PM inaugurates Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam on implementation of NEP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a three-day seminar in Varanasi with over 300 educationists as participants deliberating on implementation of the National Education Policy.
Important Events in News are important part of Economics and Social Issue section of RBI Grade B and NABARD Grade A Exam. Covering these events directly from source is very much needed but not easy to do, through this article we are solving this problem for you. Read our Events in News related articles on regular basis to gain knowledge about these schemes for RBI Grade B, NABARD Grade A Exam and even for UPSC Civil Service exams.
PM inaugurates Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam on implementation of NEP in Varanasi
- The Prime Minister said that "the basic premise of the National Education Policy is to take education out of narrow thinking and connect it with the modern ideas of the 21st century."
The Ministry of Education is organizing Shiksha Samagam from July 7 to July 9. It will provide a platform for eminent academicians, policymakers and academic leaders to deliberate and share their experiences and discuss the roadmap for effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- The event is being organized as part of capacity building of more than 300 Academic, Administrative & Institutional Leaders from Universities (Central, State, Deemed, and Private), and Institutes of National Importance (IIT, IIM, NIT, IISER) from all over the country.
During the three-day Shiksha Samagam, panel discussions on nine themes identified for Higher Education under NEP 2020 will be conducted
- These themes are Multidisciplinary and Holistic Education; Skill Development and Employability; Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Capacity Building of Teachers for Quality Education; Quality, Ranking and Accreditation; Digital Empowerment and Online Education; Equitable and Inclusive Education; Indian Knowledge System; and Internationalization of Higher Education.
The key highlight of the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam will be the adoption of the Varanasi Declaration on Higher Education which will showcase India’s extended vision and a renewed commitment to help achieve the goals of higher education system.
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, replaced the National Policy on Education framed in 1986. It is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower.
Built on the foundational pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability, this policy is aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
NEP 2020 has been formulated after an unprecedented process of consultation that involved nearly over two lakh suggestions from 2.5 lakhs Gram Panchayats, 6,600 Blocks, 6,000 Urban Local Bodies, 676 districts.
The ministry of education initiated an unprecedented collaborative, inclusive and highly participatory consultation process from January 2015.
- In May 2016, ‘Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy’ under the chairmanship of T.S.R. Subramanian, former Cabinet secretary, submitted its report. Based on this, the ministry prepared ‘Some Inputs for the Draft National Education Policy, 2016’.
In June 2017, a ‘Committee for the Draft National Education Policy’ was constituted under the chairmanship of Dr. K. Kasturirangan, which submitted the Draft National Education Policy, 2019.
Recommendations of NEP 2020
Early Childhood Care & Education with new Curricular and Pedagogical Structure
- With emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education, the 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure corresponding to ages 3-8, 8-11, 11-14, and 14-18 years respectively.
- This will bring the hitherto uncovered age group of 3-6 years under school curriculum, which has been recognized globally as the crucial stage for development of mental faculties of a child.
- The new system will have 12 years of schooling with three years of Anganwadi/ pre schooling.
Reforms in school curricula and pedagogy
- The school curricula and pedagogy will aim for holistic development of learners by equipping them with the key 21st century skills, reduction in curricular content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking and greater focus on experiential learning
- Vocational education will start in schools from the 6th grade, and will include internships.
- A new and comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education, NCFSE 2020-21, will be developed by the NCERT.
Multilingualism and the power of language
- The policy has emphasized mother tongue/local language/regional language as the medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond. Sanskrit to be offered at all levels of school and higher education as an option for students, including in the three-language formula.
Equitable and Inclusive Education
- NEP 2020 aims to ensure that no child loses any opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background.
- Special emphasis will be given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) which include gender, socio-cultural, and geographical identities and disabilities.
- This includes setting up of Gender Inclusion Fund and also Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups.
Increasing GER in Higher Education to 50% by 2035
- The NEP aims to increase the GER in higher education to 50% by 2035. As of 2018-19, the GER in higher education in the country stood at 26.3%.
- It recommends that all institutes should aim to be large multidisciplinary institutes (with enrolments in thousands), and there should be one such institution in or near every district by 2030.
Foundational literacy and numeracy
- The NEP states that a large proportion of the students currently enrolled in elementary school have not attained foundational literacy and numeracy (the ability to read and understand basic text, and carry out basic addition and subtraction). It recommends that every child should attain foundational literacy and numeracy by grade three.
Restructuring of Higher Education Institutes
- The NEP notes that the higher education ecosystem in the country is severely fragmented. The present complex nomenclature of higher education institutes (HEIs) in the country such as ‘deemed to be university’, ‘affiliating university’, ‘affiliating technical university', ‘unitary university’ shall be replaced simply by 'university'.
- The NEP recommends that all HEIs should be restructured into three categories:
- research universities focusing equally on research and teaching,
- teaching universities focusing primarily on teaching, and
- degree granting colleges primarily focused on undergraduate teaching.
Setting up a National Research Foundation to boost research
- The NEP states that investment on research and innovation in India, at only 0.69% of GDP, lags behind several other countries.
- To boost research, the NEP recommends setting up an independent National Research Foundation (NRF) for funding and facilitating quality research in India.
Public spending on education to be increased to 6% of GDP
- The recommendation of increasing public spending on Education to 6% of GDP was first made by the National Policy on Education 1968 and reiterated by the 1986 Policy.
- NEP 2020 reaffirms the recommendation of increasing public spending on education to 6% of GDP.
- In 2017-18, the public spending on education (includes spending by centre and states) was budgeted at 4.43% of GDP.
Holistic Multidisciplinary Education
- The policy envisages broad based, multi-disciplinary, holistic Under Graduate education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entry and exit points with appropriate certification.
- UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period.
- For example, Certificate after 1 year, Advanced Diploma after 2 years, Bachelor’s Degree after 3 years and Bachelor’s with Research after 4 years.
- An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted towards final degree earned.
- Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, IIMs, to be set up as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.
