The National Education Policy 2020 recommends a redesign of higher education in the country to make it more student-centered and multi-disciplinary. It aims to pave the way for transformational reforms in the country’s school and higher education systems.
The policy seeks a complete overview and re-energizing of the higher education system to overcome challenges and deliver good quality higher education.
Some of the salient features of National Education Policy 2020 for higher education revamp includes:
- NEP 2020 aims to increase Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50 % by 2035 by adding 3.5 crore seats in higher education.
- Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), at par with IITs, IIMs, as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.
- The National Research Foundation will be created as an apex body for fostering a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.
- Higher Education Commission of India(HECI) will be set up as a single overarching umbrella body
for entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education. - UG education can be of 3 or 4 years with multiple exit options and appropriate certification within this period.
- Academic Bank of Credits to be established to facilitate Transfer of Credits.
- Public and private higher education institutions will be governed by the same set of norms for regulation, accreditation and academic standards.
- Holistic Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options
- Equitable and inclusive education – Special emphasis given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs)
- Exposure of vocational education in school and higher education system
The ABC portal is open for the registration of both students and Universities. Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) has been set up and guidelines on Multiple Entry/Exit have been issued on 29.07.2021 aiming to promote flexibility of curriculum framework across the Higher Education Institutions in the country. UGC has issued ‘UGC Regulation, 2021’ so as to set up ABC portal with appropriate ‘Credit Transfer’ mechanism.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aimed to bring about some significant changes in the Indian educational system. It discusses an educational system that emphasises experiential learning as well as 21st-century abilities such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and so on.
*This article is based on a press release from PIB.
