Union Cabinet of the Govt. of India approved National Education Policy 2020 on July 29, 2020 that replaced the 34 years old National Policy of Education of 1986 to foster a revolutionary transformation of the school and higher education systems in India. NEP-2020 is based on the report submitted by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of the eminent space scientist Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan who headed the Indian Space Research Organisation from 1994 to 2003. National Education Policy 2020 envisions an education system rooted in our culture and ethos that contributes directly in transforming India, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge superpower. This policy envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must develop among the students a deep sense of respect towards the “fundamental duties and constitutional values”, bonding with one’s country besides a conscious awareness of one’s roles and responsibilities in a rapidly changing world.
Main objective of the NEP-2020 is to evolve the country into a flourishing knowledge society by transforming its school and higher educational sectors into a system that incorporates humanitarian and constitutional values, creativity and critical thinking, harnessing innovation, use of modern technology, and philanthropic private as well as community participation, while still recognizing education as a public service. NEP-2020 recognizes that the pedagogy adopted in the Indian education system must evolve to make education more experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented, learner-centric, discussion-based, flexible, and at the same time, enjoyable in order to nurture and promote unique capabilities of each and every student. As opposed to the previous education policy which focused largely on the issues of access and equity, NEP-2020 is founded on the core principles of accessibility, accountability, quality, relevance, affordability and equity and is also aligned to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by India along with all United Nations Member States in 2015. NEP-2020 envisages to move towards multidisciplinary universities and colleges, establish more higher education institutions across India; move towards faculty and institutional autonomy; revamp curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and student support system, at both UG and PG levels.
The idea of a University has been described by John Henry Newman in his 1852 volume as, “A University is a place where students come from every quarter for every kind of knowledge; a place for the communication and circulation of a thought; a place where inquiry is pushed forward, discoveries verified and perfected, and error exposed, by the collision of mind with mind, and knowledge with knowledge. Thus is created a pure and clear atmosphere of thought, which the student also breathes”. The university, as a neutral ground for the exchange of ideas, has to provide a uniquely appropriate setting for initiating this process. It also presents an opportunity to demonstrate how a modern university can serve as a co-producer of knowledge, creating partnerships with other institutions of learning. New Education Policy of 2020 envisions to bring about a paradigm shift in this very “Idea of a University” across the country by stipulating that, “A University means a multidisciplinary institution of higher learning that offers undergraduate and graduate programs with high quality teaching, research and community engagement”. It lays down the distinction between research intensive universities, teaching intensive universities and the autonomous degree awarding colleges. As per this policy higher educational institutions will have the option to run open distance learning and online programmes. Thus interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity is henceforth going to be the new normal of our higher education institutions.
As per Nelson Mandella, “Education is the most powerful tool that can change the destiny of any nation”. During the past few decades, certain fundamental changes have taken place in our higher education system. With the unveiling of National Educational Policy 2020 and the initiatives being taken for its implementation, the country is all set to become a major producer of new knowledge and applications. Never before in our history, higher education has received more attention than in the last decade. It is now recognized as the key instrument of socio-economic development. Having taught and practiced management all my life, I strongly believe in the argument that the competitiveness of our economy in the future will largely depend on the innovations and creativity and the role of higher education is central and pivotal to this process. What matters the most therefore is the quality and relevance of our education, the competence to generate ideas, capacity to transform the society and that is where we can make a difference. As teachers we must inculcate a deep sense of commitment to the power of education and research, which can eventually transform the society for good. The vision of India’s new education policy has been crafted to ensure that it touches the life of every citizen, consistent with their ability to contribute to many growing developmental imperatives of this country on the one hand, and towards creating a just and equitable society on the other. It seeks to develop good human beings capable of rational thought and action, possessing compassion and empathy, courage and resilience, scientific temper and creative imagination, with sound ethical moorings and values.
In this fast changing academic environment, Jammu & Kashmir too is gearing up to realize the aims and objectives of NEP-2020 by envisioning itself to become a new hub of knowledge by developing its human resource as well as institutional capacity in higher education and creating a favorable eco-system for the establishment of state-of-the-art knowledge institutes of national and global repute. It is high time when J&K must aspire to create a trained workforce of creative, culturally competent and critically sensitive human capital who can contribute towards every sphere of scientific, cultural and human development in the country. Government of J&K has already made commendable strides in the field of education and in September this year has already initiated action on NEP-2020 by constituting a commission for its implementation. With a 67% literacy rate, J&K stands first amongst the northern States and Union Territories in the country. Our gross enrolment ration (GER) of 30.9% in higher education is above the national average of 26.3%. While we have 47 NAAC accredited colleges in J&K almost a hundred of them are yet to be accredited. Now in consonance with the objectives of NEP-2020 Govt. of J&K must finalize its targets for the next five years and envisage to establish at least one govt. degree college in each of the 125 blocks or under-served districts; encourage at least one professional multidisciplinary college in each district; establish two more cluster universities; make sufficient number of degree colleges autonomous; classify all universities into research-intensive, teaching-intensive and autonomous/cluster universities, start skill-based/vocational courses in all govt. degree colleges, establish design innovation and incubation centres at all degree colleges with a view to foster entrepreneurship, make adequate investment in higher education sector of J&K and revise and update curriculum of all courses offered at UG and PG level on priority basis. In order to strengthen industry-academia partnerships, enhance the skills and competencies of the students with a view to enable them to compete and succeed in the global markets, establishment of the Centre for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training (CIIIT) at a cost of 181.57 crores at Govt. Polytechnic College, Baramulla recently by the J&K govt. is a major initiative in this direction.
Over the past few decades, overall global environment has morphed into a unified sphere through technology and the needs of a public, whose map no longer acknowledges any borders. Several technological and political forces have converged and produced a global, web-enabled playing field that allows multiple forms of partnerships and collaborations without any regard to distance, geography, language or any other boundaries. This is what American political commentator and author Thomas Friedman calls “the playing field is being levelled and the world is becoming flat”. The unprecedented advances in technology have changed the entire landscape of the higher education. National education policy aims at appropriately integrating technology into all levels and spheres of education. National repository of educational data will maintain all records related to university teachers and students in a digital form. The policy aims to achieve 100% youth and adult literacy by 2030 besides significantly expanding adult and continuing education programs. NEP 2020 endeavours to increase the GER in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% to 50% by the year 2035 by adding some 3.5 crore new seats to the higher education institutions nationwide. So the demands put up by NEP-2020 entail upon all the institutions of higher learning to adopt a more proactive approach for the implementation of this policy.
Highly renowned Kothari Commission had very well articulated and envisioned way back in 1964 that the destiny of India will be shaped in the classrooms of our educational institutions. It is the academic and research acumen of our youth that will give us an edge in today’s cut-throat competitive world. Cutting edge research and innovation can only stand us in a good stead in a fast changing global order. Therefore it is time that we pool all our sincere and dedicated efforts towards implementation of the National Education Policy-2020 in J&K. Luminaries in the field of education need to use their expertise and visionary insights in developing a blueprint for the successful implementation of this policy in J&K. We need to keep pace with fast-changing global scenario in education in order to successfully meet the future challenges. Teacher, student and the curriculum should be the primary focus of all our reforms besides infrastructure and other essential amenities. Implementing NEP-2020 and evolving as world class institutions of higher learning demands a paradigm shift in our mindset, attitude, and enthusiasm, goal-setting as well as ambition.
Author is a Professor in the Dept. of Management Studies and Director of UGC-HRDC at the University of Kashmir