Page 34 - EW July 2022

Cover Story

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

PROGRESS REPORT

On the second anniversary of the presentation of NEP
2020 to Parliament and the nation, grave doubts have
arisen about bona fide implementation of this policy
formulated after an interregnum of 34 years

Dilip Thakore

L AUNCHED WITH GREAT EXPECTA- vidual. It is based on the principle that education must de-

velop not only cognitive capacities — both the ‘foundational
TIONS and considerable fanfare on
capacities’ of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cog-
July 29, 2020 after an interregnum
nitive capacities, such as critical thinking and problem solv-
of 34 years, the National Education
ing — but also social, ethical, and emotional capacities and
Policy 2020 — the outcome of moun-
tains of labour of the T.S.R. Subrama-
nian (2016) and Dr. K. Kasturirangan
On July 29, 2020 when NEP 2020 was presented to Par-
(2018-19) committees — seems to be dispositions,” says the preamble of NEP 2020.
liament and the country, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nis-
floundering in shallows. hank, a lightweight Hindi language novelist appointed
“This National Education Policy 2020 is the first educa- Union education minister for mysterious reasons in 2019,
tion policy of the 21st century and aims to address the many said it would “bring transformational reforms in school
growing developmental imperatives of our country. This and higher education systems in the country”. Likewise in
policy proposes the revision and revamping of all aspects a prepared statement his deputy, Sanjay Dhotre, minister
of the education structure, including its regulation and gov- of state for education, described NEP 2020 as the “most
ernance, to create a new system that is aligned with the comprehensive, radical and futuristic policy document in
aspirational goals of 21st century education, including SDG the educational history of this country”.
4 (United Nations Sustainable Development Goal univer- Curiously but not surprisingly, at that time both minis-
sal primary-secondary education — Editor) while building ters declined EducationWorld’s pressing requests for in-
upon India’s traditions and value systems. The National terview for further and better particulars. Neither did they
Education Policy 2020 policy (sic) lays particular emphasis publicly defend NEP 2020 in any major media publication,
on the development of the creative potential of each indi- a tradition of unaccountability sustained by Pokhriyal’s suc-

34 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2022