The Union cabinet on July 29 approved the New Education Policy, 2020 that envisages major reforms in higher education, including target of 50% gross enrollment ratio by 2035 and provision for multiple entry/exit.
Announcing this during a briefing on the cabinet decisions, higher education secretary Amit Khare said the NEP would promote multi-disciplinary education and integrated five year Bachelor’s/Master’s course.
Other features include graded academic, administrative and financial autonomy of institutions and single regulator for all higher education working under a self-disclosure based transparent system for approvals in place of numerous ‘inspections’.
Also, e-courses will be developed in regional languages, virtual labs developed and a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) is being created, he said.
Speaking at the press briefing, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said: “It is important because there was no change in the education policy in the last 34 years.”
The government has also decided to rename the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) as Ministry of Education.
Key ministers of the Union cabinet, BJP leaders and allies patted themselves on the back after the cabinet gave the nod for the National Education Policy.
While the BJP president JP Nadda called it “momentous day”, Union minister Harsimrat Badal highlighted the long delay after which this reform came.
Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the policy, the BJP chief said: “The National Education Policy 2020 brings much awaited reforms and regulatory framework which caters to the need of a 21st century ‘New India’ and unleash our children and youth’s energy for a self-reliant better India.”
