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NEP 2020 and the Future of Indian Education
A case of practical, pragmatic and innovative education
Context: The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 represents a landmark reform in India’s educational landscape.
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- Designed for phased implementation, NEP 2020 aims to make Indian education globally competitive, practically useful, and employment-oriented.
- With a strong emphasis on innovation, multidisciplinary learning, and industry-academia collaboration, the policy seeks to reshape how students learn, research, and transition into the workforce.
Enhancing Employability Through Flexibility and Industry Exposure
- Four-Year Degree: One of the most forward-looking initiatives of NEP 2020 is the introduction of the four-year undergraduate degree with multiple entry and exit points.
- Credentials and Flexibility: Contrary to criticism that this format leads to underemployment, it allows students to earn credentials at each academic milestone, increasing flexibility for those who need to pause their education due to financial or personal reasons.
- These students can re-enter the education system without losing progress.
- Vocation and Internship: Additionally, the policy emphasises vocational training, industry internships, and hands-on learning.
- Currently, 167 universities and 59 colleges have adopted the four-year model, while 224 universities and 101 colleges offer multidisciplinary programs.
- This shift promotes real-world skills and enhances job-readiness among graduates.
- Research Internship Programme: A key component is the research internship program, which bridges academic knowledge with practical industry requirements.
- Diploma holders and students exiting degree programs are also eligible for apprenticeships within five years of graduation, giving them real-world experience alongside government-supported stipends.
- Data: According to official data, over 3.07 lakh undergraduate students and 58,834 postgraduate students are already engaged in internships.
- Meanwhile, R&D cells have been set up in 242 universities and 113 colleges to promote original research and innovation.
Making India Globally Competitive in Higher Education
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- Global Impact: Eleven Indian universities now feature in the QS World University Rankings Top 500, while India tops the QS Asia University Rankings 2025 with 163 institutions listed.
- There has also been a 25.7% surge in subject-specific entries, with ten Indian institutions—including six IITs and two IIMs—ranking in the global top 50 in various disciplines.
- Global Impact: Eleven Indian universities now feature in the QS World University Rankings Top 500, while India tops the QS Asia University Rankings 2025 with 163 institutions listed.
- Intellectual Output: Patents filed by Indian universities grew from 7,405 in 2021-22 to 19,155 in 2022-23, marking a 158% increase.
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- India’s position in the Global Innovation Index improved from 76th a decade ago to 39th, showcasing significant strides in R&D capabilities.
- Government Initiatives: Government-backed initiatives like the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) 2023 Act, AICTE’s IDEA Labs, and the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) have further accelerated the research ecosystem.
- SPARC, in particular, has facilitated joint research with top institutions from countries including the US, UK, Germany, Australia, and France.
Promoting Indigenous Knowledge and Grassroots Innovation
- Promoting Local Pedagogy: NEP 2020 emphasises the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) to promote locally relevant pedagogy across school and higher education.
- Innovation: Programs like the Smart India Hackathon are nurturing innovation from the ground up, with over 13.9 lakh students participating and idea submissions increasing sevenfold since 2017.
- This focus on indigenous thinking and digital innovation ensures that India’s educational outputs are not just globally aligned, but also culturally rooted and socially relevant.
Sustainable Employment: Positive Trends in Labour Market Data
- Employment trends over the past few years counter the narrative of rising unemployment.
- Between 2018-19 and 2023-24, the employment rate for educated youth aged 15–29 has consistently improved.
- In 2023-24, the employment rate for men reached 53.4%, while that of women climbed to 22.7%, approaching 2004-05 benchmarks.
- For all age groups, employment rose from 2017-18 levels to 43.7% in 2023-24, with female employment reaching 30.7%—a marked improvement that reflects growing opportunities for women.
- The “good job ratio”—or proportion of regular wage earners—has also improved significantly.
- For men, this grew from 17.2% in 2004-05 to 24.88% in 2023-24. At the same time, casual labour dropped dramatically, especially among women (from 30.31% to 16.68%), according to the NSS and PLFS data.
As India aspires to become a global knowledge hub, NEP 2020 provides the policy framework to achieve this vision. Its success will depend on continued investment, implementation discipline, and cross-sector collaboration.
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The Source’s Authority and Ownership of the Article is Claimed By THE STUDY IAS BY MANIKANT SINGH
