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School children in Puri, Odisha: visionary extrication policy clouded by implementation uncertainty

most comprehensive, radical and futuristic policy docu- digital repository; phasing out the system of all undergrad
ment in the educational history of this country,” says his colleges affiliating with parent universities, and graded au-
official statement. Unfortunately, wishes are not horses and tonomy for undergrad colleges under a ‘light but tight’ reg-
normatively in post-independence India, vaulting ambition ulatory framework; establishment of a National Research
falls on the other side. Foundation and permitting top-ranked foreign universities
The upside of NEP 2020 is that it has substantially ac- to set up campuses in India. Moreover, an important rec-
cepted the recommendations of the nine-member Dr. K. ommendation of the KR Committee to separate the func-
Kasturirangan (KR) Committee Report submitted to the tions of regulation, accreditation, funding and academic
Union HRD ministry in May 2019. The committee’s com- standards setting has been incorporated into NEP 2020.
prehensive 484-page report had made several sensible and The new policy decrees establishment of a Higher Edu-
overdue recommendations including unprecedented stress cation Council of India (HECI) as “an umbrella institution”
on ECCE (early childhood care and education), high priority with four verticals — National Higher Education Regula-
for functional literacy and numeracy of all children by age tory Council (NHERC) — “the single point regulator for
eight; encouraging holistic school education with compul- the higher education sector including teacher education but
sory vocational learning; exam reforms to test children’s excluding medical and legal education”. The role of NHERC
conceptual comprehension, creativity and critical thinking is to “regulate in a light but tight and facilitative manner,
capabilities rather than memory; introduction of continu- meaning that a few important matters, particularly finan-
ous formative assessment systems to replace summative cial probity, good governance and full online and offline
exams, and promotion of new digital technologies usage in public disclosure of all finances, audits, procedure, infra-
school education. structure, faculty/staff, courses and educational outcomes
In higher education, the KR Committee proposed four- will be very effectively regulated”. All this information will
year undergad degree programmes with a foundational year need to be “kept updated and accurate” by HEIs (higher
of liberal arts learning for all study programmes; certified education institutions) themselves on the NHERC and in-
multiple exit and re-entry options and a system of credits stitutional websites.
to be stored in a national ABC (academic bank of credits) Significantly, any complaints and grievances from stake-

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