National Education Policy 2022

National Education Policy (NEP) includes almost every aspect of Education, starting from Elementary Education up to Higher Education in rural as well as urban India. The first NEP was promoted by the Government of India, by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1968, the second one by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986, and the third one by the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022. Founded on the five pillars, that is, access, affordability, equity, quality, and accountability, the NEP provides for reforms at all levels of education- from School to Higher Education. With the aim of developing India into a noble nation of knowledge and super-power, the policy emphasizes Research, Innovation, and Quality. The policy has held its motto as Educate, Encourage, Enlighten.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has stated in her Budjet-Speech, that a Central University will be set up in Leh to establish proper access to Higher Education. She has allocated funds of Rs.50,000 Crore INR for National Research Foundation and Rs.40 Crore for Ekalavya schools.

The NEP has particularly focused on historically marginalized, disadvantaged, and underrepresented groups. Education is regarded as the best leveler with the capability to achieve economic and social mobility, inclusion, and equality. The NEP has therefore urged on taking the apt initiatives to absorb all students from such groups into the mainstream educational system and offer them all sorts of targeted opportunities so that they too may shine and excel despite their inherent obstacles. Thus “full equity and inclusion” must be the motto of all educational decisions, so that all students are able to get an equal platform and can “thrive” in the education system.

The NEP, in order to materialize its motto, has started with the ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education). Thus it has targeted to ensure universal access to high-quality ECCE across India in a phased manner. Special focus and priority will be given to the particularly socio-economically disadvantaged districts and locations.

The Vision of NEP:

The NEP harbors a vision to establish “an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India, that is, Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge superpower”.

Some Special Highlights of the NEP:

• * Public spending on education by States and the Center has been increased to 6% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
• * The Ministry of HRD (Human Resource Development) has been renamed the Ministry of Education.
• * There will be no rigid separation between Arts and Science, Academic and Vocational, and Curricular and Extracurricular streams.
• * The education of gifted children will be taken care of.
• * Formation of a Gender Inclusion Fund.