Page 14 - EW July 2025_Neat

Education News

DELHI ghost of the three-language prescrip-
NEP 2020: Rising disillusionment tion for all children in primary-

secondary education. This mandate
requires all children to learn three
languages, viz, their mother tongue,
a “foreign language” (English) and
Hindi. This mandate of the K’Rangan
Committee and NEP 2020 was par-
ticularly ill-considered because when
Hindi was declared the national
language in 1965, riots broke out in
southern India protesting “Hindi
imperialism” and imposition of this
lingua franca of the northern states
countrywide.
At that time, it was resolved that
English, a “neutral language” for all
Indians would remain the associate
national language, language of the
upper judiciary and the medium of
communication between the states
NEP 2020 formally released five years ago: uncelebrated milestone of the Indian Union. Ill-advisedly
following the advice of the K’Rangan
or academia, july 29 is — or publication, the government claims Committee, NEP reiterates adoption
should be — an important that several reforms recommended of the three language formula for all
Fmilestone. It marks comple- by NEP 2020 have been successfully children.
tion of five years since the National implemented, viz, early childhood The outcome of this history ag-
Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was education has been made compul- nostic mandate of NEP 2020 is that
officially approved and promulgated sory for all children from three years several states of peninsular India, in
by the BJP/NDA government at the of age, and integrated with primary particular Tamil Nadu and Kerala,
Centre. However very few, if any in education; school enrolment has have rejected NEP 2020 in toto.
academia are celebrating this mile- increased to almost 100 percent with Tamil Nadu has already drawn up
stone anniversary. school dropout rates reducing; inter- its alternative SEP (State Education
For a start, NEP implementation disciplinary education in higher Policy) arguing that since education
has been dealt a heavy blow with education has become a reality and is a ‘concurrent’ jurisdiction subject
the prolonged illness and passing employability has been enhanced under the Constitution, it is entitled
in April, of space scientist Dr. K. through several skills-based voca- to draw up its own independent SEP.
Kasturirangan, whose 484-page re- tional learning programmes. Karnataka and Kerala have followed
port to modernise India’s moribund Yet the latest Annual Status of suit while several other states includ-
education system was translated into Education Report published by the ing West Bengal and Chhattisgarh
the 66-page NEP 2020. Under his highly respected Pratham Education are mulling this proposition.
leadership, the National Curriculum Foundation indicates that learning Indeed five years on, the initial
Framework (NCF) for Foundational outcomes in India’s rural schools are hosannas and acclamation that
Stage was released in October 2022 stagnant. Likewise industry reports greeted NEP 2020 are increasingly
and NCF for School Education in that the great majority of 10 million turning into disillusionment. Prof.
2023. But since then, there’s been graduates certified by India’s colleg- Santosh Mehrotra, former profes-
no word on the pending NCF for es and universities annually are not sor of economics at India’s show-
Teacher Education and NCF for sufficiently qualified for employment piece Jawaharlal Nehru University
Adult Education. commensurate with their qualifica- who currently teaches the subject
Nevertheless in a media blitzkrieg tions. Although there is a flurry of at Bath University (UK), is of the
to mark completion of the BJP/NDA activity in the education sector, there opinion that NEP 2020 does not
government’s 11 years in office at the is little evidence of reforms-driven “reflect the ground realities of Indian
Centre, the government published a forward movement. education”. “There is no serious
booklet titled Viksit Bharat ka Amrit An especially ill-advised provision recognition of the systemic crisis
Kaal — 11 Saal last month. In this of NEP 2020 is resurrection of the that unfolded after massification of

14 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2025