TED NewsDesk, New Delhi: The union cabinet recently made sweeping reforms in the National Policy of Education, 1986. After 34 years the BJP government has replaced the policy and added new educational structure and approach for schools and colleges.
The earlier 10+2 structure of schools will be discontinued, to be replaced by 5+3+3+4, with no rigid separations between the streams of arts, commerce, and science. While in higher education, multiple entry and exit options have been implemented. Likewise, there are many changes made in the Education policy of India. The government has initiated this step to render the inclusive, participatory, and holistic approach, which will follow the field experience, empirical research, and more.
The changes in Higher education have been on the following pattern:
The NEP divides the graduate programmes into one year, two years, and three/four years program. It provides the students an exit option whenever they want to. Students who exit a bachelor’s degree after one year will be given a diploma certificate. Those who do so after two years will be given an advanced diploma certificate. And lastly, those who continue for three/four years of their respective programs will be given a bachelor’s degree. An Academic Bank of Credit or ABC will also be set up in the colleges and universities. Those who wish to opt for discontinuation and have the option to continue higher education can use these credits.
In context of the students pursuing Master’s and Doctorate degrees, their programmes have also witnessed a few changes. Students will be provided with one year master’s degree program. Those who continue for the second year, it will wholly consist of research-based education. The integrated program of 4 years of bachelor’s degree and one year of master’s degree will continue. Students who have completed a master’s degree can opt for a Ph.D. Meanwhile, M. Phil program has been discontinued in the NEP 2020.
Colleges and Universities:
- UGC and AICTE are to be merged.
- The affiliation of colleges with universities will end.
- Multidisciplinary Education and Research University (MERUs), a part of IIT/IIM to be set up in each district.
- Entrance exams to held by the National Testing Agency (NTA), twice a year.
- One regulation for all departments, except Law and Medical.
There will also be a cap on fees for private institutions. The foreign campuses will also be set up in Top Indian Universities. And students will be exposed to global varsity which wasn’t there previously. They will be provided with various exchange programs too. Leadership and Head of the institution position will be granted to the person with high education qualification and demonstrated administrative, leadership, and managing complex situations capabilities.
Rolling out the old system and easing up the graduation and post-graduation programs is quite a relief. Students now don’t have to be stuck in the graduation programs and can exit it without actually worrying about it or fear of losing one year of their lives. And similarly continue their education without much confusion and hesitation after discontinuing for a period. The exposure to global education and students will help students more in the betterment of their knowledge, academics, and work campuses. Keeping the entrance exam twice a year will give students chances to prepare well and write it in case they miss the exam. The more vocational the students get, the more skilled they will be in their fields. Their knowledge doesn’t have to be limited to academics alone. This is also to give more focus on technological knowledge and to make sure even the people deprived of it gain the basic knowledge of it.
While the success or failure of this system is yet to be determined, the changes in the policy after 34 years is a fresh burst of air.