New Educational Policy, 2020

At 4 pm on Wednesday, 29 July 2020 Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar and Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal has announced the new education policy, 2020 which aims at making "India a global knowledge superpower." 

Cabinet has approved reforms in higher education that includes a target achieving of 50 percent gross enrollment ratio by 2035.

This policy is for all level education system i.e school and college. The government aims to introduce the policy before the new session kicks in. The academic session will begin in September- October. The delay is due to the corona viruses outbreak.

Some highlights of this policy are:-

1) Preparatory class Balavatika for children below the age of 5 with an Early Childhood and Caring Education (ECCE) Qualified teachers. The teacher of ECCE will teach the children with the aim of holistic development of the child.

2) Basic Literacy and Numeracy for children aged between 6 to 9 years.

3) 10+2 system changed to 5+3+3+4. School will not have any rigid formation of streams like arts, science and commerce. Students will select their subjects by their own.

4) School curriculum will also be reduced to core concepts and there will be integration of Vocational educational training from Class 6.

5) Tech-based options for adults learning through apps, TV channels, etc.

6) Variable models for board exams- annual, semester, modular exams. Importance of board exam to be reduced, exam can be conducted twice a year. And it will test the actual knowledge over rote learning.

7) 360 degree holistic report card for students. Means the performance of students will observe in three different ways.

8) Coding to be taught from class 6 onwards. Because coding is the basic of learning scientific and mathematical skills.

9) Education content in regional languages. It means E- courses will be developed in regional languages; virtual labs will be developed and a National Educational Technology Forum is being created.

10) National Testing Agency (NTA) to offer common entrance exam to all colleges for admission to various courses.

11) Multiple entry and exit programmes for higher education.

12) Undergraduate degree courses to have multiple exit options.

13)  The new policy, Academic, Administrative and Financial Autonomy will also be given to colleges depending on their status of accreditation.

14) Multidisciplinary institutions. Big institutions like IIT will also offer the additional subjects.

15) There will be 5 years integrated courses for bachelors and masters as well. The government also announced the discontinuation of M.phil.

The Union Cabinet renamed the ministry of human resource and development as the ministry of Education.

Truly, today is the very remarkable day in the history of education.