The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, India's third such policy since Independence, aimed for a comprehensive overhaul of both school and higher education, with some of its vision successfully implemented in classrooms. However, a significant portion remains on paper due to state-Centre conflicts and institutional delays.
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What has worked:
School curriculum changes: The 10+2 system has been replaced with a new foundational (pre-primary to class 2), preparatory (classes 3-5), middle (6-8), and secondary (9-12) structure. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) outlines learning outcomes for each stage, and NCERT has released new textbooks for classes 1-8. For instance, social science is now a single book covering history, geography, political science, and economics.
Early childhood learning: The NEP aims for universal pre-primary learning by 2030. NCERT's "Jaadui Pitara" learning kits are in use, and the Women and Child Development Ministry has issued a national ECCE curriculum. States like Delhi, Karnataka, and Kerala will enforce a minimum age of six for Class 1 entry, which has led to a fall in Class 1 enrollments in 2023-24, though about 73% of those enrolled had attended preschool. Challenges remain in training Anganwadi workers and improving early education infrastructure and teaching quality.
Foundational skills: NIPUN Bharat, launched in 2021, aims for every child to achieve reading and basic math proficiency by the end of Class 3. A government survey showed average scores of 64% for language and 60% for math, indicating a start but falling short of universal proficiency.
Credit-based flexibility: The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and a National Credit Framework (NCrF) have been developed. UGC rules from 2021 allow students to digitally earn and store credits across institutions, enabling movement between courses or exit/re-entry. This system allows for certificates after one year, diplomas after two, or a four-year multidisciplinary degree. The NCrF extends similar flexibility to school students, converting learning hours (including skill-based) into credits, with CBSE piloting it last year.
Common college entry test: The Common University Entrance Test (CUET), introduced in 2022, is now a primary route for undergraduate admissions, aligning with the NEP's goal of replacing multiple college entrance exams with a single national test.
International campuses: IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, and IIM Ahmedabad have established international campuses in Zanzibar, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, respectively. The University of Southampton has opened in India, following two other foreign universities at GIFT City, Gujarat. Twelve more foreign universities are undergoing approval under UGC regulations, with two more planned for GIFT City.
What's in progress:
Board exam changes: The NEP envisions less high-stakes board exams. CBSE plans to allow Class 10 students to take board exams twice a year starting 2026. The NEP's idea of offering all subjects at two levels (standard and higher) is currently limited to Class 10 math by CBSE.
Holistic report cards: PARAKH, an NCERT unit, has developed progress cards that include peer and self-assessment, though some school boards have yet to adopt them.
Four-year undergraduate degrees: Central universities are implementing the four-year undergraduate degrees with multiple exit options, and Kerala has followed suit. However, many colleges lack the necessary faculty and infrastructure.
Mother tongue as medium of instruction: The NEP encourages using the mother tongue as the medium of instruction until at least Class 5. CBSE has asked schools to implement this from pre-primary to Class 2, with Classes 3-5 having the option to continue or switch. NCERT is developing textbooks in more Indian languages.
What's stuck and why:
Three-language formula: The NEP's proposal of three languages in school, with at least two being Indian, faces opposition from states like Tamil Nadu, which follows a Tamil-English model and views it as an imposition of Hindi.
Teacher education overhaul: The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, due in 2021, has not been released. The four-year integrated B.Ed course has been announced, but colleges offering existing programs are resisting.
UGC's proposed successor: The NEP formalized the idea of replacing the UGC with a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) to handle regulation, funding, accreditation, and academic standards, but the Education Ministry is still drafting the Bill.
Breakfast in schools: The Finance Ministry rejected the Education Ministry's 2021 proposal to add breakfast to pre-primary and elementary classes, despite the NEP's recommendation.
Centre-state policy divide: Some states, like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, have refused to sign MoUs for PM-SHRI schools due to clauses requiring full NEP adoption. Tamil Nadu opposes the three-language formula and four-year UG structure, arguing that the Centre cannot unilaterally mandate changes as education is on the Concurrent List. The Centre has withheld Samagra Shiksha funds from these states, leading Tamil Nadu to challenge the freeze in the Supreme Court. Karnataka, after introducing and scrapping the four-year UG model, is developing its own state education policy.