NEW EDUCATION POLICY 2020

‘NEW EDUCATION POLICY 2020’ – AN OVERVIEW The independent Government of India declared her first two education policies in the year 1968 and 1986 respectively. After four decades the Central Government again declared ‘New Education Policy – 2020’ (NEP – 2020) on 29th July, 2020 when the entire world is under the severe threat of COVID 2019. There is no doubt at all the academic sector of the world as well as the country was affected mostly due to COVID 2019. Without addressing the crises of the academic world which suddenly rose due to COVID 2019 viz., dropout of students, bereft of any direct teaching based entirely on line teaching which culminated open book examination, improper evaluation etc., the implementation of NEP – 2020 confused the citizens of the country at large. It is very interesting to note that after independence this is the first time where the stake holders of the policy as well as the state governments didn’t get any opportunity to exchange their views about different aspects of NEP 2020. In addition, it was not placed before the Parliament also for discussion. But on the eve of introduction of NEP 2020 the Prime Minister of India declared that “The Central Government has implemented the new National Education Policy (NEP) keeping in view the requirements of modern and developed India.” He also added that “I welcome wholeheartedly the introduction of National Educational Policy 2020. The most wanted re-formation in the field of education will change the life of millions of Indian.” This policy reformed the structure of both School Education and Higher Education which were continued over a period of seven decades. After three decades the Ministry of Education came into existence in place of Ministry of Human Resource Development. In School Education the existing 10+2 system has been replaced by new 5+3+3+4 system. The new system invites students attaining the age of three years to the pre-primary level for a period of three years handled by the Anganwadi and Balvatika. Remaining two years of the first slab will be considered as foundation level and it will cover class I and class II. Next slab of three years is to be considered preparatory level and it will cater class III to class V. After the second phase a period of three years is to be designed as middle level of school education and it will cater class V to class VIII. The last phase of school education will cover class IX to class XII for a period of four years. This policy prescribes three language system and semester system also in school education. The semester system invites half-yearly examinations in place of annual examinations. It also introduces special examinations at the stages of class III, class V, class VIII and class XI erasing the board examinations at ten and ten plus two level. In 1953 The University Grants Commission (UGC) came into existence to coordinate, determine and maintain standards of teaching, examination and research in university education. The NEP 2020 promotes Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) to repeal UGC as well as to bring the IIT, IIM, NIT, IISER and other institutes of national importance under single higher education regulator, HECI. In higher education, NEP 2020 introduced 4+1 system in place of existing 3+2 system. According to this policy the under graduate level will extend to four years from existing three years and the post graduate level will reduce to one year from existing two years. Universities are being classified into three categories viz., Research Intensive Universities, Teaching Intensive Universities and Autonomous Degree Granting Colleges. Along with these structural changes in higher education, the NEP prescribes so many innovative concepts viz., National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct entrance examinations for admission and fellowship in higher educational institutes, Academic Bank of Credit, Multiple Entry and Exit for the students at both the UG and PG level, Induction Programme for the teachers to enrich themselves about the Indian Knowledge System, Public Philanthropic Partnership (PPP) model for the growth of Indian education system etc. After announcement of NEP – 2020 by the Central Government, the Government of West Bengal logically opposed it and claimed that the government will introduce separate State Education Policy. Two times the State Government formed Expert Committee to introduce State Education Policy but unfortunately till this moment no recommendations of any of these Expert Committees appeared into light. The Government of West Bengal continued war of mouth against NEP - 2020 till 30th May, 2023 and following the proverb ‘Barking dog seldom bites’ the West Bengal Government partially introduced NEP – 2020 in Higher Education from the current academic session 2023-24. On 31st May, 2023 the Higher Education Department of West Bengal Government issued a press release where the department directed all the higher education institutions – government, government aided and private – of state to introduce the curriculum following the NEP – 2020 from the academic session 2023-24. By this press release the Higher Education Department also directed to all higher education institutions of the state to utilise their existing resources properly as well as to generate resources on their own way to implement this policy. According to this order all the universities of the state implemented NEP – 2020 and offer degrees for the both the UG and PG level following the ‘National Curriculum and Credit Framework’ which was directed by the University Grants Commission. After the entire drama, the Ministry of West Bengal Government finally declared the State Education Policy on 7th August, 2023. With a very few modification in school education this state declared policy religiously followed the NEP – 2020. According to this state policy the new system will be implemented in school education phase by phase from 2024. This policy withholds existing 4+4+2+2 pattern in school education and prescribes to attach the pre-primary level with Aganwari. Following the NEP – 2020 this state policy also adopts three languages in primary level and semester system from class eight. The state policy restores Madhyamik and Higher Secondary Examinations at ten and ten plus two level but prescribes MCQ pattern at ten plus one level like NEP – 2020. In higher education, the state policy is nothing except the true copy of NEP – 2020. Even after passing 76 years of independence each and every political party who governed and governs India failed to spend 6% GDP on country’s education system. In NEP 2020 the ruling government clearly states that, “this National Education Policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge superpower.” But unfortunately they keep mum about the budgetary allocation of funds for achieving the well defined multidimensional goals of NEP 2020. It is more confusing to note that the Central Government opens the door for the investors including FDI to invest in the field of education sector in India. It may also reveal from the sixty six pages document of NEP 2020 and also from the one hundred seventy eight pages document of State Education Policy 2023 of Government of West Bengal that both the Central and West Bengal Government determined to change the popular proverb ‘survival of the fittest’ to ‘survival of the richest’ through seizing the opportunities of state funded education for the poorest meritorious students of the country as well as the state also. On many occasions NEP - 2020 also patronizes Indian mythology under the caption of ‘Indian Knowledge System’ ignoring science and scientific inventions in addition to its centralized tendency demolish the pluralistic character of India.