Lok Sabha Question No. 1144 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-10
Subject: All  Round Development of Children under NEP
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Babu Singh Kushwaha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 1144 ANSWERED ON 10/02/2025

## All Round Development of Children under NEP

## †1144.   Shri Babu Singh Kushwaha:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the special measures taken by the Government under National Education Policy, 2020 to ensure all round development of the students;

(b) the progress made so far in implementation of new academic structure 5 + 3 + 3 + 4 along with the details of challenges being faced in the process;

(c) whether the Government has conducted any study regarding expansion of education in local languages and assessment of its impact, if so, the findings thereof;

(d) the  step  taken  by  the  Government  to  make  the  board  exams  knowledge-based  and  the Government's perspective to reduce the stress on students; and

(e) the  States  in  which  maximum  progress  is  made  after  implementation  of  vocational education from class six?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a): The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 outlines a comprehensive vision for the holistic development of children in India. Special measures taken by the government in line with this vision are:

## 1. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy:

- National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading, Writing and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat), launched on 5 th July 2022, aims to achieve universal foundational literacy and  numeracy  in  primary  schools  by  Grade  2.  It  focuses  on  developing  strong foundational skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
- VIDYA PRAVESH, a 3 Months Play Based School Preparation Module is launched on 29th July, 2021. The module is essentially around 12 weeks of developmentally appropriate instruction for the children entering of Grade I to bolster a child's preliteracy, pre-numeracy, cognitive and social skills. Vidya Pravesh is now an annual calendar  and  till  date  1,00,13,714  students  from  8,93,866  schools  participated  in Vidya Pravesh programme across States/UTs in 2024-25.
- Balvatika-  Preparatory  Class  for  children  entering  class  I: Out  of  the  total 12,28,911  schools  with  primary  sections,  5,98,386  schools  have  Balvatika/preprimary. Additionally, PM POSHAN has been extended to Balvatika (One year) in Government and Aided Schools from FY2022-23. A total of 23,61,417 children were approved for coverage in 2024-25.

## 2. Curriculum and Pedagogy:

- National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS), released on 20th October 2022, provides guidelines for the early childhood education curriculum, emphasizing  play-based  learning,  activity-based  learning,  and  development  of cognitive and socio-emotional skills.
- National  Curriculum  Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) released  on 23 rd August 2023, emphasize upon the 5+3+3+4 design of schooling and importance of  holistic  development.  Recognizing that  academic and vocational skills  are both crucial for a well-rounded education, it recommends ways of integrating vocational elements into academic subjects to emphasize their interdependence at the Preparatory, Foundation, Middle, and Secondary stages of education.
- Focus  on  Play-Based  Learning: Based  on  NCF-FS,  Learning  Teaching  Material (Jadui Pitara) and Digital version of the Jadui Pitara also developed .
- Textbooks in alignment with NCF: As per NCF-FS, new textbooks for Grades 1 and 2 were brought out in July, 2023. In addition, textbooks for classes 3 and 6 for the academic year 2024-25 as per NCF-SE (2023) have been released.

## 3. Assessment Reforms:

- PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) was set up on 8 th February, 2023, to fulfil the objectives of setting  norms,  standards,  guidelines  and  implement  activities  related  to  student assessment.
- Holistic Progress Card: With a focus on Competency Based Assessment for Holistic Development,  the Holistic  Progress  Card  for  the  Preparatory,  Foundational, Middle and Secondary stage have been prepared and shared with all states and UTs. A teacher document titled, 'Understanding the HPC' has been also developed to support teachers on the usage and facilitate its implementation across states and UTs.

## 4. Teacher Development:

- Norms and standards for 4-year integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) have been notified on 22.10.2021 by NCTE. From 2023-24 to 2024-25, 64 institutions granted recognition for 4-year integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) with an intake of 6,100 students.
- National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic  Advancement (NISHTHA) extended to cover teachers at all levels of schooling including training of master trainers for ECCE. As on 31 st  March 2024, 1.26 lakh Master Trainers were certified.
- National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) defines the work of teachers and makes explicit elements of high-quality, effective teaching in 21st century schools that will improve educational outcomes for students. NPST guiding document was released on 9 th March 2024.
- National Mission for Mentoring (NMM) talks about the creation of a large pool of outstanding  professionals  willing  to  provide  mentoring  to  school  teachers.  The 'Bluebook on NMM' was released on 9 th March 2024.

## 5. Integration of technology in teaching learning:

- Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs): ATLs are being established to foster innovation and creativity among youth. So far, 10,000 ATLs have been completed by NITI Aayog while  4881  and  5320  labs  have  been  sanctioned  to  government  schools  under  the centrally sponsored schemes of Samagra Shiksha and PM SHRI respectively.
- Under PM e-VIDYA, DIKSHA is the one nation, one digital education infrastructure. This digital infrastructure is artificial intelligence based and is highly scalable. This infrastructure  is  also  being  utilized  for  creating  Energized  Textbooks  (ETBs)  and presently 7157 ETBs have been published on DIKSHA. There are a total of 3,66,123 e-contents available on DIKSHA and e-content is available in 126 Indian languages and 7 Foreign Languages.
- The existing 12 DTH Channels of SWAYAM PRABHA for School Education are meant to support and reach those who do not have access to the internet. The channels have been extended to 200 channels with 88,224 Video Contents i.e., 25,206 hours of telecast received by States/UTs/ABs in 29 languages to date.

## 6. Focus on Skill Education:

- To  bolster  career  guidance  and  counselling,  provision  has  been  for  Academic Resource Persons under Samagra Shiksha from FY 2024-25. Furthermore, comprehensive guidelines on Bagless Days and Career Guidance were released on July 29 th , 2024.

## 7. Stakeholder Engagement:

- Shiksha Saptah was a week-long celebration, from July 22 nd to 28 th marking the 4 th anniversary  of  the  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020.  The  primary  goal  of Shiksha Saptah was to reflect the progress made in implementing NEP 2020, share best practices, and plan for the future of education in the country. Each day of the week  was  dedicated  to  a  specific  theme,  and  these  included:  Teaching-Learning Material, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Sports, Culture, Skilling and Digital Initiatives, Eco Clubs and School Nutrition, and Community Involvement.
- Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE is  an  intervention  under Samagra Shiksha to enable students  to  take  up  meaningful  environment-friendly  activities.  Activities  of  Eco Clubs for Mission LiFE are aligned with the seven themes of Mission LiFE i.e., Save Energy, Save Water, Say No to Single Use Plastic, Adopt Sustainable Food Systems, Reduce Waste, Adopt Healthy Lifestyles and Reduce E-waste.
- Bharatiya  Bhasha  Utsav was  a  weeklong  celebration  to  commemorate  the  birth anniversary of the revered Mahakavi Subramnaia Bharati, on 11 December 2024. This year's theme was "Unity through Languages/" भाषाओं क े माध्यम से एकता " and the aim was to promote and celebrate the linguistic diversity that is intrinsic to the cultural fabric of our nation.
- Exposure Visits for Students: With a focus on experiential learning as per NEP 2020, provision is provided under Samagra Shiksha for exposure visits to provide students with first-hand experiences, making learning more engaging and meaningful.

(b): In  line  with  the  National  Education  Policy  (NEP)  2020,  the  National  Curriculum Framework for Foundational  stage  (NCF-FS)  and  the  National  Curriculum  Framework  for School Education (NCF-SE) have been developed. NCF-FS recognizes the unique needs of children aged 3-8 while NCF-SE 2023 offers comprehensive guidance on context, pedagogy, competencies, and assessment across all developmental stages. The 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical restructuring encompasses five years in the foundational stage, three years each in the preparatory and middle stages, and four years in the secondary stage. Based on the NCFFS, play-based learning teaching materials, "Jadui Pitara" and its digital counterpart "e-Jadui Pitara," have been developed. These resources are designed to spark curiosity and cater to the diverse needs of foundational stage learners, while also reflecting local culture, social context, and languages. Furthermore, textbooks for grades 1, 2, 3, and 6 have been released for use in academic session 2024-25.

(c): The  National  Curriculum  Framework  for  School  Education  (NCFSE),  2023  lays emphasis on promoting multilingualism and proficiency in local languages keeping in view of the social linguistic diversity and how the social multilingualism enables children in school develop  multilingual  proficiency  beginning  their  schooling  in  their  mother  tongue  /  home language / local language and move on to add many more languages i.e. mother tongue-based multilingualism. Several measures have been taken by the Government to promote education in mother tongue/home language/local language as recommended in NEP 2020.

(d): Steps taken by the government to make the board exams knowledge based and reducing stress on students:

1. National  Curriculum  Framework  (NCF): The  development  of  the National Curriculum  Frameworks  (NCFs)  is  key  to  shifting  the  education  system  towards  a knowledge-based system and reducing  student  stress.  By  prioritizing  understanding over rote learning, the NCF lessens exam pressure and focuses on holistic development, reflected in the multidimensional Holistic Progress Card, values diverse skills beyond academics. Competency-based learning and a flexible, needs-based curriculum further reduce exam anxiety by making learning relevant and personalized. Finally, assessment reforms,  including  continuous  evaluation,  create  a  less  stressful  environment  that prioritizes genuine understanding over exam pressure.
2. Textbooks in alignment with NCFs: With focus on holistic development, NCERT's new textbooks integrate activities promoting cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. Engaging visuals and accessible language cater to diverse learning styles, while a competency-based approach equips students with practical skills. Culturally relevant content and a reduced content load further enhance the learning experience.
3. Holistic  Progress  Card  (HPC): The  360-degree  multidimensional  HPC  for  the Preparatory, Foundational, Middle and Secondary aims to provide overview of a child's growth by covering aspects like physical development, socio-emotional development, cognitive development along with aesthetic and cultural development. Peer, Self and parental feedback is also recorded along with the teacher feedback.
4. Board Exams: In alignment with NEP 2020, all students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority. In addition, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been progressively introducing competency-focused questions in Classes 10 and 12 Board Examinations since 2020 to test students' understanding, conceptual clarity and analytical ability, rather than their ability to memorize and reproduce information.
5. Provisions under Samagra Shiksha: With a focus on mental health and well-being of students,  under  the  Integrated  scheme  for  School  Education  -  Samagra  Shiksha, effective from the year 2023-24, there is a provision for Academic Resource Person (ARP) at the block level  for  Career  Guidance  and  Counselling  in  schools.  Further, financial assistance is provided to the States/UTs under training of teachers on safety and security, to encourage teachers to function as the first level counsellors in schools. Also,  financial  assistance  is  provided  under  Learning  Enhancement  Programme  for identifying the gaps in learning and providing individualized learning interventions.

## 6. Other Specific initiatives:

- Curriculum transaction guidelines of the CBSE  emphasize  student-centric approaches, promoting active learning through reflection and knowledge construction. Teachers are encouraged to embrace inclusive principles, avoiding labels like "slow" or "bright" students.
- Since the 2019-20 session, CBSE has incorporated Experiential Learning, enabling schools to design curricular activities that connect classroom content with students' lives and the world around them.
- Learning outcomes developed by the NCERT for all levels of school education provide teachers with clear direction for their instruction and promote accountability among stakeholders in ensuring quality education.

(e): With  a  focus  on  skill  education,  National  Skill  Qualification  Framework  (NSQF) compliant  skill  courses  are  being  implemented  for  students  from  class  9 th to  12 th .  At  the Secondary level i.e., Class IX and X, skill modules are offered to the students as an additional subject. At Sr. Secondary level, i.e., Class XI and XII, skill courses are offered as a compulsory (elective) subject. Provisions for exposure of pre-vocational education at Upper Primary level, internships, 10 bagless days etc. have been included under Innovation component of Samagra Shiksha. So far, 138 Job Roles (JRs)/Skill subjects have been approved for implementation. Employability  Skill  modules  including  Communication  Skills,  Self-Management  Skills, Information and Communication Technology Skills, Entrepreneurship Skills, and Green Skills are included as part of the JRs. Schools offering Vocational Education has increased from 1850 in  2014-15  to  29,342  in  2024-25  (upto  September  2024)  while  students'  enrolment  has increased from 58,720 in 2014-15 to 30,87,928 in 2024-25 (upto September 2024).

*****