rapid changes in technology,
whose half-life reduces with each passing year. This centre will, therefore, consist of experts drawn from
the field of administration, education, educational technology, digital pedagogy and assessment, e-
governance, etc.

Part IV. MAKING IT HAPPEN

17. STRENGTHENING THE CENTRAL ADVISORY BOARD OF EDUCATION

Achieving successful implementation of this policy demands a long-term vision, availability of expertise
on a sustained basis, and concerted action from all concerned encompassing National, State, institutional,
and individual levels. In this context, the Policy recommends strengthening and empowering the Central
Advisory Board of Education (CABE) which will have a much greater mandate and not only a forum
for widespread consultation and examination of issues relating to educational and cultural development.
The remodeled and rejuvenated CABE shall also be responsible for developing, articulating, evaluating,
and revising the vision of education in the country on a continuous basis, in close collaboration with
MHRD and the corresponding apex bodies of States. It shall also create and continuously review the
institutional frameworks that shall help attain this vision.

“To bring the focus back on education and learning, it is desirable that the Ministry of Human
Resource Development (MHRD) be re-designated as the Ministry of Education (MoE)”

18. FINANCING: AFFORDABLE AND QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL

In order to attain the goal of education with excellence and the corresponding multitude of benefits to
this Nation and its economy, this Policy unequivocally endorses and envisions a substantial increase

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 29

in public investment in education by both the Central government and all State Governments. The
Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach
6% of GDP at the earliest.
In particular, financial support will be provided to various critical elements and components of
education, such as ensuring universal access, learning resources, nutritional support, matters of student
safety and well-being, adequate numbers of teachers and staff, teacher development, and support for
all key initiatives towards equitable high-quality education for underprivileged and socioeconomically
disadvantaged groups.
This Policy identifies the following key long-term thrust areas for financing to cultivate an education
system:
(a) universal provisioning of quality early childhood care education;
(b) ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy;
(c) providing adequate and appropriate resourcing of school complexes/clusters;
(d) providing food and nutrition (breakfast and midday meals);
(e) investing in teacher education and continuing professional development of teachers;
(f) revamping colleges and universities to foster excellence;
(g) cultivating research; and
(h) extensive use of technology and online education.
The need is to increase efficiency in use of available budget by suitable policy changes. Financial
governance and management will focus on the smooth, timely, and appropriate flow of funds, and
their usage with probity; administrative processes will be suitably amended and streamlined so that
the disbursal mechanism may not lead to a high volume of unspent balances. The provisions of GFR,
PFMS and ‘Just in Time’ release to implementing agencies will be followed for efficient use of
government resources and avoiding parking of funds.
Mechanism of performance based funding to States / HEIs may be devised. Similarly, efficient
mechanism will be ensured for the optimal allocation and utilization of funds earmarked for SEDGs.
The new suggested regulatory regime, with clear separations of roles and transparent self-disclosures,
empowerment and autonomy to institutions, and the appointment of outstanding and qualified
experts to leadership positions will help to enable a far smoother, quicker, and more transparent flow
of funds.
Opportunities for higher cost recovery without affecting the needy or deserving sections will also be
explored.

19. IMPLEMENTATION

Implementation of this policy will require multiple initiatives and actions, which will have to be taken by
multiple bodies in a synchronized and systematic manner. Therefore, the implementation of this Policy
will be led by various bodies including MHRD, CABE, Union and State Governments, education-related
Ministries, State Departments of Education, Boards, NTA, the regulatory bodies of school and higher
education, NCERT, SCERTs, schools, and HEIs along with timelines and a plan for review, in order to
ensure that the policy is implemented in its spirit and intent, through coherence in planning and synergy
across all these bodies involved in education.

19.1 PRINCIPLES

Implementation will be guided by the following principles.


→ First, implementation of the spirit and intent of the Policy will be the most critical matter.
→ Second, it is important to implement the policy initiatives in a phased manner, as each policy point
has several steps, each of which requires the previous step to be implemented successfully.
→ Third, prioritization will be important in ensuring optimal sequencing of policy points, and that
the most critical and urgent actions are taken up first, thereby enabling a strong base.
→ Fourth, comprehensiveness in implementation will be key; as this Policy is interconnected and
holistic, only a full-fledged implementation, and not a piecemeal one, will ensure that the desired
objectives are achieved.

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 30

→ Fifth, since education is a concurrent subject, it will need careful planning, joint monitoring, and
collaborative implementation between the Centre and States.
→ Sixth, timely infusion of requisite resources - human, infrastructural, and financial - at the Central
and State levels will be crucial for the satisfactory execution of the Policy.
→ Finally, careful analysis and review of the linkages between multiple parallel implementation steps
will be necessary in order to ensure effective dovetailing of all initiatives. This will also include
early investment in some of the specific actions (such as the setting up of early childhood care and
education infrastructure) that will be imperative to ensuring a strong base and a smooth
progression for all subsequent programmes and actions.

“In the decade of 2030-40, the entire policy will be in an operational mode, following which another
comprehensive review will be undertaken”

ABBREVIATIONS

ABC Academic Bank of Credit


AI Artificial Intelligence
AC Autonomous degree-granting College
AEC Adult Education Centre
API Application Programming Interface
AYUSH Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
B.Ed. Bachelor of Education
BEO Block Education Officer
BITE Block Institute of Teacher Education
BoA Board of Assessment
BoG Board of Governors
BRC Block Resource Centre
B.Voc Bachelor of Vocational Education
CABE Central Advisory Board of Education
CBCS Choice Based Credit System
CBSE Central Board of Secondary Education
CIET Central Institute of Educational Technology
CMP Career Management and Progression
CoA Council of Architecture
CPD Continuous Professional Development
CRC Cluster Resource Centre
CWSN Children With Special Needs
DAE Department of Atomic Energy
DBT Department of Biotechnology
DEO District Education Officer
DIET District Institute of Education and Training
DIKSHA Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing
DSE Directorate of School Education
DST Department of Science and Technology
ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education
EEC Eminent Expert Committee
GCED Global Citizenship Education
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GEC General Education Council
GER Gross Enrolment Ratio
GFR General Financial Rule
HECI Higher Education Commission of India

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 31

HEGC Higher Education Grants Council


HEI Higher Education Institutions
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research
ICHR Indian Council of Historical Research
ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research
ICT Information and Communication Technology
IDP Institutional Development Plan
IGNOU Indira Gandhi National Open University
IIM Indian Institute of Management
IIT Indian Institute of Technology
IITI Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation
ISL Indian Sign Language
ITI Industrial Training Institute
M.Ed. Master of Education
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
MERU Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities
MHFW Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
MHRD Ministry of Human Resource Development
MoE Ministry of Education
MOOC Massive Open Online Course
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
M. Phil Master of Philosophy
MWCD Ministry of Women and Child Development
NAC National Accreditation Council
NAS National Achievement Survey
NCC National Cadet Corps
NCERT National Council of Educational Research and Training
NCF National Curriculum Framework
NCFSE National Curriculum Framework for School Education
NCFTE National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education
NCIVE National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education
NCPFECCE National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education
NCTE National Council for Teacher Education
NCVET National Council for Vocational Education and Training
NETF National Educational Technology Forum
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
NHEQF National Higher Education Qualifications Framework
NHERC National Higher Education Regulatory Council
NIOS National Institute of Open Schooling
NIT National Institute of Technology
NITI National Institution for Transforming India
NPE National Policy on Education
NPST National Professional Standards for Teachers
NRF National Research Foundation
NSQF National Skills Qualifications Framework
NSSO National Sample Survey Office
NTA National Testing Agency
OBC Other Backward Classes
ODL Open and Distance Learning
PARAKH Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic development
PCI Pharmacy Council of India
PFMS Public Financial Management System
Ph.D Doctor of Philosophy
PSSB Professional Standard Setting Body
PTR Pupil Teacher Ratio

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 32

R&I Research and Innovation


RCI Rehabilitation Council of India
RPWD Rights of Persons with Disabilities
SAS State Achievement Survey
SC Scheduled Caste(s)
SCDP School Complex/Cluster Development Plans
SCERT State Council of Educational Research and Training
SCF State Curricular Framework
SCMC School Complex Management Committee
SDG Sustainable Development Goal
SDP School Development Plan
SEDG Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Group
SEZ Special Education Zone
SIOS State Institutes of Open Schooling
SMC School Management Committee
SQAAF School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework
SSA Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
SSS Simple Standard Sanskrit

******

Education is the pond of knowledge and it makes people superior to other forms of living things.
Its aim is to give everyone a chance to learn and benefit from basic education – not as an
accident of circumstance, or as a privilege – Anil Kumar Dubey

MUCH MORE TO EXPLORE AND


UNDERSTAND

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu
Nizam College (OU), Hyderabad 33

FOR THE ENTIRE NEP-2020 of 66 pages, visit http://www.nizamcollege.ac.in/

Source: National Educational Policy, 2020, MHRD


Edited by Dr. P. Hima Bindu

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