National Education Policy 2020 - Challenges and Opportunities on the Educational System

The National Policy on Education, 1986 and the Programme of Action, 1992 envisaged free and compulsory education of satisfactory quality to all children below 14 years. While the act has ensured education to all, the prevailing challenges of the education system remained thereby hindering the growth of Indian education system to the global level. The recent education policy by the Government of India is the first in 34 years replacing the National Policy of Education of 1986. The new policy introduced many reforms in the Indian education system beginning with reformation at central level and renaming the Ministry of Human Resource and Development to Ministry of Education. The NEP proposes revision and revamping of education structure, including its regulation and governance, to create a new system aligning with the aspirational goals of 21st century education. The NEP proposes sweeping changes including opening up of Indian higher education to foreign universities, dismantling of the Universities Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education. The policy, while focusing on various facets of education, also tries to bridge the gap between education and technology. One of the key highlights of NEP 2020 is the decision to make mother tongue or regional language as the medium of instruction up to Class 5. Further, the policy emphasizes the need for formative assessments and encouraging peer review system of assessment by creating National Assessment Centre and developing a system such as Performance Assessment Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development for monitoring the achievement of learning outcomes and guide the boards of education to make learning more contemporary and suited to future needs. The biggest highlights of the NEP 2020 are that there would be single regulation for higher education institutions with setting up of Higher Education Commission of India that will eventually replace the existing regulatory bodies like the UGC or AICTE. The long - term plan of the policy is to do away with the current system of colleges affiliated to universities and numerous tiny colleges that are pedagogically unviable and financially costly would be merged with larger HEIs. The NEP 2020 aims to address various gaps existing in the education system of India and through this policy, India is expected to achieve sustainable development goal of 2030 by ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education.