What is the New Education Policy 2023 (NEP)?
The Indian government’s New Education Policy is referred to as NEP. It was last modified in 1992 after being drafted in 1986. The Modi-led BJP government vowed in its election manifesto to create a new education policy, or NEP, to bring about changes in the education sector.
In July 2020, the Union Cabinet of India approved the New National Education Policy (NEP) with the aim to bring modern reforms in the Indian education system from the school to the college level. This policy stands on the ideology to make India a ‘global knowledge superpower.’ In addition to this, it was with the introduction of NEP in 2020 that the Ministry of Human Resource Development was renamed to the Ministry of Education.
The new National Education Policy is based on the pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability. It aims to make both school and college education more holistic, multidisciplinary, and flexible, which aligns with the 2020 agenda for sustainable development.
The Need for New National Education Policy (NEP)
Up until the introduction of the New National Education Policy in 2020, there were many pitfalls in the Indian education system. Memorisation was prioritised more over the understanding of concepts. In addition to this, the presence of multiple boards was a big issue. Each board had different learning methods for different skills, and then every student had to take the same standardised board exam.
Furthermore, in the past years, more emphasis was laid on learning or mastering traditional subjects and less on developing vocational skills. In the new education policy, all the pitfalls and limitations of the Indian education system are taken care of. Moreover, the policy intends to bridge the gap between vocational and formal education.
Transformation of Indian Education System Post-independence
- 1948 – The 1st commission, University Education Commission, was set up
- 1952 – The Secondary Education Commission was established
- 1964-1966 – The Indian Education Commission was introduced
- 1968 – 1st National Education Policy came up
- 1986 – A new policy was formulated
- 1992 – The previous education policy was modified
- 2005 – The 1986 education policy was again modified
- 2020 – The new National Education Policy (NEP) was passed by the cabinet
Who Created NEP?
A panel of specialists, led by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan, discussed the difficulties and adjustments that need to be made in the Indian education system, which included everything from school to college to recruitment. These proposals were gathered, and the Ministry then approved them.