Lok Sabha Question No. 9 (STARRED), answered on 2016-04-25
Subject: New Education Policy
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: C. MAHENDRAN, BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 9 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.04.2016

## New Education Policy

## *9. SHRI C. MAHENDRAN: SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA:

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

- (a)  whether  the  present  education  system  in  the  country  is  facing  various  challenges  like  lack  of practical knowledge, research or critical analysis, absence of personality development programme, entrepreneurship development programme and outdated syllabus;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  introduce  a  New  Education  Policy  so  as  to  encourage academic talent and innovation and make the system of higher education more responsive to the needs of various stakeholders;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the time by which the said Policy is likely to be implemented ; and
- (e)  whether  the  academic  autonomy  is  likely  to  be  strengthened  in  the  proposed  New  Education Policy and if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

(SMT. SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 9 FOR REPLY ON 25.04.2016 ASKED BY SHRI C. MAHENDRAN AND SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA REGARDING 'NEW EDUCATION POLICY'

(a) to (e): The National Education Policy was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992. More than two decades have passed since then and during this period significant changes have taken place in our country, society economy, and the world at large. New technologies have transformed the way in which we live, work, and communicate with each  other  with  easy  flow  of  information  and  knowledge,  within  the  country  and  across  the  world.  Nations  and economies are more connected now. So also, the corpus of knowledge has vastly expanded and research has become multi-disciplinary, and far more collaborative. Skilled manpower is in demand globally. Innovation is at the core of global  leadership.  It  is  in  this  context  that  the  education  sector  needs  to  gear  itself  towards  the  challenges  and demands  of  the  21 st Century  and  meet  the  current  needs  of  the  people  and  the  country.  Quality,  innovation  and research are the foundations on which our country can become a knowledge super power. All this calls for a New Education Policy.

The Government is in the process of framing a New Education Policy (NEP), which is aimed at meeting the changing dynamics of the population's requirement with regard to quality education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry; for which it carried out nearly a year-long consultation process. The 33 identified themes across both the sectors on which inputs and suggestions were invited cover a spectrum of varied issues and challenges in education relating to access, quality of teaching and teachers,  improving  learning  outcomes,  making  education  relevant  to  changing  socio-economic  needs,  linking education to language and culture, inclusion, skill development, technology enabled learning, employability, research and innovation, issues of autonomy and accountability,  quality assurance, etc.

For  a  deliberation  on  the  consultation  process,  meetings  were  organized  by  the  Ministry  with  the Government of India Ministries as well as with the State Education Ministers, Education Secretaries and other senior officials of the State Governments explaining the grassroots consultation process and inviting their suggestions. The consultation  process  was  also  one  of  the  agenda  points  in  the  meeting  of  Central  Advisory  Board  on  Education (CABE) held in August 2015.

After taking into account all suggestions, an unprecedented collaborative, multi-stakeholder and multipronged  consultation  process,  through  online,  grassroots  and  offline  deliberations  was  undertaken.    The  online consultations on www.MyGov.in  portal were held from 26 th January, 2015 to 31 st October, 2015 and over 29,000 suggestions  have  been  received.    An  extensive,  time-bound,  participative,  bottom-up  consultative  process  across nearly  all  Gram  Panchayats,  Blocks,  Urban  Local  Bodies  and  districts  of  all  36  States/Union  Territories  was undertaken between May to October, 2015. Thematic consultations were driven both by the Ministry and also by the institutions  like  University  Grants  Commission,  All  India  Council  for  Technical  Education,  National  Council  for Teacher  Education,  National  Council  for  Educational  Research  and  Training  and  several  centrally  funded universities  and  institutions,  autonomous  bodies,  attached  offices  on  the  individual  themes  inviting  all  relevant stakeholders  including  experts,  academics,  industry  representatives,  civil  society  etc.  in  July-October,  2015.  Six Zonal  meetings  were  held  by  the  Minister  of  Human  Resource  Development  in  Eastern,  Central,  North-Eastern, Western, Southern and Northern Zones covering all States and UTs in September-October 2015.

Six online talks with leading subject experts, field practitioners engagement through the UN Solutions Exchange platform , online survey by CBSE with over 15000 responses, youth survey and focus group discussions covering 6017 youth by Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, UNESCO Category-I  Institute  in  Asia  Pacific  were  conducted  as  part  of  the  public  engagement.  In  addition,  several organizations and individuals have sent in their views, suggestions, inputs through post and emails.

Minister  for  Human  Resource  Development  wrote  to  all  Hon'ble Members  of  Rajya  Sabha  and  Lok Sabha in July 2015 inviting their suggestions and considered views on the New Education Policy.

The Government of India has constituted a Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy, which consists of Shri T.S.R. Subramanian, Former Cabinet Secretary as the Chairman and Smt. Shailaja Chandra, former Chief Secretary, NCT of Delhi, Shri Sevaram Sharma, former Home Secretary, NCT of Delhi, Shri Sudhir Mankad, former  Chief  Secretary,  Gujarat  &  Prof.  J.S.  Rajput,  former  Director,  NCERT  as  the  members.  All  the suggestions received from multiple stakeholders have been forwarded to the Committee. The Committee is mandated to  examine  the  outcome  documents,  recommendations  and  suggestions  received  and  formulate  a  draft  National Education Policy as well as a Framework for Action (FFA).

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