Context

• The Government of India has completed five years of implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, marking substantial progress in curriculum reforms, digital integration, teacher training, and equitable access to quality education.
• However, much of its ambitious vision for overhauling school and higher education remains unfulfilled. 
• Delays caused by Centre-state disagreements and institutional bottlenecks have slowed implementation across the country.

Historical Context

• Legacy of Colonial System: The British education model was designed to create clerks, not innovators. It was job-centric and not skill-oriented.
• Need for Reform: Post-independence, minor changes were made, but a comprehensive restructuring was missing.
• NEP 2020 was envisioned to address these systemic gaps and align Indian education with 21st-century needs.

Vision and Objectives of NEP 2020

• Practical & Skill-based Education: Move away from rote learning.
• Holistic Development: Build value-based, tech-savvy, and globally competitive citizens.
• Inclusive Access: Bridge rural-urban, gender, and socio-economic divides.
• Public Investment Target: Increase spending to 6% of GDP.

Changes Bought by the Policy

• The traditional 10+2 structure has been replaced by a 5+3+3+4 system: foundational (pre-primary to class 2); preparatory (classes 3–5); middle (6–8), and secondary (9–12). 
• The 2023 National Curriculum Framework laid out outcomes for each stage. 
• NCERT released new textbooks (classes 1–8), merging subjects like his
• NEP aims for universal pre-primary education by 2030. NCERT’s Jaadui Pitara kits and a national ECCE curriculum are now in use. 
• Delhi, Karnataka, and Kerala are enforcing a minimum age of six for class 1, improving readiness but reducing enrolments. 
• However, better Anganwadi training and infrastructure are still needed.
• Assessment Reform
  • CBSE Class 10 board exams to be conducted twice a year from 2026.
  • Introduction of formative assessments and internal assessments.
• Skill Development in Schools
  • Skill modules introduced in Classes 9–12.
  • 138 skill job roles approved till 2025.
  • Vocational education expanded: From 1,850 (2014–15) to 29,342 schools (2024–25).

Higher Education Reforms

• Curriculum and Credit Reforms
  • National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF)
  • Multiple Entry-Exit System, Academic Bank of Credits
  • PM Vidya Lakshmi for financial aid
  • 40% credit transfer through SWAYAM
• Institutional Expansion
  • 7 new IITs, 8 IIMs, 13 AIIMS, 354 Eklavya Schools
  • MBBS seats nearly doubled in a decade
    • 2014: 54,348 seats | 2025: 1,18,190 seats
• Digital Education Ecosystem
  • Diksha, SwayamPrabha, PM e-Vidya, e-Pathshala
  • Content in 126 Indian and 7 foreign languages
  • Over 25,000 hours of broadcast in 29 languages
• Teacher Training and Governance
  • NISHTHA 3.0 for teacher training
  • Over 26 lakh master trainers trained
  • SAMARTH: Digital governance for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
  • To allow flexibility in higher education, the NEP introduced the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and the National Credit Framework (NCrF). 
  • Learners can exit after one, two, or four years with a certificate, diploma, or degree. CBSE is piloting this credit model in schools as wel

Foundational Learning under NIPUN Bharat

• Launched in 2021, NIPUN Bharat targets literacy and numeracy by class 3. 
• A recent survey shows 64% average language proficiency and 60% in math—progress, but still below universal goals.

Challenges

• Implementation gaps at state level
• Digital divide in rural and tribal regions
• Teacher shortages and uneven quality of training
• Alignment of vocational education with employability

Way Forward

• Strengthen decentralised capacity-building at the state and district levels
• Foster public-private partnerships for infrastructure and skilling
• Ensure inclusivity for differently-abled and disadvantaged groups
• Establish strong monitoring and feedback mechanisms
• Promote research and innovation through increased funding and autonomy to institutions.