The New Education Policy (NEP-2020) envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must inculcate among the students a deep sense of respect towards the fundamental duties and constitutional values.
This will result in a self awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a changing world at young age.The dimensions of shell based education along with culture of innovations will lead to sustainable development and honorable living.
The policy is based on the foundation of affordability, equity and quality. It is paving the path for many new initiatives in education including holistic and multidisciplinary education and will overhaul education landscape of the country.
The policy envisions an education system with a goal for providing high-quality education to all, will augment the broad perspectives of system of education thereby making India a global knowledge superpower by providing students with the necessary skills and sufficient knowledge.
Professional Education with Multiple Dimensions
Health Science Universities, Technical Universities, Agriculture Universities and Legal Universities shall aim to become Multidisciplinary institutions offering holistic and multidisciplinary education. These should offer both (Professional and General Education) seamlessly and in an integrated manner. Being teacher in professional institutions, the Systematic steps for implementation need to be taken on priority.
Step 1:- Medical Education: All MBBS graduates must possess (i) Medical Skills (ii) Diagnostic Skills (iii) Surgical Skills (iv) Emergency skills. They must be assessed at regular intervals on well defined parameters even during their graduation and thereafter in services. The compulsory rotation internships should be made robust and effective, which is in doll drums probably across the country. Allied health care education has to be improved and institutions be established in all districts as per scheme. Increasing intake capacity and expanding postgraduate education on priority is one of the hall marks of this new policy. There is need to open new courses as suggested to update knowledge using modern information and research methodology tools.
Step 2:- Technical Education: Preparing professionals in cutting edge areas that are fast gaining prominence, such as Intelligent automation, Artificial Intelligence, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Materials, Machine Learning, Synthesis and Processing, 3-D Metal Printing, Nano-electromechanical Systems (NEMS), Wearable Electronics, Spintronics, Semiconductor Physics and Devices, Industrial Internet of Things, Building Information Modeling, Cloud and Mobile Technology, Wireless Power Transfer, Wireless Wearable technology, Energy-saving lighting technologies, Electrical transport, Data Sciences, Climate Science, Aerospace Engineering, Machine Learning, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Biomedical instrumentation with applications to health, environment and sustainable living. Industry linkage is mandatory. Prof Rakesh Sehgal, Director NIT Srinagar has made many initiatives in opening new courses phase-wise which are job oriented and modern trends. Equally, Prof Qayyom Hussian, Vice Chancellor of Cluster University has proposed the opening up of few attractive courses, which shall be beneficial for students of the region.
Step 3:-Agriculture Education: Through better skilled graduates increase agriculture productivity. These institutions should benefit local community directly. Set up Agriculture Technology Parks to promote technology incubation and dissemination and promote sustainable methodologies. Involve students in projects and give them the first hand knowledge about agriculture and food issues. Agricultural education is to study horticulture, forestry, conservation, natural resources, agricultural products, production of food and fiber, aquaculture and other agricultural products, economics, marketing, and leadership development. This education programs assist with providing lifelong learning opportunities in and about agriculture and provides opportunities to learn basic agricultural skills and knowledge, and professional growth and development.
Step 4: -Legal education: This education will be revolution by modern technology, leaving no scope cheating and false statements. Actions, communications and messages could be reproduced even after decades by detectors. Thus, this education should be competitive globally, adopting best practices and embracing new technologies for timely delivery of justice. Universities must ensure that the curriculum reflects in an evidence based manner, the history of legal thinking, principles of justice and practice of jurisprudence and other related content appropriately and adequately. Modern technology will give new dimensions to legal education and practices.
NEP-2020 is not merely a policy but a vision document for our future which aims to establish a student-centric education system and envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must inculcate among the students a deep sense of respect towards the Fundamental duties and constitutional values. For well rounded personalities, the following need to given emphases
Honesty and integrity in everyday matters
Full of commitment, empathy, time management and multiple interests
Strong sense of responsibility and Resilience.
interests in several genres and open minded to learn new things
Handle conflicts smoothly and conflict-resolving skills
Stand out from the crowd, stay ahead in competition
Experience and the knowledge of several different things essential to succeed in life.
These qualities with culture of innovations will surely lead to sustainable development and honorable living.
Dr. M. A. Shah teaches Nanotechnology at NIT Srinagar