Are the provisions made in NEP sufficient to amalgamate technology in rural schools in order to promote digital literacy and also adequate to overcome the possible challenges in its successful implementation?
This puts the fulfillment of our ambition to become ‘Vishwa Guru’ in question, since through similar trends, the energy of millions of young people will remain unexploited.
Then how can NEP break the chain of poverty, unemployment, migration, disproportionate urbanization and crime by providing elementary education in rural India?
The success of our PM’s most talked about program ‘skilled India’ essentially depends on elementary education in rural India, which could be a way to transform the picture. At the same time it is also vital to discover how New Education Policy is going to address the Rural- Urban gap in education system.
Now, as we shift our concern to higher education, it is necessary to question the significant changes made in NEP (in higher education sector).
To secure admission in universities and colleges in order to attain higher education, NEP has made the provision of common entrance test to be conducted by NTA (though it will be optional in nature). The test will be somehow similar to standardized aptitude tests such as SAT (USA).
Under graduate degrees will have a duration of three to four years with multiple exit options which may accordingly handover Certificates for programs, diplomas or Bachelor’s degree.
A four year program pursued by a student with a rigorous research project in his/her major field of study will be equivalent to a bachelor's degree plus one year of Research.
Vocational degree BVoc will continue to exist and LokVidya(developed in India as ancient knowledge) will be made accessible through integrated programs in various vocational education courses.
However, the application and economic sustainability (employment) of LokVidya in contemporary environment is debatable. Upon analyzing, we realize that the core purpose of ancient Indian education was to instill a set of moral principals in students by integrating the study of mind and emotions in rational ways, alongside empowering pupils to rely on self-generate solutions.
The time-honored practices of developing calm, unshakeble mind (shamatha) and analytical discernments (vipashyana) have helped to develop methodical understanding of workings of mind and emotions. Is there any substantial difference between the branches of psychology and yoga?
Not really.
Therefore by combing ancient knowledge with modern technology and methodology, it’s possible for India to take lead in science of consciousness once again, as it has been envisioned in NEP.
Next, higher education institutions will have greater flexibility to offer diverse designs of Masters Programs. Students with a three years' Bachelor’s degree can pursue a two-year Master’s programs and students with a four–year Bachelor’s degree with Research can pursue one year's master’s degree.
An Academic Bank of Credit is to be established for digitally storing academic credits earned from different HEIs so that these can be transferred and counted when final degrees will be awarded.
Undoubtedly it is a much welcomed move in order to simplify the result declaration process and at the same time eliminate the errors in reporting. This also implies a paperless system and a greener environment.
To enroll in a PhD program, a Master’s degree or a four years' Bachelor’s degree with Research shall be required.
Discontinuation of M.Phil Programme, a middle research degree, is a noticeable change offered by NEP whereas experts have no concrete remarks about their degree relevance and the impacts of its discontinuation.
The dismantling of UGC and AICTE depicts that the policy intended to keep a single regulator (HECI) for higher education institutions across the country with multiple verticals to fulfil various roles. The critics have to say that this merely offers new wine into old bottles.
The National Research Foundation (NRF) will be created as apex body for fostering research culture and building research capacity across higher education system. The proposed budget will be 1% of GDP per year initially, to be increased annually to commensurate with inflation.
The challenges that limit the research capacity of India are hesitant attitude towards international research collaborations, tight-fistedness on travel grant for dissemination of research work on international platforms, limited reach of quality journal, and absence of proper funding mechanism for experimental and theoretical science and finally, inconvenient disbursal of research grants.
One can hope that NRF would be able to address mentioned encounters in assuming its ambitious goal.
Further the government has proposed that Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities, at par with IITs, IIMs to be set as models of best multidisciplinary education of global standards in the country.
A move of the government that allows entry of foreign universities, comes to the public as a surprise as this BJP government had opposed the Entry and Operation Bill 2010 (foreign Educational Institution) proposed by UPA-2 government.
As NEP projects the benefits of existence of foreign institutions enormously, it has been ten years since the BJP discarded the same decision of UPA government.
So, can the government justify why it held back the introduction of foreign education in India? Why did they cause the delay for 10 long years?
In a country like India, there are plenty of examples of political thoughtlessness, whose cost was paid by the country and its citizens.
The new policy has paved way for foreign universities to set up campuses in India while high ranked Indian institutions will also be encouraged to set up their campuses in other countries.
The new education policy also aims to promote India as global study destination by providing premium education at affordable costs.
Nevertheless, it shall also pose numerous challenges.
High cost education offering foreign institutions and low cost education offering Indian institutions will further be divided into elite-class institutions and affordable, commoners' institutions. This shall tend to disobey institutional values.
On the other hand, workforce poaching by foreign institutions from public institutions will be a common practice as the appointment of locals would be cost-effective.
On one hand the government's advisers are highlighting Ivy Leagues as the epitome of excellence, whereas on the other hand the government has always highlighted the ideal of self-sufficient India and utmost Indianization. Aren't the two policies contradictory in terms of the government's ideology?
The full coverage of NEP and debate on such a vivid policy matter in a single piece is challenging. But there are some concerns which need cross-examination very closely and responsibly.
How will India (being the world’s largest and most diverse democracy) thrive for constitutional and cultural values in wake of privatization / commercialization of education with such high levels of government autonomy?
Where the fundamental rights and duties will be placed to lead the future generation on such values? Moreover, what will happen to the democratic mechanism already infused in statue of public institution and in its DNA that compliments the roles of all stakeholders in cohesive manner?
The policy includes SEDGs (Socially, Economically Disadvantaged Groups), a mere buzz word but there is no clarity on the forms of privileges and perks that would be offered to them (such as reservations, scholarships, etc.).
And, if it has to be incorporated in education policy of institutes, then would it be followed by private and elite institutions as well?
There is a popular notion that raising the issues of gender disparity is either political or related to feminist movements. To break this stereotype, education is quintessential to change the mindsets of people.
Gender budgeting in NEP is need of the hour in order to combat disproportionate attainment of education in terms of gender. Thus, education policies must conduct researches related to gender studies. This will aid the identification of obstacle in the way of educational equality and the problems of women related issues to be tackled with across cultural, political, economic and social landscape.
Rural and tribal Women, being close to nature are considered as patrons of natural resources. Thus, promoting researches on ecological and natural disaster management by utilizing their indigenous knowledge can help preserve diversity at large. This shall promote multidisciplinary approach by integrating natural sciences and social sciences.
Women embody the soft skills effortlessly and naturally. Thus, provisions should be made in education policies to harness their talent in the fields of STEM, where women's presence is negligible.
Undeniably, the announcement of NEP amidst pandemic times has sparked optimism in the minds of all stakeholders of education but on the other hand it has blocked the key arteries of reflection for further debate and discussions.
Image courtesy - Twitter handle of HRD Ministry
ANITA TRIPATHI – VP & Head - Spl. Projects, Collaborations, IOP
MBA in Corporate Management; M. Phil in Biotech; MSc (Botany); Former Country Coordinator, Excel Book Publications, Tanzania; Former Research Associate, UN - PRME at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: She has diversified experience in life sciences, biotechnology & business management through education, teaching, research, community development, and strategic business expansion work; Former Mrs. India Beautiful Smile at Beauty Pageant;