Lok Sabha Question No. 228 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Initiatives under National Education Policy, 2020
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Sanatan Pandey

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 228 ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## Initiatives under National Education Policy, 2020

†*228. Shri Sanatan Pandey:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of various initiatives taken by the Government under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 to enhance the quality of education at all levels from primary to the university level in the country; (b) the details of budgetary allocation earmarked for the said purpose since the implementation of the policy, State/UT-wise and year-wise; and (c) whether there is any proposal to make education skill-based/vocational oriented at secondary level to ensure gainful employment for students after completion of class XII in the country and if so, the details
- thereof?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a) to (c):  A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (C) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION  NO.  228  FOR  REPLY  ON  09.03.2026  ASKED  BY  SHRI  SANATAN  PANDEY, HON'BLE  MEMBER  OF  PARLIAMENT  REGARDING  INITIATIVES  UNDER  NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY, 2020

(a)  to  (c):    After  announcement  of  National  Education  Policy  2020  (NEP  2020),  a  number  of transformative initiatives have taken both in school and higher education for its implementation.

In School Education  several initiatives have been taken such as PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India) for upgradation of schools; Samagra Shiksha for providing quality education with an inclusive and equitable classroom environment for all children; National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat) for ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3; Vidya-Pravesh-Guidelines for Three-month Play-based School Preparation Module; PM e-VIDYA to unify all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable coherent multi-mode access to education; launch of National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF FS) and  Jadui  Pitara  for  play-based  learning  teaching  material  tailored  for  children  between  the  age group  of  3  to  8  years;  NISHTHA  (National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic Advancement) 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0; Vidya Samiksha Kendra; Integrated Teacher Education Programme; National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR)  for  creating a unifying national digital infrastructure to energise and catalyse the education ecosystem; implementation of a scheme 'New India Literacy Programme or ULLAS' targeting all non-literates age 15 years and above, etc.

In  Higher  Education,  various  initiatives  /  reforms  have  been  carried  out  such  as  National  Credit Framework  (NCrF) and National Higher Education Qualification  Framework (NHEQF)  in conjunction with guidelines / regulations like Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programme;  Multiple  Entry  and  Exit  in  Academic  Programme  offered  by  Higher  Education Institutions; Transforming HEIs  into multi-disciplinary Institutions; pursuing  two  Academic Programme simultaneously;  Automated  Permanent  Academic  Account  Registry  (APAAR  ID)    of individual  student  which  will  act  as  lifelong  identity  to  track  their  educational  journey  and achievements  from,  pre-primary  to  higher  education;  introduction  of  PM-Vidyalaxmi  scheme  to provide  financial  support  to  meritorious  students inter-alia  enabling  collateral  free,  guarantor free loan through a simple, transparent and student-friendly and entirely digital application process; revised  regulation  of  ODL  /  Online  Education;  re-envisioned  Malaviya  Mission  Teacher Training Program to build competencies in faculty for better teaching; permitting up to 40% credits in regular courses using SWAYAM platform;  launch of new SWAYAM Plus portal with aim to enhance skill and  upskilling  and  reskilling  of  existing  manpower  employed  in  different  sectors;  Integration  of technology  in  administration  of  HEIs  from  admission  to  grant  of  degree  through  SAMARTH; guidelines  on  Professor  of  Practice  to  enable  HEIs  to  work  with  industry  experts;  guidelines  for supernumerary  seats  for  admitting  students  from  abroad  in  Indian  HEIs;  Academic  collaboration between Indian and Foreign HEIs to offer Twinning, Joint Degree and Dual Degree Programmes; Regulation  for  permitting  Foreign  HEIs  to  setup  campuses  in  India;  enhanced  reputation  of  the Indian HEIs in international ranking; embedding of Indian Knowledge system in the education etc.

Union Budget 2026-27 has announced setting up of 5 University Townships in the vicinity of major industrial and logistic corridors and 1 girls' hostel in every district through Viability Gap Funding /capital support to encourage enrolment of girls in STEM institutes/ courses.

In  Department  of  School  Education  &  Literacy  the  National  Curriculum  Framework  for  School Education  (NCF-SE),  aligned  with  NEP  2020,  institutionalizes  skill  education  by  integrating  it directly into the middle and secondary stages to ensure parity with academic subjects.

The Department of School Education & Literacy is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, which inter-alia promotes vocational education by supporting States and UTs to introduce skill exposure for students in Grades 6 to 8 and NSQF-aligned skill courses for Grades 9 to 12. At the secondary stage, students take skill modules as an additional subject, while at the senior secondary stage, skill  courses  function  as  elective  subjects.  A  total  of  138  approved  job  roles  are offered, and each includes an employability skills module covering communication, selfmanagement,  ICT,  entrepreneurship,  and  green  skills.  The  Department  is  also  implementing PMKVY 4.0 in schools, with 350 Kendriya Vidyalayas providing skill training. More than 21,700 schools  now  host  School  Innovation  Councils  to  promote  innovation,  entrepreneurship,  critical thinking, and IP awareness.

At the secondary level (grades 9 to 12), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed  curriculum  and  textbooks  for  employability  skills,  which  are  embedded across all skill courses. The skill curricula and textbooks developed by NCERT are based on the job roles  in  various  sectors,  under  the  National  Skill  Qualifications  Framework  (NSQF),  which  is  a quality assurance framework.

Employability  Skill  module  has  been  included  as  a  part  of  Job  Roles/SWAYAM  courses  in  the curriculum which  includes  Communication  Skills, Self-Management  Skills, Information and Communication Technology Skills, Entrepreneurship Skills, and Green Skills.

The  NCERT  has  developed  e-learning  materials,  videos,  and  virtual  skill  labs  (VSLs)  to  expand access to skill education, especially where physical resources are limited, ensuring that all students can develop practical, job-ready skills alongside academic learning.

Central  Board  of  Secondary  Education  (CBSE)  offers  22  skill  subjects  in  classes  9-10  and  43  in classes 11-12 to upgrade the skills and proficiency of the young generation and explore the various career options available.

Under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) by NITI Aayog, Atal Tinkering Labs have been established in schools to promote STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), robotics, electronics, and 3D printing.

Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) launched in collaboration with IIT Madras, hosts content curated by premier institutions and is available free of cost with the approach of 'Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime' Learning. More than 4400 unique courses have been delivered with cumulative enrolments of more than 5.64 Crores. To support skill development, the SWAYAM Plus portal has also been launched, focusing on upskilling and reskilling the workforce. At present, over 480 Courses across 16 sectors are available on the platform.

For realizing the vision of "Make AI in India and Make AI work for India", the Government had approved establishment of three Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a total financial outlay of Rs. 990.00 Cr over the period of FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28. Ministry of Education  approved  three  academic  institutions  for  establishment  of  three  Centres  of  Excellence (CoE) - CoE of AI in Health at IISc Bengaluru, CoE of AI in Agriculture at IIT Ropar and CoE of

AI  in  Sustainable  Cities  at  IIT  Kanpur.  Further,  a  new  Centre  of  Excellence  (CoE)  in  Education announced in Budget 2025-26 for a total outlay of Rs. 500.0 Cr, is being led by IIT Madras.

The Ministry of Education also implements the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) to impart on-the-job training and enhance the employability of youth.

AICTE  is  actively  strengthening  skill  development  by  embedding  it  into  technical  education.  It partners  with  industries  and  institutions  to  offer  online  skill  courses  aligned  with  the  regular curriculum, along with skill-focused programmes, compulsory internships, and vocational degrees such  as  Bachelor  of  Vocation  (B.Voc).  These  initiatives  are  designed  to  build  students'  practical abilities and improve employability. Based on self-reported figures  from  AICTE-approved institutions,  diploma  placements grew  from  1,80,866  in 2023-24  to  1,91,801 in  2024-25. Undergraduate placements also increased significantly, from 4,10,843 to 4,71,227 during the same period. Additionally, AICTE has signed MoUs with leading industries and organisations to support internships,  skill-building,  and  faculty  upskilling,  including  hands-on  exposure  to  Industry  4.0 technologies.

Various schemes/projects/programmes run by the Ministry have been aligned with NEP 2020. As far as Central Government is concerned, it has increased its Budget allocation from Rs. 93,224.31 Crore for the year 2021-22 to Rs. 1,04,277.72 Crore for the year 2022-23, to Rs. 1,12,899.47 Cr. for the year 2023-24, to Rs. 1,21,117.77 Crore for the year 2024-25, to Rs. 1,28,650.05 Crore for the year 2025-26 and Rs. 1,39,289.48 crore for the year 2026-27.

For the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), the Budget Allocation for the FY 202627  of  Rs.  83562.26  Cr,  is  the  highest  ever  allocation  for  the  department.  There  has  been  an  overall increase of Rs. 4,990 crore (6.35%) in the Budget Allocation for DoSEL in FY 2026-27 compared to the Budget Estimates (BE) 2025-26.

For Higher Education, the overall Budget Allocation for FY 2026-27 is Rs. 55,727.22 crore. There has been an overall increase of ₹5,649.27 crore (11.28%) in the Budget Allocation of the Department of Higher Education in FY 2026-27 as compared to FY 2025-26.

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