Addressing Past Challenges
India’s education system remained outdated, with the last major policy update in 1986, reflecting colonial influences and poor governance.
Issues included corruption, underfunded public universities, and political interference in appointments and curriculum decisions.
Historical narratives were often distorted to serve partisan interests, marginalizing India’s diverse cultural heritage.
National Education Policy (NEP) 2020: A Turning Point
NEP 2020 is a comprehensive reform based on extensive consultations, focusing on access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability.
It aims to correct structural inequities, with increased enrolment of SCs, STs, OBCs, and women in higher education.
Women’s empowerment is central, with notable increases in female enrolment, STEMM participation, and leadership roles.
Modernizing Education for the Future
Government spending on education has grown, with better infrastructure, improved pupil-teacher ratios, and reduced dropout rates.
Innovations like coding in middle schools, Atal Tinkering Labs, and multidisciplinary learning are reshaping education.
Higher education has seen growth in research, global rankings, and industry-academia collaborations.
India now has 11 universities in the QS World Rankings’ top 500, reflecting significant global academic progress.
Research publications have surged, placing India 39th in the Global Innovation Index, up from 76 in 2014.
Reviving Indigenous Knowledge and Social Justice
NEP 2020 promotes Indian languages, reducing the dominance of English in education.
NEP 2020 promotes Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), integrating indigenous knowledge into higher education curricula.
The Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Yojana aims to publish 15,000 textbooks in 22 Indian languages, fostering linguistic diversity and cultural pride.
Reservation policies in teaching positions have been strengthened to ensure social justice for marginalized communities.
The reforms reflect intellectual decolonization, positioning India for a future as a developed nation with a rich educational legacy.
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