Analyzing the NEP 2020 for Achieving SDGs

Abstract

The NEP 2020 was launched at a time when the nation was struggling to make sense of the pandemic, at a time when there was no clarity regarding major decisions such as board exams and entrance exams for various courses. At a time when the general population was struggling for their lives and livelihoods, the policy was introduced with lofty ambitions, vague procedures and long-term changes. The replacement of the Central Education Minister since also raises questions.
The implications for these changes are equally concerning. The country is seeing ever larger number of students going abroad, a new wave of brain-drain. The cost of private higher education has increased exponentially but there are few checks on its quality. There are exciting developments like foreign universities setting up campuses in India but it deflects attention from the fact that it will only perpetuate the current class bias in education.
This article aims at clarifying the major provisions of the NEP 2020 and understanding its impact, both positive and negative, on the various stakeholders in the current education system.