Lok Sabha Question No. 241 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-24
Subject: Education Policy
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Bidyut Baran Mahato, Sudheer Gupta, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 241 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.06.2019

## Education Policy

## 241. SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  Draft  New  Education  Policy  proposes  a  complete  restructuring  of  higher education by making substantial changes in different courses and if so, the salient features of the said policy;

(b) whether the Government also proposes to include early childhood education as part of formal school education and reconfiguration of school curriculum and pedagogy in different age groups respectively; and

(c) if so, the salient features therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (c) The Committee for the Draft National Education Policy under the Chairmanship of Dr. K. Kasturirangan has submitted its report to the Ministry on 31 st May 2019. The Draft NEP 2019 proposes many recommendations for improving the quality of school education as  well  as  higher  education.  In  this  draft  report,  under  higher  education,  ' Institutional Restructuring  and  Consolidation '  is  incorporated  with  the  objective  of  creating  vibrant multidisciplinary  institutions  of  high  quality.  A  new  vision  and  architecture  shall  create large,  well-resourced,  vibrant  and  autonomous  multidisciplinary  institutions  for  teaching and research, significantly expanding reach and capacity while building strong educational communities.  Three  types  of  institutions  proposed  are  namely,  -Type  1  which  focus  on world-class research and high quality teaching across all disciplines; Type 2 which focus on high quality teaching across disciplines with significant contribution to research and Type 3 which focus on high quality teaching across disciplines focused on undergraduate education. All  the  institutions  will  be  either  universities  or  degree-granting  autonomous  colleges.  A broad-based  liberal  arts  education  at  the  undergraduate  level  for  integrated,  rigorous exposure to science, arts, humanities, mathematics and professional fields is suggested. This is proposed to have imaginative and flexible curricular structures, creative combinations of study, integration of vocational education and multiple entry/exit.

The Draft NEP 2019 also proposes to include early childhood education as part of formal school education. According to the recommendation, every child in the age range of 3-6  years  has  access  to  free,  safe,  high  quality,  developmentally  appropriate  care  and education by 2025. The curricular and pedagogical structure of the school education will be reconfigured to make them responsive and relevant to the developmental needs and interests of learners at different stages of their development, corresponding to the age range of 3-8, 811,  11-14  and  14-18,  respectively.  The  curricular  framework  for  school  education  is proposed to be guided by a 5+3+3+4 design vis-à-vis 5 years of the Foundational Stage: 3 years of pre-primary school and Grades 1,2 ; 3 years of the Preparatory (or Latter Primary) Stage: Grades 3,4,5; 3 years of the Middle (or Upper Primary) Stage: Grades 6,7,8; and 4 years of the High (or Secondary) Stage: Grades 9,10,11,12.

This draft Report will be examined by the Government, including all the suggestions/comments  /  objections  if  any,  of  different  stakeholders,  before  finalising  the National Education Policy.

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