How NEP bridges the education-employment gap

The draft of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP-2020) attained finality after five years of consultations under the leadership of former ISRO Chairman K Kasturirangan. The policy was adopted by Parliament on July 29, 2020, thereby replacing the National Policy on Education of 1986.

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The necessity for a paradigm shift stemmed from the critical challenges in educational dispensation. It was felt that the existing policy had been losing relevance, with the emergence of a growing army of unemployable job-seeking graduates who did not have the relevant skill set and knowledge base.

The policy was not in tune with the requirements of the knowledge economy of the 21st century, which is based on the market being the anchor of economic decision-making. The 'massification' of education with selected schemes, interventions and programmes with 'compromised quality' had resulted in what is called 'degree inflation'.

During this period, only a few Indian universities got recognition in the global rating and accreditation systems.

Ironically, the non-absorption of graduates into jobs as per the qualification certificates has often been sighted as a shortcoming of the growth model adopted since 1991.

The NEP-2020 is structured around the five core principles of access, capacity, quality, affordability and accountability, all aiming to align with the emergent socio-economic and global demands. Its vision has been operationalised by the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) developed by the Kasturirangan-headed 12-member committee.

The policy acknowledges the inter-connection and mutual dependence among various stages and domains of education. The outputs of different stages and subsectors of education serve as inputs for the subsequent stages.

The NEP-2020 aims to draw its strength from a multi-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary process of learning, skilling and knowledge acquisition. To achieve this, the policy emphasises the replacement of the rigid structures of the old system with flexible ones. This transformation has to be facilitated through a robust digital infrastructure, system of academic credits and awards, a blended mode of learning, the initiation of more liberal subject combinations and boosting academia-industry interactions.

The policy upholds the Kothari Commission (1968) and subsequent education policy recommendations (1986, revised version 1992) to invest up to 6 per cent of the GDP in the education sector by the Centre, states and union territories' budgets. Notably, the public expenditure by the education department and other government departments on education and training in their respective domains was equivalent to 4.04 per cent of the overall GDP of the country during 2019-20; which constituted 13.03 per cent of the overall budgetary expenditure. Further, during the same year, 24.67 per cent of the overall budgetary expenditure on education (by education and other departments) was incurred by the Central government and the rest by the states and UTs.

Following the new policy, the educational landscape, more particularly in the higher education domain, has gone through cataclysmic changes.

A student’s learning experience gets a boost when he is allowed a chance to creatively combine the core domain knowledge with other subjects of his choice. The cross-fertilisation of ideas with greater conceptual clarity breaks the mental silos. The NEP-2020 enables this through the multi-disciplinary higher education framework, portable credits, multiple entry and exit options and re-entry provisions.

The policy also introduces a structured certification system where students receive certificates, diplomas and degrees based on the duration and extent of the completion of their under-graduate course.

The policy seeks to synchronise India's higher education sector with the global best by incorporating flexibility in both classroom and experiential learnings. To improve educational management, technology has been introduced for the digital storage of credentials, along with the facilitation of online and offline learning by transferring the credits earned.

The policy also envisions that the affiliation of colleges will be gradually faded out by granting graded autonomy. Further, standalone institutions will be encouraged to evolve into multi-disciplinary institutions through strategic collaborations, dual-degree programmes, joint research activities and international exchange programmes.

Flexibility and multidisciplinary approach are the hallmarks in the design of educational programmes, learning strategies and career pathways under NEP-2020. A well-developed higher education system contributes to national growth by supplying a skilled workforce . It also holds intrinsic value as a global industry.

The NEP-2020 holds transformative potential as it unfolds. However, its success hinges on its execution, requiring high standards of implementation, rigorous monitoring and consistent reinforcement. Recognising these aspects, policymakers have facilitated dialogue among stakeholders and also conducted reality checks by collecting data via digital portals.

The NEP-2020 must adopt a flexible framework that fosters competitiveness, enabling institutions to attract teaching and research talent and offer meaningful student incentives.

A key challenge for any policy is overcoming the psychological barrier of the 'announcement effect', which often triggers scepticism among stakeholders. Well-intended reforms risk trivialisation as opportunistic actors repackage old routines as new initiatives. Such probability is high in curriculum-designing, evaluation, assessment and pedagogical practices.

One of the most pressing concerns is curriculum-modernisation as institutions are not accustomed to designing syllabi in a modular format, where the level of complexity increases progressively at every stage. Additionally, resource constraints are an impediment for many institutions, impacting lab infrastructure, internship programmes, training and mentorship initiatives.

Further, institutions need to evolve a mechanism that goes beyond traditional written tests, where students can showcase their skills through practical applications, projects and problem-solving to acquire real-world competencies. This needs more public funds, alumni contributions, industry partnerships, community involvement, donations, etc.

Thus, sustained efforts in governance, faculty training, industry collaboration and student skill development are essential for translating the ambitious vision of the NEP-2020 into a tangible educational transformation.