National Education Policy 2020

The Union Cabinet has decided to grant its approval to the National Education Policy 2020 on July 29, and the new policy will bring about new changes in the employment and education scenario in the country. As the NEP gets its approval, India is set to get a new educational policy after nearly 34 years.

There are a lot of changes that are to be implemented under the NEP 2020. The National Education Policy 2020 has been approved by the Union Cabinet and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) will now be renamed as the Ministry of Education..

Reforms announced in NEP 2020 are, 

• The new rules under NEP 2020 have suggested the extension of the age group of the Right to Education to policy. Till now, the policy is only valid up to the age of 14. Under NEP, this is to be extended to the age of 18.
• The new NEP aims at the universalization of pre-primary education and provides foundational literacy to all by 2025.
• "The draft NEP is based on the foundational pillars access, affordability, equity, quality, and accountability," states the draft released today. The sentiment of the NEP is supposed to revolve around this statement.
• Instead of following the current 10+2 schooling system, the new NEP will most likely follow a 5+3+3+4 schooling model. Students in the age group of 3-8 years will be part of the foundation stage, 8-11 age group for preparatory schooling, 11-14 years for middle school and 14-18 for secondary level.
• The students will have more flexibility when it comes to choosing subjects across various streams such as arts, commerce and science under the National Education Policy 2020.
• As per the new NEP, students will be learning multiple languages in the foundation stage of their schooling since students have a higher learning aptitude in the early stages of life. The school will teach students a minimum of three languages in their curriculum.
• The NEP also aims to create a new highest regulating body, the Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog or National Education Commission that would be headed by the Prime Minister of India. 

The draft of the NEP by a panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Kasturirangan and submitted to the Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal when he took charge last year. The new NEP replaces the one formulated in 1986.

The policy aims to enable an individual to study one or more specialized areas of interest at a deep level, and also develop character, scientific temper, creativity, the spirit of service, and 21st-century capabilities across a range of disciplines including sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, among others.