Dr. Pragya Khanna
Today, while participating in an online program on NEP, 2020, organized conjointly by the Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, J&K and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST, J), I was enticed to pen down a few of the salient features of the Policy which can be considered as major breakthroughs in the evolution and expansion of Higher Education in the UT of J&K.
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020 is a welcoming change amid all the negativities surrounding the world currently. The new education policy shall impact the higher education in a great way. The effects will be progressive, exceptional and unconventional. There are certain major points that stand out with high level change for higher education in particular for the Jammu region of J&K.
The most noteworthy highlight of NEP 2020 is the proposal to set up the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), a single all-encompassing umbrella body for higher education, excluding medical and legal education. HECI shall have four independent verticals, viz., National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC) for regulation, General Education Council (GEC) for standard-setting, Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC) for funding, and National Accreditation Council (NAC) for accreditation. In a country like India, which is progressing at an unprecedented pace, it is essential to have uniformity in education standards, a single umbrella body has always been a necessity. Multiple independent governing bodies generally lead to many standardization issues across institutions, and along with that, any development plan to be implemented in the higher education domain takes years.
In the light of the proposed plan, uniformity, homogeneity, synchronization and coordination for all institutions in this country will be much easier. It will help the institutions in Jammu region to progress faster and come at par with the highly ranked institutions across the nation much easily and effectively.
The second major highlight of the proposal is to introduce a single university entrance exam that shall be conducted by the National Testing Agency. Today, in order to seek admission in the University a student has to scroll through the procedures and norms of qualifying examinations/entrance tests across various universities, and the encumbrance of multiple examinations. The implementation of the new policy shall give students a respite from this cumbersome process wherein one can give a single entrance exam and get saved from the burden of many and the admission process will be streamlined accordingly. This process shall be of immense help to the bright students from financially weaker sections of society who many a times lose the opportunity to apply at different universities because of lack of funds.
The NEP 2020 also permits universities to set up offshore campuses and shall provide prospects to many foreign universities to set up institutes in India. This move is convivial indeed. It will lead to greater competition, talent flow, and bring good key practices from the other countries to India, which will ultimately lead to a great deal of improvement in the country’s education standards at affordable costs. It will also provide real time exposure to the youth, and probably there would come a day when our students could afford global education in India and would stop looking forward to better prospects outside the Country and this shall put a stop to brain drain in every sector.
The emphasis on having multi-disciplinary colleges in every district by 2030 is an encouraging idea as well. It shall recondition the countries’ focus on arts, humanities, and a multi-disciplinary form of education to ensure that our students are better skilled for the life and career ahead. A university will mean a multidisciplinary institution that offers undergraduate and graduate programmes, with high quality teaching, research, and community engagement. The definition will allow a spectrum of institutions ranging from those that place equal emphasis on teaching and research i.e., Research-intensive Universities to teaching-intensive Universities. Even engineering institutions, such as IITs, will move towards more holistic and multidisciplinary education with courses in arts and humanities as well. Students of arts and humanities will aim to learn more science.
It will be remarkable that departments in Languages, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Art, Dance, Theatre, Education, Mathematics, Statistics, Pure and Applied Sciences, Sociology, Economics, Sports, Translation and Interpretation, etc. will be established and strengthened at all HEIs.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) shall certainly rise with this innovation as well as by the multiple entry and exit options at the undergraduate level that have also been proposed to be allowed. The academic bank of credit will help store credits, and the concept of credits will finally get more weightage all over the country. Moreover, the students shall have the freedom to experiment with what they have to learn and have the flexibility in it.
Over the next 15 years, colleges will be given graded autonomy to give degrees. Affiliation with universities will end, and these institutions will be given the status of ‘deemed to be university’.
The government will set up a National Research Foundation (NRF) with the aim to catalyse and energise research and innovation across all academic disciplines, particularly at the university and college levels. The 4-year programme may also lead to a degree ‘with Research’ if the student completes a rigorous research project. It is well known that independent research with the goal of creating a publically accessible product is beneficial for all undergraduates, regardless of discipline or future career plans.
Dept. of Higher Education, J&K has already devised a plan for developing and maintaining undergraduate, postgraduate and advanced research programs for the benefit of students, faculty mentors, and the institutions. Incorporating a research component along with a sound academic foundation enables students to develop independent critical thinking skills along with oral and written communication skills. The research process impacts valuable learning objectives that have lasting influence as undergraduates prepare for professional service. Faculty members at teaching intensive institutions can enhance learning experiences for students while benefiting from a productive research agenda. The institution in turn benefits from presentations and publications that serve to increase visibility in the scientific community. Whether projects are derived through student-generated or mentor-generated means, students benefit from completion of exposure to the hypothesis-driven scientific method.
The New Education policy suggests a cap on fee charged by private institutions of higher education. Theory based content will be reduced to its core essentials, and make space for critical thinking, holistic, enquiry-based, discovery-based, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning.
In every education institution, there shall be counselling systems for handling stress and emotional adjustments. J&K has already put its foot forward with implementation of MANODARPAN Program. Efforts will be made to incentivize the merit of students belonging to SC, ST, OBC, and other SEDGs (Socio-economically Disadvantaged Groups).
To ensure the preservation of all Indian languages, the NEP recommends setting up an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation, National Institute (or Institutes) for Pali, Persian and Prakrit, strengthening of Sanskrit and all language departments in higher education institutions.
The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) aims to achieve 100 per cent youth and adult literacy.
In order to truly transform the educational landscape, regions of the country with large populations from educationally-disadvantaged SEDGs will be declared Special Education Zones (SEZs), where all the schemes and policies will be implemented with concentrated efforts.
In light of the above highlights it is pertinent to mention that the new policy will certainly revamp the existing system of higher education and lay impetus on holistic development and progression towards global standards. With great contentment it can be put forth that the region of Jammu (J&K) shall undergo great transformation for achieving full human potential, developing an equitable and just society, and promoting national development.
In order to ensure equitable & inclusive education to all, tactical strategies will be made, and concrete steps will be taken for making quality higher education opportunities available to all individuals reaching the far-flung pockets of Jammu region.
Teachers will be recruited through robust and transparent processes. Promotions will be merit-based, and a mechanism will be developed for multi-source periodic performance appraisals. This will ensure greater performance and innovation in teaching methodology.
In addition to making it easier to set up new quality of higher educational institutes which will be at par with the global standards, the NEP 2020 will give importance to students’ practical knowledge instead of just pushing them towards rote learning and will help students to develop scientific temper from a young age. Since NEP will make it easier for foreign colleges to set up their campuses here, many students who are unable to go abroad due to multiple reasons will be able to experience it and get global exposure. This will promote value-based education.
Furthermore, centralization of regulations, governance, grants, quality, and accreditation along with dedicated funds (6 to 7% of GDP), innovative technology-enabled, more flexible options to choose and the multidisciplinary idea is expected to bring sustainable changes in the long term.
Over and above, the usage of online courses, digital repositories, and student services shall go a long way towards making this new vision a reality. An autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will also be created to encourage the use of technology in college education. The Dept. of Higher Education, Govt. of J&K is already gearing up on most of these points and is paving way for moving with a consistent pace with its implementation. With an objective to improve multiple aspects of education, the use and integration of technology is being encouraged & supported all over the UT. Efforts of the Higher Education Dept. are focused on emerging disruptive technologies that can help us transform the education system & empower our educators.
The creation of NETF shall provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on using technology to enhance learning, assessment, planning, & administration. Tech-based education platforms, like DIKSHA & SWAYAM will be better integrated across school & higher education. Further, NETF will ensure appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education, resulting in improved classroom programs.
All institutions offering either professional or general education will aim to organically evolve into institutions/clusters offering both seamlessly, and in an integrated manner by 2030. Vocational Professional Education will be an Integral Part of the Higher Education System like Agriculture education, Vocational education, Teacher education, Technical education etc.
The Dept. of Higher Education, J&K has already started with the introduction of Skill based learning objectives and capacities in order to emphasize scientific temper, creativity, communication, fitness and wellness, teamwork, problem-solving, digital literacy, ethics, etc. The agenda and guidelines are being framed to bring to the fore the basic principles to enable the students to become upright, successful, innovative, adaptable, and productive human beings in today’s rapidly changing world.
It would be appropriate to say that the NEP 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and it aims to address our country’s current developmental imperatives. If implemented as per the plan, the new norms will reduce regulatory hassles, promote autonomy, benefit students, education providers and the labour market. It would aid in recognizing, identifying, and strengthening the unique capabilities of each student; promoting each student’s holistic development in both academic and non-academic spheres; besides providing flexibility for learners to choose their learning trajectories and programs, and thereby choose their paths as per their talents and interests. |
