Pradeep Singh

New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Education Ministry on Wednesday released the New Education Policy (NEP) which ensures major reforms in higher education and has set a target of 50% gross enrollment ration by 2035 and provision for multiple entry and exit.

As per the NEP, the 10+2 system will be divided into 5+3+3+4 format. The NEP changes the school education system to 5+3+3+4 format.

This means the first five years of the school will comprise the foundation stage including three years of pre-primary school and classes 1 and class 2. The next three years will be divided into a preparatory stage from classes 3 to 5. Later three years of middle stage (classes 6 to 8), and four years of secondary stage (classes 9 to 12).

Moreover, as per he New Education Policy of the Ministry, MPhil courses are likely to be discontinued.

Schools will not have any rigid formation of streams of arts, commerce, science, students can take up whichever courses they want.

new education policy

The Education Policy has been modified after 34 years. The NEP was last set-up in 1968 and updated in 1992. It has been followed since then. The NEP 2020 will be available in 22 languages and audio books.

By 2040, all higher education institutions (HEIs) shall aim to become multidisciplinary institutions, each of which will aim to have 3,000 or more students. The common Entrance exam for all higher education institutes to be held by NTA. The exam will be optional and not mandatory, the Ministry said.

Some of other features of the New Education Policy include graded academic, administrative and financial autonomy of institutions and single regulator for all higher education working under a self-disclosure based transparent system for approvals in place of numerous 'inspections'.

new education policy

Meanwhile, e-courses will be developed in regional languages. The Ministry said that virtual labs will be developed and a National Educational Technology Forum(NETF) is being created.

new education policy

Focusing on basic literacy and basic numeracy, the Ministry will go for major changes in the pedagogical structure of curriculum with no rigid separation between streams and all separations between vocational and academic, curricular and extra-curricular will be removed, according to the New Education Policy.

new education policy

The NEP also focus on testing actual knowledge instead of rote learning. Mother tongue to be the medium of instruction till 5th grade and the report cards will be a comprehensive report on skills and capabilities instead of just marks and statements.

new education policy

Meanwhile, public investment in the education sector is expected to reach 6% of GFP at the earliest - currently it is around 4.43%.

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