MP: Second State to implement NEP 2020

Madhya Pradesh Polity and Governance

27-Aug-21

Madhya Pradesh government implemented the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020) in the state on August 26, 2021. Karnatka was the first state to implement education policy in early August.

Key Points

MP became the second state to implement National Education Policy.
Under new Education Policy Students will be given increased flexibility and choice of subjects to study.
Earlier, students were required to study subjects prescribed in a course. But now they will have the option to choose their subjects according to their interests.
NEP 2020 also focuses on National Service Scheme (NSS), National Cadet Corps (NCC) and skill-based subjects.
It will be implemented in all regions of the state, including 16 government universities and 40 private universities, in some four years.

National Education Policy, 2020

The Union cabinet in July 2020 approved the New Education Policy (NEP), which aims at universalization of education from pre-school to secondary level. The Union cabinet in July 2020 approved the New Education Policy (NEP), which aims at universalization of education from pre-school to secondary level.

School Education

NEP proposes for universalization of education from preschool to secondary level and seeks to achieve 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by the year 2030. It will bring 2 crores out of school children back into the mainstream by the means of open schooling system. 10+2 system has been replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 curricular structure under the new policy.

Other Features of NEP 2020

Ensuring Universal Access at All Levels of schooling from pre-primary school to Grade 12;
Ensuring quality early childhood care and education for all children between 3-6 years;
New Curricular and Pedagogical Structure (5+3+3+4);
No hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, between vocational and academic streams;
Establishing National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy;
Emphasis on promoting multilingualism and Indian languages; The medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language.
Assessment reforms - Board Exams on up to two occasions during any given school year, one main examination and one for improvement, if desired;
Setting up of a new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development);
Equitable and inclusive education - Special emphasis given on Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups(SEDGs);
A separate Gender Inclusion fund and Special Education Zones for disadvantaged regions and groups;
Robust and transparent processes for recruitment of teachers and merit based performance;
Ensuring availability of all resources through school complexes and clusters;
Setting up of State School Standards Authority (SSSA);
Exposure of vocational education in school and higher education system;
Increasing GER in higher education to 50%;
Holistic Multidisciplinary Education with multiple entry/exit options;
NTA to offer Common Entrance Exam for Admission to HEIs;
Establishment of Academic Bank of Credit;
Setting up of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities(MERUs);
Setting up of National Research Foundation(NRF);
‘Light but Tight’ regulation;
Single overarching umbrella body for promotion of higher education sector including teacher education and excluding medical and legal education- the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)-with independent bodies for standard setting- the General Education Council; funding-Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC); accreditation- National Accreditation Council (NAC); and regulation- National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC);
Expansion of open and distance learning to increase GER.
Internationalization of Education
Professional Education will bean integral part of the higher education system. Stand-alone technical universities, health science universities, legal and agricultural universities, or institutions in these or other fields, will aim to become multi-disciplinary institutions.
Teacher Education - 4-year integrated stage-specific, subject- specific Bachelor of Education
Establishing aNational Mission for Mentoring.
Creation of an autonomous body,the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, administration. Appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education.
Achieving 100% youth and adult literacy.
Multiple mechanisms with checks and balances will combat and stop the commercialization of higher education.
All education institutions will be held to similar standards of audit and disclosure as a ‘not forprofit’ entity.
The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest.
Strengthening of the Central Advisory Board of Education to ensure coordination to bring overall focus on quality education.
Ministry of Education: In order to bring the focus back on education and learning, it may be desirable to re-designate MHRD as the Ministry of Education (MoE).