NEP 2020: Elevating India’s educational landscape

 Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipaknewslive@gmail.com.)

The NEP 2020 has had a profound impact on Indian education, society, parental attitudes, and mindset. Previously, education was primarily associated with acquiring degrees without a focus on practical skills, resulting in a surplus of unemployed youth ill-equipped to tackle present challenges and future prospects. To effectively navigate the opportunities of an evolving world, it’s imperative to equip our youth with the necessary skills aligned with the job market’s demands. The NEP 2020 can play a pivotal role in transforming the education sector to embrace upcoming challenges and prospects. Recognising the unpredictability of the future in terms of health, environment, jobs, and skills, a revamped syllabus that integrates science, technology, languages, and social sciences is essential. The vision of NEP 2020 is to shape India into a hub of innovation, fostering adaptable, collaborative, and skilled individuals. Starting as early as seventh grade, students will engage in skill-based activities to instill a “work is worship” ethos, imparting practical life skills such as communication, letter writing, basic repairs, driving, cooking, and utilising technology. This approach aspires to create a capable workforce empowered to apply intellect, empathy, and hands-on abilities, ultimately contributing to a self-reliant nation.

The colonial education system aimed to undermine Indian Knowledge Systems, instilling disdain for our traditions, religions, communities, rural life, and local economies. It fostered a disconnect from our cherished aspects, such as villages, natural resources, and essential professions like pottery, blacksmithing, and weaving that form the economic backbone of our nation’s villages.

Our education system has become detached from our core ethos and moral foundations, despite the rich legacy of scientific advancements in fields such as mathematics, surgery, medicine, Ayurveda, and yoga within our culture. The NEP 2020 has effectively sparked a renewed appreciation for our Indian heritage among the youth, highlighting the significance of texts like Charak Samhita, the wisdom of Chanakya, and the pioneering linguist Panini. This resurgence has inspired both educators and students to actively engage in researching and exploring our indigenous knowledge systems. Over the short span of three years, NEP 2020 has remarkably sensitised the Indian academic community towards the imperatives of syllabus enhancement, textbook revision, teacher training, and the readiness to embrace the adaptability inherent in our Indian Knowledge Systems, technology, and yoga. This preparedness aims to equip individuals to confidently confront the unforeseen challenges of tomorrow.

According to NEP 2020, educators should possess the readiness to acquire novel knowledge and technologies while also discarding obsolete information that doesn’t align with current and future needs. Concurrently, they should be open to relearning emerging technologies and possibilities, thereby empowering young learners to effectively navigate forthcoming opportunities. This ongoing learning journey will cultivate a culture of perpetual learning among teachers, transforming them into lifelong learners. Such individuals, embracing new technologies and research landscapes, epitomise adaptability, ultimately fostering a workforce equipped to readily embrace any future circumstances.

The designation of June 21 as International Yoga Day has opened avenues for learning, understanding, and reaping the health advantages of India’s ancient knowledge system of yoga. NEP 2020 has underscored the substantial economic prospects in the realm of Yogic Studies, drawing global attention to India as a beacon of yogic wisdom for holistic well-being.

The United Nations General Assembly’s proclamation of 2023 as the International Millennium Year stands as a remarkable global contribution by our Prime Minister. India’s soft powers, encompassing yoga, millet, music, art, culture, paintings, and dance, are now subjects of earnest examination at esteemed institutions such as IITs, NITs, IIITs, IISERs, IIMs, Central Universities, and more. The Department of Performing Arts has garnered special acclaim within the Indian academic realm. NEP 2020 has unequivocally validated the potency of India’s soft power, exemplified by Karnataka Music, Hindustani Music, folktales, and folklore, which are generating novel avenues for business and cultural enrichment.

NEP 2020 has illuminated the boundless potential of Wi-Fi for commerce and transactions, while technology and artificial intelligence have spurred innovative business models that transcend physical constraints. The advent of broadband connectivity has revolutionised remote business operations, making it feasible to conduct transactions and manage ventures without a physical presence. The transformative impact of NEP 2020 extends to the elimination of significant unemployment within Indian society, fostering a youthful workforce that derives satisfaction from applying their intellect, expertise, and skills. This educational paradigm shift, propelled by NEP 2020, has steered Indian society away from rote learning towards conceptual comprehension and analytical thinking, engendering a holistic transformation in the country’s educational ethos.

On July 29th of this year, the nation commemorated the third anniversary of the enactment of NEP 2020. During the Kashi Educational Conclave, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the significance of utilising laboratory insights to address real-world issues. He advocated for academia to actively engage with the challenges, prospects, and complexities of the nation, employing their laboratories as catalysts for timely solutions. This necessitates a concerted effort in the realms of land, laboratories, and society, fostering interconnection and contributing to India’s resurgence as a global Vishwaguru,” or world leader in education and knowledge.