Lok Sabha Question No. 1658 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: National Curriculum Framework
Ministry: Education
Asked by: T. R. Paarivendhar, Gomati Sai

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1658 ANSWERED ON 31.07.2023

## National Curriculum Framework

## 1658. DR. T.R. PAARIVENDHAR:

## SHRIMATI GOMATI SAI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  developing  the  National  Curriculum  Framework  as  per  New Education Policy (NEP-2020) for States including Chhattisgarh;
- (b) if so, the salient features of the said framework;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  in  the  process  of  implementing  new  National  Curriculum Framework  (NCF)  for  school  education  and  the  same  has  been  finalized  by  the  National Steering Committee;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the time by which the new NCF is likely to be implemented throughout the country;
- (f) whether the proposed NCF will be implemented in all States by replacing the existing pattern followed by them;
- (g) if so, the details thereof; and
- (h) whether uniformity in the curriculum of public and private schools is likely to be maintained in case the above policy is implemented and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ( SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI )

- (a) In pursuance of the recommendations of National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, four National Curriculum Frameworks (NCFs) viz. Foundational Stage, School Education, Teacher Education and Adult Education are to be developed. The National Curriculum Framework  for  the  Foundational  Stage  (NCF-FS)  was  released  by  Ministry  of Education  on  20 th October,  2022  at  New  Delhi.    Education  being  a  subject  in  the Concurrent List of the Constitution, the majority of schools are under the jurisdiction of  the  State  and  Union  Territory  (UT)  Governments,  it  is  for  the  respective  State Government to either adopt National Curriculum Framework (NCF) or prepare State Curriculum Framework (SCF) as per their need and contexts.
- (b) The Salient Features of NCF-FS are as follows:
- NCF-FS is the first ever integrated Curriculum Framework for children between aged 3-8 years in India. It is a direct outcome of the 5+3+3+4 'curricular and pedagogical' structure that NEP 2020 has come out with for School Education.
- The  NCF-FS  is  based  on  cutting-edge  research  from  across  the  world  in  multiple disciplines which includes among other things better understanding in the fields of neurosciences, brain  study,  and  cognitive  sciences.  The  accumulated  insights  from  the  practice  of  Early Childhood Care and Education, and the wisdom and knowledge from diverse Indian traditions are also important considerations.
- As articulated in NEP 2020, it uses 'play,' at the core of the conceptual, operational, and transactional  approaches  to  curriculum  organization,  pedagogy,  time  and  content  organization, and the overall experience of the child.
- It  provides  a  sequence  in  curricular  goals  mapping  with  competencies  and  learning outcomes leading towards competency-based education as articulated by the NEP 2020.
- It includes some transformative ideas for implementation of quality school education, e.g., toy-based pedagogy, lifestyle for environment, learning about the external world in consonance with learning about one's inner reality and self, holistic development drawing insights from the Indian concept of Panchkosh, etc.
- It emphasizes upon socio-cultural contexts of children and its relationship with learning of children, curricular materials, and resources available, and contingencies in the classroom, etc.
- It  paves  the  way  to  strengthen  its  linkages  with  the  preparatory,  middle,  and  secondary stages leading to holistic development of a child.
- (c)  to  (e)  The  National  Steering  Committee  was  constituted  to  develop  four  curriculum frameworks including National Curriculum Framework for School Education. NCF-FS has been launched  and  its  implementation  has  already  been  initiated  while  the  National  Curriculum Framework for School Education has been developed and is in the process of finalization. Other two  curriculum  frameworks-  Teacher  Education  and  Adult  Education  are  in  the  process  of development.
- (f) & (g) Education is a subject of the Concurrent List of the Constitution, it is for the respective State  Government  to  either  adopt  or  adapt  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and Training  (NCERT)  textbooks  or  develop  their  own  textbooks  based  on  the  NCF.  NCERT  has disseminated NCF-FS to all the States and UTs. The NCF enables the federal structure of school education,  with  States  ultimately  setting  their  State  or  regional  curricula,  easily  incorporating local elements.
- (h) As  per  the  mandate  of  NCF,  the  NEP,  2020  gave  central  importance  to  the  matter  of empowerment of States, recognizing the nation's federal structure with education as a concurrent subject.  In  this  spirit,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  -  for  the  future  of  India  and  of  our  next generation - to develop a robust and high-quality NCF as well as SCFs to ensure that all students - no matter their background or geographical location - have the best possible education, with copious  support  from  the  system  and  with  an  outstanding  curriculum  and  pedagogy,  thereby enabling them to become the best versions of themselves which is available at https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/Mandate-NCF.pdf

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