Lok Sabha Question No. 2045 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-14
Subject: New Education Policy for North East Region
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Indra Hang Subba

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2045 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.03.2022

## New Education Policy for North East Region

## 2045.  SHRI INDRA HANG SUBBA:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government has introduced any new changes in the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020) keeping North-East region in mind;

- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the status of implementation of NEP 2020 in the country?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a) to (b): The implementation of previous policies on education has focused largely on issues of access and equity. The unfinished agenda of the National Policy on Education 1986, modified in 1992 (NPE 1986/92), is appropriately dealt in the National Education Policy(NEP) 2020. NEP, 2020 recognizes that new education policy must provide to all students, irrespective of their place of  residence,  a  quality  education  system,  with  particular  focus  on  historically  marginalized, disadvantaged, and underrepresented groups. Education is a great leveler and is the best tool for achieving economic and social mobility, inclusion, and equality.  Initiatives must be in place to ensure that all students from such groups, despite inherent obstacles, are provided various targeted opportunities to enter and excel in the educational system

(c):  As per National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), implementation of the Policy requires multiple initiatives and actions, which will have to be taken by different bodies including Ministry of Education, Union and State Governments, education-related Ministries, State Departments of Education, the regulatory bodies of school and higher education, in a synchronized and systematic manner.  Accordingly,  Ministry  has  written  to  all  its  implementing  agencies,  regulatory  bodies, State/UT  Governments,  other  stakeholder  Ministries/Departments,  etc  for  taking  steps for implementation of NEP 2020.

In this direction, a number of initiatives have been taken by the Ministry of Education, University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), other relevant Ministries/Departments, State/UT Governments and other stakeholders towards implementation of NEP 2020 for enhancing the quality of education at all levels.

Ministry has inter-alia launched several initiatives under NEP, 2020 like Vidya-Pravesh - School Preparation  Module;  Indian  Sign  Language  as  a  Subject  at  secondary  level;  NISHTHA  2:0 (National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic  Advancement)  for  Secondary Teachers; SAFAL (Structured Assessment for Analysing Learning Levels); Online Module on AI (Artificial Intelligence) for Public Awareness; Setting up of Academic Bank of Credit; Guidelines on  Multiple  Entry/Exit  in  Academic  Programmes  offered  in  Higher  Education  Institutions;  1 st Year  Engineering  Programmes  in  Regional  Languages;  Guidelines  for  Internationalisation  of Higher Education; etc.

To  address  the  issue  of  limited  access  due  to  language  barrier,  JEE  (Mains)  and  NEET  (UG) conducted in 13 languages, first year degree programme to be made available in 13 languages on MOOCs. To promote flexibility of courses and multiple Entry/Exit, Academic Bank of Credit has been  set  up  and  Guidelines  on  Multiple  Entry/Exit  have  been  issued.  To  address  the  issue  of access, regulations have been amended enabling more HEIs to offer online / ODL programmes and also offering of online course component has been increased from 20% to 40% in a degree programme. For internationalisation of Higher Education, Guidelines on Internationalisation have been issued. Initiative of NEAT to provide the best-developed ed-tech solutions to enhance youth employability has been started.

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