Lok Sabha Question No. 53 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-14
Subject: New Education Policy
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 53 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.09.2020

## New Education Policy

## 53. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

Will the Minister of  EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has come out with a New Education Policy and if so, the salient features thereof;

(b) the extent to which the new education policy aims to be job oriented rather than academic only;

(c) the new formula of education for undergraduate courses;

(d) the language formula set for primary classes; and

(e) whether all the States have adopted New education Policy and if so, the details thereof  and if not the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a): Ministry of Education has announced the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) on 29.07.2020 which is available at Ministry of Education's website at https://www.mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload\_files/mhrd/files/NEP\_Final\_English\_0.pdf. The salient features of NEP 2020 includes :-

- (i) Ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12;
- (ii) Ensuring quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years;
- (iii) New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4);
- (iv) No hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams;
- (v) Establishing National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy;

(vi) Emphasis  on  promoting  multilingualism and Indian languages;  The  medium  of instruction  until  at  least  Grade  5,  but  preferably  till  Grade  8  and  beyond,  will  be  the  home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language.

(vii) Assessment reforms - Board Exams on up to two occasions during  any  given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired;

(viii) Setting up of a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development);

(ix) Equitable and inclusive education -Special emphasis given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups(SEDGs);

(x) A  separate  Gender  Inclusion  fund  and  Special  Education  Zones  for  disadvantaged regions and groups;

(xi) Robust and transparent processes for recruitment of teachers and merit based performance;

(xii) Ensuring availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters;

- (xiii) Setting up of State School Standards Authority (SSSA);
- (xiv) Exposure of vocational education  in school and higher education system;
- (xv) Increasing GER in higher education to 50%;
- (xvi) Holistic Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options;
- (xvii) NTA to offer Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs;
- (xviii) Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit;
- (xix) Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities(MERUs);
- (xx) Setting up of National Research Foundation(NRF);
- (xxi) 'Light but Tight' regulation;

(xxii) Single overarching umbrella body for promotion of higher education sector including teacher education and excluding medical and legal educationthe Higher Education Commission  of  India  (HECI)-with  independent  bodies  for  standard  setting-  the  General Education Council; funding-Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC); accreditation- National Accreditation Council (NAC); and regulation- National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC);

(xxiii) Expansion of open and distance learning to increase GER.

(xxiv) Internationalization of Education

(xxv) Professional Education will be an integral part of the higher education system. Standalone  technical  universities,  health  science  universities,  legal  and  agricultural  universities,  or institutions in these or other fields, will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.

(xxvi) Teacher  Education  -  4-year  integrated  stage-specific,  subject-  specific  Bachelor  of Education

(xxvii) Establishing a National Mission for Mentoring.

(xxviii)Creation of an autonomous body,the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to  provide  a  platform  for  the  free  exchange  of  ideas  on  the  use  of  technology  to  enhance learning,  assessment,  planning,  administration.  Appropriate  integration  of  technology  into  all levels of education.

(xxix) Achieving 100% youth and adult literacy.

(xxx) Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of higher education.

(xxxi) All education institutions will be held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as a 'not for profit' entity.

(xxxii) The  Centre  and  the  States  will  work  together  to  increase  the  public  investment  in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.

(xxxiii) Strengthening  of  the  Central  Advisory  Board  of  Education  to  ensure  coordination  to bring overall focus on quality education.

(xxxiv) Ministry of Education: In order to bring the focus back on education and learning, it may be desirable to re-designate MHRD as the Ministry of Education (MoE).

(b): NEP 2020 states that school and higher education system shall have exposure to vocational education.  It  is  envisaged  in  the  Policy  that  vocational  education  will  be  integrated  in  the educational  offerings  of  all  secondary  schools  in  a  phased  manner  over  the  next  decade. Towards this, secondary schools will also collaborate with  ITIs, polytechnics, local industry, etc. All students will participate in a 10-day bagless period sometime during Grades 6-8 where they  intern  with  local  vocational  experts.  Similar  internship  opportunities  to  learn  vocational subjects may be made available to students throughout Grades 6-12, including holiday periods. 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.

(c): As per the NEP 2020, the undergraduate degree will be of either 3 or 4-year duration, with multiple  exit  options  within  this  period,  with  appropriate  certifications-  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  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.

(d): As per the NEP 2020, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade  8  and  beyond,  will  be  the  home  language/mother  tongue/local  language/regional language.

(e):  As  per  National  Education  Policy  2020,  implementation  of  the  Policy  requires  multiple initiatives and actions, which will have to be taken by multiple bodies in a synchronized and systematic manner. Accordingly, this Ministry has communicated to all States/UT Governments for implementation of NEP 2020 in letter and spirit. Ministry of Education is also organising 'Shikshak Parv' from 8 th September to 25 th September, 2020 to deliberate on various themes and implementation of NEP 2020 aimed at eliciting suggestions.  Ministry has also organised a Conference  of  Governors  on  'Role  of  National  Education  Policy  in  Transforming  Higher Education'.  In  the  conference,  Governors  and  Lt.  Governors  of  State  and  Union  Territories, Education  Minister  of  State  and  UTs,  Vice  Chancellors  of  State  Universities  and  other dignitaries participated and stated that the State/UT Government have started taking initiatives for  implementing  the  NEP  2020.  There  has  been  wide  publicity  with  a  positive  and overwhelming response from stakeholders on NEP 2020.

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