The launch of the National Education Policy (NEP) on July 29, 2020, which restructured the country’s education system, marked an important milestone in the education sector in India. The policy aimed to modernise the country’s educational landscape. It highlights the significance of comprehensive and equitable learning and focuses on delivering excellent educational opportunities to all, irrespective of socioeconomic background.

Now that the NEP 2020 has been launched three years, it’s time to look into the changes it has brought and the effects it has had on many facets of education.

Also Read: NEP 2020: Will ‘PARAKH’ Streamline Students Assessment, Evaluation Rules Across State Boards?

Adoption of Indian Ancient Knowledge In Higher Education

In accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places a strong focus on employing Indian knowledge in higher education curricula, the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) established an Indian Knowledge System division within the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) projects will be carried out through “Indovation centres” that the AICTE aims to establish all around the country. According to IKS guidelines, students can now earn credits under the National Credit Framework (NCrF) by possessing knowledge of the Vedas, Puranas, and other ancient Indian books.

Introduction of 4-year UG ‘Honours’ degree

In an effort to make higher education more multidisciplinary, the NEP 2020 indicated that students will henceforth be required to study for four years, rather than three, in order to get a UG ‘Honours’ degree. After completing 120 credits, students will receive a UG degree in three years, and after finishing 160 credits, they will receive a UG Honours degree in four years. The traditional three-year graduation programmes offered by central institutions will be run concurrently with the Four Year Undergraduate Programmes (FYUP). Additionally, several entry and exit options will be available to students.

Promoting Regional languages as a medium of Instruction

One of the recommendations of the NEP 2020 is to make medical and other technical course materials available in the local tongue. President Droupadi Murmu introduced engineering textbooks in Odia in November of last year in an effort to make education more widely available. Following suit, the Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) also announced that it will provide BTech courses for first-year students in Hindi.

In an effort to provide medical instruction in the Hindi language, Madhya Pradesh issued three medical textbooks last year for first-year MBBS students. Several other languages will be implemented in medical and technical education, and textbooks are being developed in these languages.

UGC Guidelines For Multidisciplinary Education

The transition of HEIs into diversified universities and colleges is a key component of NEP 2020. In this regard, the UGC released a number of rules on multidisciplinary education, including the provision of online degree programmes, credit transfer through registration in the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), and a number of other matters. The UGC also recommends collaboration between institutions and mergers of organisations operating under the same administration in order to maximise the utilisation of academic and physical resources and provide a multidisciplinary education.

Approval of new engineering institutions

In accordance with the NEP 2020, preference will be given to HEIs that would provide courses in multi-disciplinary STEM fields, based on guidelines provided in the AICTE handbook. Students must sign up for at least three core engineering courses moving ahead. The AICTE had placed a moratorium on new engineering colleges owing to low admissions, but it was overturned due to the rising trend of students choosing core engineering topics, resulting in the approval of 89 new engineering institutions.