Transformative changes have taken place both in school and higher education since NEP 2020 implementation: Education Ministry
New Delhi, August 10
After the announcement of the National Education Policy 2020, several transformative changes have taken place both in school and higher education for its implementation, Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar, informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Monday.
In School Education, minister informed several initiatives have been taken such as PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India) for upgradation of schools; Samagra Shiksha for providing quality education with an inclusive and equitable classroom environment for all children; National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat) for ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3; Vidya-Pravesh-Guidelines for three-month play-based school preparation module; PM e-VIDYA to unify all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable coherent multi-mode access to education.
In Higher Education, various initiatives/reforms have been carried out such as National Credit Framework (NCrF) and National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF) in conjunction with guidelines/regulations like Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programme; Multiple Entry and Exit in Academic Programme offered by Higher Education Institutions; Transforming HEIs into multi-disciplinary institutions; pursuing two academic programmes simultaneously; Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR ID) of individual student which will act as lifelong identity to track their educational journey and achievements from, pre-primary to higher education; introduction of PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme to provide financial support to meritorious students inter-alia enabling collateral free, guarantor free loan through a simple, transparent and student-friendly and entirely digital application process, government said.
The ministry said for higher education, digital platforms such as SWAYAM, SWAYAM Prabha, e-PG Pathshala and the UGC e-resource portal provide students with access to quality academic content. The integration of the UGC e-resource portal with the Digital Seva Portal has further expanded access through Common Service Centres, particularly in rural areas, while also making selected content available in regional languages.
To expand flexible learning opportunities, 126 Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are offering about 802 Online Programmes, while 121 HEIs are offering around 1,699 Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programmes, it added.
To support skill development, the SWAYAM Plus portal has also been launched, focusing on upskilling and reskilling the workforce. More than 500 courses have been developed, curated from 89 industry partners across 17 sectors and offered in emerging areas such as AI, Data Analyst etc. So far, more than 6,00,000 students have registered on the platform, government said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting to see how NEP 2020 is being implemented on the ground. The digital push with PM e-VIDYA and SWAYAM is commendable, but I hope rural students actually have the infrastructure and connectivity to benefit from these initiatives. Access without implementation is just paperwork.
The APAAR ID concept sounds promising - a lifelong educational identity tracking a student from pre-primary to higher education. However, I'm concerned about data privacy. With Aadhaar already collecting our biometrics, do students really need another government database tracking their every academic move? 🤔
Happy to see 6 lakh students registered on SWAYAM Plus already. The focus on AI and data analytics courses with industry partnerships is forward-thinking. India needs a workforce ready for the digital economy, and these skill development programs are crucial for that transformation.
Multiple entry and exit in academic programmes is a game-changer for students facing financial constraints. Earlier, if you had to drop out mid-degree, your progress was wasted. Now you can exit with a certificate or diploma and re-enter later. This truly makes education flexible and student-centric. 🙌
While I appreciate the intent behind NEP 2020, I wish there was more emphasis on teacher training. You can reform curriculum and introduce 10 new frameworks, but if teachers aren't trained to deliver this modern pedagogy, nothing changes in the classroom. Let's invest in our teachers first!
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