write an article on new education system of india

Essay on New Education Policy 2020

500+ words essay on new education policy 2020.

Education is a fundamental need and right of everyone now. In order to achieve our goals and help develop a just society, we need education. Similarly, education plays a great role in the national development of a nation. As we are facing a major change in terms of knowledge globally, the Government of India approved the National Education Policy 2020. This essay on new education policy 2020 will help you learn how this new policy has replaced the National Education Policy 1986 that is 34 years old.

Aim of the New Education Policy 2020

This new policy has the aim of universalizing education from pre-school to secondary level. It plans to do that with a 100% GRE (Gross Enrollment Ratio) in schooling. The plan is to achieve it by 2030.

This essay on new education policy 2020 will highlight the changes brought in by this new policy. Firstly, the policy proposes to open Indian higher education in foreign universities.

It aims to introduce a four-year multidisciplinary undergraduate program with various exit options. Thus, this new policy will strive to make the country of India a global knowledge superpower.

Similarly, it also aims to make all universities and colleges multi-disciplinary by the year 2040. Finally, the policy aims to grow employment in India and also bring fundamental changes to the present educational system.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of New Education Policy 2020

The policy gives an advantage to students of classes 10 and 12 by making the board exams easier. In other words, it plans to test the core competencies instead of mere memorization of facts.

It will allow all the students to take the exam twice. Further, it proposes that an independent authority will be responsible for regulating both public and private schools . Similarly, the policy aims to diminish any severe separation between the educational streams and vocational streams in the schools.

There will also be no rigid division between extra-curriculum. Vocational education will begin at class sixth with an internship. Now, the essay on new education policy 2020 will tell you about the disadvantages of the policy.

Firstly, it can make the education system expensive. Meaning to say, admission to foreign universities will probably result in this. Further, it will create a lack of human resources.

If we look at the present elementary education, we notice that there is a lack of skilled teachers. Thus, keeping this in mind, the National Education Policy 2020 can give rise to practical problems in implementing the system that is for elementary education.

Finally, there is also the drawback of the exodus of teachers. In other words, admission to foreign universities will ultimately result in our skilled teachers migrating to those universities.

To conclude the essay on New Education Policy 2020, we can say that this policy is an essential initiative to help in the all-around development of our society and country as a whole. However, the implementation of this policy will greatly determine its success. Nonetheless, with a youth dominant population, India can truly achieve a better state with the proper implementation of this education policy.

FAQ of Essay on New Education Policy 2020

Question 1: What does the New Education Policy 2020 aim to achieve by 2030?

Answer 1: This new policy has the aim of universalizing education from pre-school to secondary level. It plans to do that with a 100% GRE (Gross Enrollment Ratio) in schooling. The plan is to achieve it by 2030.

Question 2: Give two challenges the New Education Policy 2020 may face?

Answer 2: Firstly, it can make the education system expensive. Meaning to say, admission to foreign universities will probably result in this. Further, it will create a lack of human resources.

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Essay on Education System

Updated on
Jun 20, 2024

The future of a country is shaped by its classrooms. Implementing a sound education system based on a holistic approach to learning is quintessential for ensuring that every student gets the best learning environment to flourish. As education is the most important and basic right, everyone should have, it is our moral duty to facilitate the perfect learning environment for our students.

With the educational journey playing the foundation role in one’s career, there are contrary views concerning the type of education system and approaches we need to take. Hence, it has become a frequently asked topic under the essay writing section in school tests as well as competitive exams. To help you with this topic, we have curated a complete guide on how to write an essay on education system, with useful tips and tricks as well as reference samples.

This Blog Includes:

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7 immediate changes needed in the Indian education system

We cannot deny the fact that the indian government and institutions have been working to reform the existing education model. however, there are still several issues which are required to be taken care of..

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This article is a detailed analysis of the Education System of India.

The post covers various aspects of the problems faced by the Indian Education sector, the Constitutional provisions related to education, and the education policies adopted by modern India.

History of Education in India

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India has a rich tradition of imparting knowledge.

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The ‘gurukul’ was a type of education system in ancient India with shishya (students) living with the guru in the same house. Nalanda has the oldest university system of education in the world. Students from across the world were attracted to Indian knowledge systems.

Many branches of the knowledge system had their origin in India. Education was considered a higher virtue in ancient India.

However, the renaissance and scientific thinking as happened in Europe didn’t happen in India at that time.

The British who took control of the Indian affairs by that time had different priorities. Education in British India initially lagged a lot.

However, later, the British established the modern education system still followed in India. They replaced age-old systems of education in the country with English ways .

Still, the education system in India needs a lot of reforms.

Current Status of Education in India: Data from Census 2011

Literacy rate in India as per Census 2011: 74%.
Literacy rate: Male: 82.1%; Female: 65.5%
Kerala tops the rankings, followed by Delhi, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
Bihar is the lowest among states, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, etc., however, they are improving their position.
Bihar has a literacy rate of 63.8%, and that of women is 53.3%.
Literacy rates for both adults as well as youths have increased, still, the absolute number of illiterates in India is as much as India’s population was at the time of independence.
The gender gap in terms of literacy began to narrow first in 1991 and the pace has accelerated, however still lags far behind the global female literacy rate of 7% (UNESCO 2015).
There are large state variations in the gender gap.
However, during 2001 – 2011, the male literacy rate increased by 6 percentage points but female literacy increased by nearly 12 percentage points. Achievement in female literacy in Bihar is noteworthy: from 33% in 2001 to 53% in 2011.
Be that as it may, India is still lagging behind the world literacy rate of 86.3%(UNESCO 2015). A major group of states lies in the average rank i.e. just above the national level of 64.8 percent.

Indian Education System: The Present Pyramidal Structure

The Indian education system can broadly be considered as a pyramidal structure:

Pre-primary level: 5-6 years of age.
Primary (elementary) level: 6-14 years of age. Elementary-level education is guaranteed by our constitution under Article 21 A . For this level, the government has introduced Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) under the Right To Education(RTE) Act.
Secondary level: Age group between 14-18. For this level, the government has extended SSA to secondary education in the form of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan .
Higher education: generally of three levels: UG→ PG→ MPhil/PhD. To cater to the requirements of higher education, the government has introduced Rashtriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).

Read: Examination System in India

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to Education

Goal 4 of SDG : Education for all – ensures equitable, inclusive, and quality education along with the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

Provisions in the Indian Constitution related to Education

Under Article 45 in DPSP , it was mentioned that the government should provide free and compulsory education for all children up to the age of 14 years within 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution. As this was not achieved, Article 21A was introduced by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2002 , making elementary education a fundamental right rather than a directive principle. Article 45 was amended to provide for early childhood care and education to children below the age of six years.
To implement Article 21A, the government legislated the RTE Act. Under this act, SSA – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan – got a further impetus. SSA aims to provide Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time-bound manner.
SSA has been operational since 2000-2001. Its roots go back to 1993-1994 when the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched. However, under the RTE Act, it got legal backing.

RTE Act 2009

86th Amendment Act 2002 introduced Article 21-A, which provides for free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act was enacted to implement this fundamental right.

Provisions of the RTE Act

‘Compulsory education’ means an obligation of the government to provide free elementary education and ensure compulsory admission, attendance, and completion of elementary education.
Provision for a non-admitted child to be admitted to an age-appropriate class.
Rational deployment of teachers, ensuring that there is no urban-rural imbalance in their postings.
Prohibition of deployment of teachers for non-educational work, other than services like decennial census, elections, etc.
It prohibits (a) physical punishment and mental harassment (b) screening procedures for admission of children (c) capitation fees (d) private tuition by teachers (e) running of schools without recognition.
Development of curriculum in consonance with the values enshrined in the constitution, ensuring all-around development of the child, building a system of child-friendly and child-centered learning.
To further inclusiveness, 25% reservation is provided for disadvantaged students in private schools.

Criticisms of the RTE Act

Even though the RTE + SSA have increased access to schools, resulting in a high enrollment rate, dropout rates increased in tandem. However, there is inadequate attention given to this scenario.
There is a fear of financial burden on the government for teacher recruitment and training.
The grey area of teacher transfer is also not helping the cause.
Since all state holidays are not relevant for all localities, such a calendar preparation by local authorities can increase attendance and can also encourage local panchayats to take ownership of schools.
RTE students in private schools are paying extra fees as the schools claim that the government fund provided for the same is not adequate.
Most private schools treat RTE as charity and demand that the onus of universalizing education should be on the government’s head rather than putting pressure on them.
70% of students are in government schools. So it must be fixed in priority, by providing infrastructure , teacher quality , and targeted learning for children from disadvantaged groups to provide an equitable education system.
Under the RTE Act, till class 8, students should not be failed in exams. This is called the No detention policy. It had reduced dropout rates.
There is growing criticism of the policy resulting in reducing the quality of elementary education. Hence the RTE Act was amended to scrap the policy.
RTE Act prioritized schooling of children only from the age of 6, thus ignoring pre-school education. Kothari Commission had recommended the establishment of a center for the development of pre-primary education in each district.
District Information System for Education (DISE) report states that 30% of primary and 15% of upper primary schools have higher PTRs.
According to the Economic Survey 2018-19, the PTR at the national level for primary schools is 23 and 27 for secondary schools. Thus PTR appears to be satisfactory, as there are sufficient teachers. However, the main issue is a balanced deployment of teachers based on student strength.
Even though the Student-Classroom ratio (SCR) improved in almost all of the States, there is disparity across the country.

Modern Education in India: The Evolution of the System through various policies

The British government had introduced modern education in India. From Macaulay’s minutes to Wood’s dispatch to several commissions like the Sadler Commission, 1904 Indian education policy, etc. built the foundation of the Indian education system during the colonial period.

Radhakrishnan committee

In 1948-49, the University Education Commission was constituted under Radhakrishnan . It molded the education system based on the needs of an independent India. The pre-Independent Indian education value system was catering to colonial masters. There was a need to replace Macaulayism with the Indian value system. ( Macaulayism is the policy of eliminating indigenous culture through the planned substitution of the alien culture of a colonizing power via the education system). Some of the values mentioned in the commission were:

Wisdom and Knowledge
Aims of the Social Order : the desired social order for which youths are being educated.
Love for higher values in life
Training for Leadership

The Independent Indian education system developed along the lines of this value framework. In the present times, where there are imminent threats of political ideologies hijacking the pedagogy of education and commercialization of education eroding value systems, it is appreciable to dust off the values promulgated by the commission. A recent controversial circular by the Central University of Kerala (CUK), directing that research topics for Ph.D. students must be by ‘national priorities’, and research in ‘irrelevant topics’ and ‘privilege areas’ must be discouraged, is a case in point.

Kothari commission

If the Radhakrishnan committee charted out the value system of the Indian education system, it was the Kothari Commission that provided the basic framework of the same. The commission provided for:

Standardization of educational system on 10+2+3 pattern.
Emphasized the need to make work experience and social/national service an integral part of education.
Linking of colleges to several schools in the neighborhood.
Equalization of opportunities to all and to achieve social and national integration .
Neighborhood school system without social or religious segregation and a s chool complex system integrating primary and secondary levels of education.
Establishment of Indian Education Service.
On-the-job training of the teaching staff and efforts to raise the status of the teachers to attract talents into the profession.
To raise expenditure on education from 2.9% of the GDP to 6% by 1985.

This committee report paved the way for the National Educational Policy 1968 which provided the base and roadmap for further development of the education system in India.

National Educational Policy 1968

The policy provided for “radical restructuring” and equalization of educational opportunities to achieve national integration and greater cultural and economic development.
Increase public expenditure on education to 6% of GDP.
Provide for better training and qualification of teachers.
Three-language formula : state governments should implement the study of a modern Indian language, preferably one of the southern languages, apart from Hindi and English in the Hindi-speaking states, and of Hindi along with the regional language and English in the non-Hindi-speaking states. Hindi was encouraged uniformly to promote a common language for all Indians.

National Educational Policy 1985

The policy aimed at the removal of disparities and to equalize educational opportunities, especially for women, SC and ST.
Launching of “Operation Blackboard” to improve primary schools nationwide.
IGNOU, the Open University, was formed.
Adoption of the “rural university” model , based on the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, to promote economic and social development at the grassroots level in rural India.

T.S.R.Subramanium committee report

ECCE is inconsistent across states. So all government schools should have facilities for pre-primary education, which would facilitate pre-school education by the government instead of the private sector.
The policy of no detention should be upheld only till class five and not till class eight.
There is a steep rise in teacher shortage, absenteeism, and grievances.
Need to constitute an Autonomous Teacher Recruitment Board.
Four years integrated B.Ed. the course should be introduced.
There is an inadequate integration of information technology (IT) and the education sector.
The National Skills Qualification Framework should be scaled up.
The choice of vocational courses should be in line with local opportunities and resources .
Bringing formal certification for vocational education at par with conventional education certificates.
All India Education Service.
Existing separate laws governing individual regulators in higher education should be replaced by the said act.
The role of existing regulatory bodies like UGC and AICTE should be revised.
National Accreditation Board (NAB) subsuming the existing accreditation bodies.

Kasturirangan Report On School Education (Draft National Education Policy)

For restructuring the education system in India, the government is preparing to roll out a New Education Policy that will cater to Indian needs in the 4th Industrial Revolution by making use of its demographic dividend. Committee for Draft National Education Policy (chaired by Dr. K. Kasturirangan) submitted its report on May 31, 2019.

You can read about the National Education Policy 2020 in detail here .

School Education:

Low accessibility.
The curriculum doesn’t meet the developmental needs of children.
Lack of qualified and trained teachers.
Substandard pedagogy.
Currently, most early childhood education is delivered through anganwadis and private preschools. However, there has been less focus on the educational aspects of early childhood.
Guidelines for up to three-year-old children.
Educational framework for three to eight-year-old children.
This would be implemented by improving and expanding the Anganwadi system and co-locating anganwadis with primary schools.
Expanding the ambit of the Act to all children between the ages of three to 18 years, thus including early childhood education and secondary school education.
There should be no detention of children till class eight. Instead, schools must ensure that children are achieving age-appropriate learning levels.
The current structure of school education is to be restructured based on the development needs of students.
10+2+3 structure to be replaced by 5-3-3-4 design comprising: (i) five years of foundational stage (three years of pre-primary school and classes one and two), (ii) three years of preparatory stage (classes three to five), (iii) three years of middle stage (classes six to eight), and (iv) four years of secondary stage (classes nine to 12).
The current education system solely focuses on rote learning. The curriculum load should be reduced to its essential core content.
Force students to concentrate only on a few subjects.
Do not test learning in a formative manner.
Cause stress among students.
To track students’ progress throughout their school experience, State Census Examinations in classes three, five, and eight should be established.
Restructure the board examinations to test only the core concept. These board examinations will be on a range of subjects. The students can choose their subjects and the semester when they want to take these board exams. The in-school final examinations may be replaced by these board examinations.
Although establishing primary schools in every habitation has increased access to education, it has led to the development of very small schools making it operationally complex. Hence the multiple public schools should be brought together to form a school complex .
A complex will consist of one secondary school (classes nine to twelve) and all the public schools in its neighborhood that offer education from pre-primary to class eight.
These will also include anganwadis, vocational education facilities, and an adult education center.
Each school complex will be a semi-autonomous unit providing integrated education across all stages from early childhood to secondary education.
This will ensure that resources such as infrastructure and trained teachers can be efficiently shared across a school complex.
A steep rise in a teacher shortage, lack of professionally qualified teachers, and deployment of teachers for non-educational purposes have plagued the system.
Teachers should be deployed with a particular school complex for at least five to seven years.
They will not be allowed to participate in any non-teaching activities during school hours.
Existing B.Ed. the program will be replaced by a four-year integrated B.Ed. program that combines high-quality content, pedagogy, and practical training. An integrated continuous professional development will also be developed for all subjects.
Separating the regulation of schools from aspects such as policymaking, school operations, and academic development.
Independent State School Regulatory Authority for each state will prescribe basic uniform standards for public and private schools.
The Department of Education of the State will formulate policy and conduct monitoring and supervision.

Higher Education

According to the All India Survey on Higher Education , the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in India has increased from 20.8% in 2011-12 to 25.8% in 2017-18. Lack of access is a major reason behind the low intake of higher education. The policy aims to increase GER to 50% by 2035.
Multiple regulators with overlapping mandates reduce the autonomy of higher educational institutions and create an environment of dependency and centralized decision-making.
The National Higher Education Regulatory Authority (NHERA) should replace the existing individual regulators in higher education. Thus the role of all professional councils such as AICTE would be limited to setting standards for professional practice. The role of the UGC will be limited to providing grants.
Separate the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) from the UGC into an independent and autonomous body. It will function as the top-level accreditor and will issue licenses to different accreditation institutions. All existing higher education institutions should be accredited by 2030.
Replacing the current system of establishing higher educational institutions by Parliament or state legislatures. Instead, institutions can be set up through a Higher Education Institution Charter from NHERA.
Research universities focus equally on research and teaching.
Universities focus primarily on teaching.
Colleges focus only on teaching at undergraduate levels.
All such institutions will gradually move towards full autonomy.
Total investment in research and innovation in India has declined from 0.84% of GDP in 2008 to 0.69% in 2014. India also lags behind many nations in the number of researchers, patents, and publications.
NRF will act as an autonomous body for funding, mentoring, and building the capacity for quality research.
Undergraduate programs should be made interdisciplinary by redesigning their curriculum to include: a common core curriculum; and one/two area(s) of specialization.
Introduce four-year undergraduate programs in Liberal Arts.
By the next five years, five Indian Institutes of Liberal Arts must be set up as model multidisciplinary liberal arts institutions.
Poor service conditions and heavy teaching loads, augmented by a lack of autonomy and no clear career progression system, have resulted in low faculty motivation.
Introduction of a Continuous Professional Development program and permanent employment track system for faculty in all higher education institutions by 2030.
The student-teacher ratio of not more than 30:1 must be ensured.
All higher education institutions must have complete autonomy on curricular, pedagogical, and resource-related matters.

Read: Institutions of Eminence Scheme

Additional Key Focus Areas:

Additional key focus areas are (1) Technology in Education (2) Vocational Education (3) Adult Education and (4) the Promotion of Indian Languages.

Technology in Education

Improving the classroom process of teaching, learning, and evaluation
Aiding teacher training.
Improving access to education.
Improving the overall planning, administration, and management of the entire education system.
Electrification of all educational institutions paves the way for technology induction.
An autonomous body, the National Education Technology Forum, set up under the Mission, will facilitate decision-making on the use of technology.
Single online digital repository to make available copyright-free educational resources in multiple languages.

Vocational Education

Less than 5% of the workforce in the age group of 19-24 receives vocational education in India, in contrast to 52% in the USA, 75% in Germany and 96% in South Korea.
Vocational courses : All school students must receive vocational education in at least one vocation in grades 9 to 12.
Higher Education Institutions must offer vocational courses that are integrated into undergraduate education programs.
The draft Policy targets to offer vocational education to up to 50% of the total enrolment in higher education institutions by 2025, up from the present level of enrolment of below 10%.
National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education for charting out plans for the above objectives.

Adult Education

As per Census 2011, India had a total of 26.5 crore adult non-literate (15 years and above).

Establishing an autonomous Central Institute of Adult Education as a constituent unit of NCERT. It will develop a National Curriculum Framework for adult education.
Adult Education Centers will be included within the school complexes.
Relevant courses are made available at the National Institute of Open Schooling.
National Adult Tutors Programme to build a cadre of adult education instructors and managers.

Read: New India Literacy Programme (NILP)

Education and Indian Languages

The medium of instruction must be the mother tongue until grade 5, and preferably until grade 8.
3 language formula be continued and flexibility in the implementation of the formula should be provided. Implementation of the formula needs to be strengthened, particularly in Hindi-speaking states. Schools in Hindi-speaking areas should also teach Indian languages from other parts of India for national integration.
To promote Indian languages, a National Institute for Pali, Persian, and Prakrit will be set up.
The mandate of the Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology will be expanded to include all fields and disciplines to strengthen vocabulary in Indian languages.

Transforming Education

The policy talked about the synergistic functioning of India’s education system, to deliver equity and excellence at all levels, from vision to implementation, led by a new Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog.

Education Governance

Revitalize education governance by bringing in synergy and coordination among the different ministries, departments, and agencies.

Constitute the National Education Commission or Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog, as an apex body for education headed by the Prime Minister. It would be responsible for developing, implementing, evaluating, and revising the vision of education and overseeing the implementation and functioning of bodies including the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), National Higher Education Regulatory Authority, and National Research Foundation.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Development must be renamed the Ministry of Education to bring the focus back on education.

Financing Education

The Draft Policy reaffirmed the commitment to spending 6% of GDP as a public investment in education.
The draft Policy seeks to double the public investment in education from the current 10% of total public expenditure to 20% in the next 10 years. 5% will be utilized for higher education, 2% in school education, and 1.4% for early childhood care and education.
There should be optimal and timely utilization of funds through the institutional development plans and by plugging loopholes in the disbursement of funds.

Criticism of the New Education Policy of India

The New Education Policy lacks operational details.
It is not clear from where the funding will be sourced.
Enough importance is not given to innovation, startup culture or economic principles to be added to the curriculum.
One-size-fits for all states can’t be a solution as each state in India is diverse in its educational needs. Controversy on NEET has shown this.
With technological advancement and the democratization of knowledge, the policy should have focused more on how to teach rather than what to teach.
Economic Survey 2017-18 mentioned the perils of the distinction between research institutions and universities in higher education. The policy recommendation of three distinct higher education institutions of research universities, teaching universities, and teaching colleges will further augment the gap between research and universities.
The draft policy is silent on the Institutions of Eminence and agencies like the Higher Education Funding Agency.
The role of Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog should be defined clearly. What would be its role vis-a-vis existing regulators? Also, there are criticisms from some quarters that RSA will open the door to the politicization of education.
Earlier the 3-language formula proposed by the draft policy made Hindi compulsory in non-Hindi speaking states. However, after the furor, the proposal was removed.
Even though the policy talks about bringing “unrepresented groups” into school and focusing on educationally lagging “ special education zones” , it doesn’t comprehensively address the inequalities prevalent in the system. It misses methods to bridge the gaps between rich and poor children.
The policy proposes to remove the provision mandating that primary schools be within stipulated distance from students’ homes and common minimum infrastructure and facility standards that should be met by all schools. If a common minimum standard is not specified, it will create an environment where quality in some schools will fall further thus augmenting the inequalities between schools across the country.

India’s education history is rich with ambitious policies failing at the altar of inadequate implementation of the same. In the absence of a handholding mechanism for states to embark on the path-breaking reforms mentioned in the policy and that too in a short time, will be too much to ask.

Funding requirements and governance architecture pose major challenges in the implementation of the policy. Political commitment is required to increase funding. RTE Act expansion to include preschool should keep in mind the present infrastructure inadequacies and teacher vacancies.

Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog may face administrative problems and turf battles. Also, it will raise questions on the role of new bodies like the National Medical Council.

The recent controversy on 3 language formula shows the sensitivity of language education in India and care should be taken to appreciate the emotional overtures while implementing the same.

Politically acceptability, social desirability, technological feasibility, financial viability, administratively doability, and judicially tenability are 6 pillars that will impact the implementation of the policy.

Be that as it may, the new education policy aims to address the challenges of (i) access, (ii) equity, (iii) quality, (iv) affordability, and (v) accountability faced by the current education system. It aims to revitalize and equip the education system to meet the challenges of the 21st century and 4th industrial revolution rather than catering to 19th and 20th century needs of industrialization. Also, India is on the cusp of a demographic dividend, rather than entered into this phase. So the education system catering to these needs is not a luxury that we hope for but rather a dire need at this moment in Indian history.

The Problems associated with the Education System in India

HRD ministry: Over 1.4 million schools and 50,000 higher educational institutions are operating in India. Out of 907 universities, there are 399 state universities, 126 deemed-to-be universities, 48 central and 334 private universities.

Even after more than a hundred years of “ Gokhale’s Bill”1911, where universal primary education was originally mooted, India is yet to achieve this goal.
China had achieved it in the 1970s. As per Census 2011, over 26% of India’s population is still illiterate, compared to 4% in China. About 50% of India’s population has only primary education or less, compared to 38% in China. The 13% of the population with tertiary education at the upper end in India is comparable with China.
Progress has been made in respect of female participation up to secondary level and GER for girls has exceeded that of boys.
But the girl’s enrollment rate is lower than that of boys at the higher education level.
A gap is visible across social categories in terms of enrollment rate at the higher education level.
According to NSSO’s 71st round (2014), drop-out rates are very high for boys at the secondary school level. Reasons for the same are economic activities, lack of interest in education, and financial constraints.
The transition rate from secondary school to senior secondary and further to higher education is very low.

Despite these highly ambitious education policies and elaborate deliberations on the same, the outcomes are rather shaky. Major criticisms and shortcomings of these policies and their implementations are:

Half the population is crowded at the bottom, either illiterate or with only primary education. Meanwhile, a disproportionately large segment is at the upper end with tertiary education.
The 2015 Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) reflects this deteriorating quality. The report opines that deficits in foundational reading and arithmetic skills are cumulative, which leaves students grossly handicapped for further education .
India had fared poorly in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test in 2008, and 09.
Education policies in India are focused on inputs rather than on learning outcomes.
Teacher shortages.
Local politics.
Corruption in teacher appointment.
Defects in teacher training.
Socio-cultural factors like caste division, and cynical attitude towards the teaching profession.
There is no accountability, as there is a guaranteed lifetime job independent of performance.
From 1952-2012 , education expenditure as a percentage of total government expenditure increased from 7.92 to 11.7, and as a percentage of GDP increased from 0.64 to 3.31. But it has still not reached 6% of GDP, as was recommended by the Kothari Commission way back in 1964.
Expenditure by the government on elementary education is more than tertiary level, but expenditure per student is more in tertiary. So there is a need to increase expenditure in all segments.
All India survey on higher education has shown that in West Bengal Muslim students in universities are very low. Lack of education at the primary and secondary levels is said to be the main reason.
Even though Article 15(4),(5) provides reservations for SC, ST, and OBC in higher education institutions , the Economic Survey 2018-19 points out their inadequate representation in these institutions.
The suicide of Rohit Vemula, a Ph.D. scholar at the University of Hyderabad, in 2016 had brought forward the discrimination still existing in these institutions.
Also, the representation of teachers at these levels is skewed against the backward class in spite of reservations. Article 16(4) provides for reservations of backward class in jobs.
At the school level, poor children are primarily concentrated in government schools. The poor quality of government schools thus disproportionately affects these children and creates a vicious cycle of illiteracy.
At the higher education level, the situation is more critical. One reason for the introduction of the National Medical Commission Bill is to curb the exorbitant fees charged by medical colleges.
Youths coming out of the higher education system in India are not employable, as they lack relevant industry-level skills.
India’s long-standing neglect of primary and secondary education has limited access to quality basic education. No skill development program can succeed without an underlying foundation of basic education.
National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015 (PMKVY) has shown disappointing results.
Budget 2019-20 stated that the government enables about 10 million youth to take up industry-relevant skill training through the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). The Budget has also increased focus on ‘new-age skills’ like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, 3D Printing, Virtual Reality, and Robotic.
Currently, B Tech courses in AI are offered mostly in premier institutions only.
The budget 2019-20 proposed the National Sports Education Board for the development of sportspersons under the Khelo India program (2017).

Now we will look at each rung of the education ladder in India.

Early childhood education

Early childhood education (ECE) is needed for cognitive development in the early stage.
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has a component for providing ECE through Anganwadis . But lack of effective regulation in this sector is eroding the quality of ECE.
There is a National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy 2013 . However, the policy has not been properly implemented.
There are multiple service providers but there is no clarity in the types of services provided.
The sprawling of an unregulated private channel, both organized and unorganized, which is also spreading to rural areas, has led to inequitable access, uneven quality, and commercialization of ECE.
Both Anganwadis and private schools focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic rather than cognitive and conceptual development.
There is a decline in the quality and training of teachers.
S.R. Subramanian’s committee report has brought focus to the quality deterioration in this sector.

Primary level

There is an increasing trend of parents choosing private schools for the primary level. However, there is variable quality in private schools. Also, fees vary from school to school and are on the higher side.
Eschew rigid curricula and make them more cognitive and flexible. There should be a broader cognitive approach than rote learning.
There is a need for activity-based learning. Teachers should teach at the right level, rather than teaching for the average learner.
The government has launched Padhe Bharat Bade Bharat – targeting early reading and writing. The twin-track approach of comprehension and math is the main focus.
There is a supply-side problem . The government is pumping funds through government schools thus increasing the number of schools and thus enrollment. However, quality and inclusiveness have dropped and dropout rates increased. These lead to poor learning outcomes.

School Complex

RTE and SSA have resulted in over-access but low-quality primary-level education. Now the aim should be to integrate these into school complexes, as mentioned by the Kasturirangan committee report, thus rationalizing the number of schools in an area.
The ‘Adarsh’ integrated school system of Rajasthan is an example of a school complex system . Here one school provides classes from l to XII under one principal. There is one such school in every gram panchayat.
This is an efficient way to solve teacher shortages and also to address the shortages of secondary schools. It can also address the problem of resource scarcity by integrating and rationalizing resources.
Inclusive learning can be furthered through school.
Also, these complexes can act as a pivot around which new reforms in education can be implemented.

Secondary level

ASER Rural 2017: In 2017, ASER changed the age group of the survey from primary level to secondary level. The report mentions the following:

Enrollment is low in this age group. There is a high digital divide at this level. Low quality also persists at this level. There is a high amount of absenteeism as well.
There is a need to expand RTE to cover the 14-18 age groups.
To realize the demographic dividend, skill education for these groups is necessary.

Economic Survey 2018-19 points out that Indian demography is changing and it requires more quality secondary education system rather than merely an increasing number of primary-level schools.

Private fees

The vagueness in the judgment regarding ‘reasonable surplus’ and ‘commercialization’ of education has watered down the outcome of the judgment.
There are state laws for capping fees. However, implementation problems and litigation make them ineffective.
CAG report mentioned misreporting and mismanagement by private schools. So laws should address this problem through stricter inspection, penalties, etc.

Higher education

There is an increasing number of higher education institutions but their quality is questionable, effectively making ‘islands of excellence amidst the sea of mediocrity. Increased accessibility to a low-quality higher education system has made democratization of mediocrity.

Raghuram Rajan, the ex-RBI governor, argued that India needs idea factories and universities by leveraging India’s inherent strengths like tolerance, diversity, etc. He said that there is a need for strong accreditation agencies and continuing education.

Problems of the higher education system in India

There is a dual problem of both quality and quantity. The gross enrollment ratio (GER) in higher education is only 24.5.
Even though education policy had an elitist bias in favor of higher education, the state of the same is much worse than the state of school education. Unlike school education, there is no national survey of the learning levels of college students.
The desired levels of research and internationalization of Indian campuses remain weak points.
Also, there is a low philanthropic investment in this sector. This creates an exclusive dependency on government funding by universities. This, in turn, reduces the autonomy and vision of these universities.
Privatization of higher education has not been led by philanthropy but the commercial interest that does not have a symbiotic relationship with the vision of universities.
These have led to inadequate human capacity, shoddy infrastructure, and weak institutions. Recommendations of the Narayana Murthy committee, on the role of the corporate sector in higher education, have not been implemented and thus channeling of CSR funds to higher education remains inadequate.
Banks and financial institutions are not giving adequate attention to this area. Giving PSL status to these institutions can be considered.
Indian higher education system is of a linear model with very little focus on specialization.
UGC and AICTE act more as controllers of education than facilitators.
Due to the mushrooming of colleges at a higher rate since the 1980s , there is a regulatory sprawl in higher education.
Poor governance , with mindless over-regulation , is widespread in this sector. Educational institutions responded to this with claims of academic and institutional autonomy for themselves, which was mostly a smokescreen for a culture of sloth in these institutions.
There is a concentration of powers, as these regulatory institutions control all aspects like accreditation, curriculum setting, professional standard-setting, funding, etc.
Compartmentalization and fragmentation of the knowledge system.
Disconnect with society.
Overemphasis on entrance tests.
Absence of innovation in learning methods.
Corrosion of autonomy of universities.
For long basic disciplines across the physical and social sciences and humanities were ignored.
However, the Economic Survey 2017-18 mentioned that there is an increase in Ph.D. enrolment in India in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) due to efforts by the government to increase the number and quantum of fellowships. However, there are still fewer researchers in India in comparison to other countries.
Budget 2019-20 proposes ‘Study in India’ with a focus on bringing foreign students to higher educational institutions in India to make India a “hub of higher education.”
Higher education institutions are used as rewards for loyalists and channels of graft by political parties in power.
Indian higher education system is plagued by unregulated and shoddy coaching institutions. The coaching industry makes around Rs. 24000 crores a year in India. Proper regulation of the same is required.

Research and development (R&D)

Economic Survey 2017-18 stated: “To transform from net consumer to net producer of knowledge, India should invest in educating its youth in science and mathematics, reform the way R&D is conducted, engage the private sector and the Indian diaspora, and take a more mission-driven approach in areas such as dark matter, genomics, energy storage, agriculture, and mathematics and cyber-physical systems”.

Although Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) is consistently increasing, as a fraction of GDP it has been stagnant between 0.6-0.7 percent of GDP over the past two decades.
The universities play a relatively small role in the research activities in India. There is a disconnection between research institutes and universities. This results in the compartmentalization of research activities and teaching into two separate silos.
The separation of research from teaching leads to a situation where universities have students but need additional faculty support, while research institutes have qualified faculty but are starved of young students.
India was, at one point, spending more on R&D as a percentage of GDP than countries like China – but currently, India under-spends on R&D.
Doubling of R&D spending is necessary and much of the increase should come from the private sector and universities.

The need of the hour

It is imperative to improve math and cognitive skills at the school level to make a difference at a higher level.
There is a need to expand R&D in India and to go beyond paper presentations and patents to a broader contribution of providing value for society.
There is also a need to encourage Investigator-led Research for funding science research. Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) 2008, a statutory body of DST, is a step in the right direction.
50:50 partnerships with SERB for industry-relevant research under the Ucchatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY) is the right way to go forward.
It would strengthen state universities and provide knowledge in areas specific to a state.
National Research Foundation, to fund, coordinate, and promote research at the college level, is proposed by the Kasturirangan report. It is reiterated in Budget 2019-20 : NRF will ensure the overall research ecosystem in the country is strengthened with a focus on areas relevant to national priorities without duplication of effort and expenditure. The funds available with all Ministries will be integrated into NRF.
Link national labs to universities and create new knowledge ecosystems. Together they can link up with the commercial sectors and help develop industrial clusters.
National Mission on Dark Matter
National Mission on Genomics
National Mission on Energy Storage Systems
National Mission on Mathematics
National Mission on Cyber-Physical Systems
National Mission on Agriculture
Ramanujan Fellowship Scheme.
Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research ( INSPIRE ) Faculty Scheme.
Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship.
Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty Scheme ( VAJRA ).
Improve the culture of research thus ‘ ease of doing research’. There is a need for less hierarchical governance systems that encourage risk-taking and curiosity in the pursuit of excellence.
Greater public engagement of the science and research establishment is needed. A greater effort at science communication is needed.

Government initiatives on higher education

The government is trying to revitalize the Indian higher education system and for this many initiatives have been launched. Let’s discuss the importance of them.

National Testing Agency (NTA) 2017

NTA was set up for conducting entrance exams in higher educational institutions. It is based on the recommendations of the Ashok Mishra committee on IIT entrance 2015.
It will conduct JEE, NEET, National Eligibility Test (NET), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT), and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT).
It will provide diversity and plurality in higher education. It will also ensure independence and transparency in conducting the exams.
However, it should be ensured that the computer-based test should not lead to further exploitation of rural students.
NEET stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test . It is for admissions in medical courses by replacing a plethora of medical entrance tests with one national-level test.
Supreme Court had said that NEET should be the sole basis for admission to medical courses.
There is a controversy about whether urban and CBSE students will dominate NEET. The government should pay heed to this criticism.
In Tamil Nadu doctors serving in rural areas get weightage in PG admission. NEET will effectively dislodge this system.
This controversy brought forward the conflict between the fair and transparent system of admission to curb the commercialization of medical education and the socioeconomic goals of the state, which in the case of Tamil Nadu includes ensuring enough doctors for rural areas.
Controversy on NEET has brought the following question to the limelight: should uniformity be thrust upon a country with such vast disparity and diversity? The political leadership should iron out the differences and produce a suitable admission policy. This task should not be left to the judiciary.
Be that as it may, states can’t remain insulated from the need to upgrade their education standard.

RUSA: Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan 2013

About 94 % of students in higher education study in 369 State universities, whereas less than 6% of students study in 150 Centrally-funded institutions.
11th 5-year plan (2007-12) opined that the center’s bias towards premier central institutions had skewed funding for these institutions mainly and thus neglected state-level institutions.
State investment in higher education was declining. UGC’s system of direct release of funds to State institutions bypassing State governments also leads to a sense of alienation for the states.
RUSA tried to correct this bias. The scheme aims at financing state institutions concerning their governance and performance.
RUSA has shown the result in increasing the performance of state institutions and changing the way regulators function for the good. State Higher Education Council(SHEC) made medium-long-term state perspective plans.
Cabinet in 2018 decided to continue the scheme. A renewed focus by the center on RUSA will be a success only if it is impartially administered and states are willing to heed the advice of SHEC.

HECI: Higher Education Commission of India bill

On the recommendation of the Yashpal Committee 2010 for renovation and rejuvenation of higher education, the National Commission on Higher Education and Research bill was introduced but was not passed.
HECI was proposed to act as an overarching regulator of higher education by replacing UGC, which will maintain academic standards, approve new educational institutions, etc. but with no funding powers.
Draft Higher Education Commission of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill, 2018 was introduced in 2018. Budget 2019-20 proposed to bring a bill on HECI this year.
The draft bill had separated funding and placed it under MHRD. This was criticized for the fear of increasing political control and reducing the autonomy of universities.

IoE: Institutions of Eminence 2017

Around 2005, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World University Rankings started, and in 2009 the Academic Ranking of World Universities started. From India, only the Indian Institute of Science was included in the top 500 every year. This prompted the government to introduce NIRF and IoE.
Under IoE, UGC was tasked to select 10 government universities and 10 private ones as IoE. These would be given autonomy in operations.
Selected government institutions would be provided with ₹1,000 crore over five years.
The IoE tag is expected to help them achieve the world’s top 500 higher education institutions in a decade and later into the top 100.
Institutes among the top 50 in the National Institute Ranking Framework rankings or in the top 500 in international ratings were eligible.
The model for the sector remains dependent on state patronage.
Entry into the global education race could now become an overriding concern when many systemic issues are plaguing the sector.
Funding only for public institutions is discriminatory.
Humanities institutions were neglected.
Transparency in the selection process, and the public sharing of benchmarks and guidelines. The furor over the selection of Jio Institute, even before it functioned, had attracted many eyeballs and criticisms.
Separate category to include sectoral institutions like IIM.

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2015

NIRF is a methodology adopted by the MHRD to rank higher education institutions in India.

NIRF is common for public and private institutions as well as state and central institutions. Comparison of state-level colleges with central and private colleges may lead to a vicious cycle of low funding, poor performance, and low ranks among state-level institutions because of the resource gap.
So performance index values should be normalized concerning investments and resources that have gone into that institution. Also should consider making another ranking system for state-level institutions.

HEFA: Higher Education Financing Agency 2018

Introduced in Budget 2018-19, HEFA is a joint venture of MHRD and Canara Bank

With an initial capital base of Rs 1,000 crores, it will act as a not-for-profit organization that will leverage funds from the market and supplement them with donations and CSR funds. These funds will be used to finance improvement in infrastructure in top institutions.
It has been tasked with raising ₹1 lakh crore to finance infrastructure improvements in higher education by 2022.

Foreign Education Providers Bill 2013

There is no account of programs delivered by foreign universities in India. Inadequate regulation has led to low-quality courses offered in this sector.
The foreign Institution bill was not been able to pass in Parliament. However,

EQUIP report has mentioned the revival of this bill.

There are many other schemes and initiatives like SWAYAM, which offers open online courses from Class IX to post-graduation free of cost, GIAN and IMPRINT which are primarily focused on elite institutes like IITs and IISc.

APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card

The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) is a transformative initiative introduced in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF).

It aims to provide a unified and accessible academic experience for students across India by assigning a unique and permanent 12-digit ID to every student, consolidating their academic achievements in one place.

Other Major Issues connected with the Education sector in India

The Indian education sector is also affected by other issues like the politicization of campuses, gender parity problems, poor-quality standards, etc.

Politicization of campuses

JP movement had provided an impetus to the politicization of students.
In Indian higher education institutions, university politics has become a launchpad for political ambitions.
Though campus politics is vital for democracy, as it makes students better citizens, the negative side of the politicization of campuses has been visible across Indian campuses. Recent incidents at Kerala University are a case in point.
One of the most important problems of student politics in India is that it acts as an appendage to political parties without having an independent identity or autonomy.

Gender Parity

By parents → who send boys to private and girls to government schools. Economic Survey 2018-19: enrollment of girls is higher than that of boys in government schools but the pattern gets reversed in private schools. The gender gap in enrollment in private schools has consistently increased across age groups.
By teachers → who reinforced the belief that boys are quick learners.
Girls are eased out of school to work on home chores or get married.
Economic Survey 2018-19 opines that BBBP has been a success and proposes to extend the cause of Gender equality by coining the slogan of BADLAV (Beti Aapki Dhan Lakshmi Aur Vijay-Lakshmi) to enhance the contribution of women in the workforce and the economy.
For ranking states based on gender disparity, Digital Gender Atlas for Advancing Girl’s Education was launched by MHRD.
In higher education, gender disparities still prevail in enrollment.
Efforts by the Government through programs like Beti Padhao, and Beti Bachao, the GPI has improved substantially at the primary and secondary levels of enrolment.

Quality of education

Learning outcomes are not assessed in India as numerical outcomes. The 12th Five-Year Plan noted the need for measuring and improving learning outcomes.

Children of illiterate parents can’t supplement school studies at home and also can’t afford expensive tuition, leading to a vicious cycle of illiteracy.
From 2014 to 2018, there was a gradual improvement in both basic literacy and numeracy for Class III students but only a quarter of them are at grade level (ability to read and do basic operations like subtraction of Class II level).
The report also shows that 1 out of 4 children leaving Class VIII are without basic reading skills (ability to read at least a Class II level).

Government initiatives

Central Rules under the RTE Act were amended in February 2017 to include the defined class-wise and subject-wise learning outcomes.
Nationwide sub-program of SSA to improve comprehensive early reading, writing, and early mathematics programs for children in Classes I and II.

Teacher Training

Teachers play the most critical role in a student’s achievement.
The need is for better incentives for teachers, investments in teacher capacity through stronger training programs, and addressing the problems in the teaching-learning process.
However, teachers in India, especially in government schools, are considered a cog in the way to efficient governance. There is an inadequate focus on their motivation and skill updation.
NCERT study shows that there is no systematic incorporation of teacher feedback into designing pieces of training. Also, there is no mechanism to check whether this training is translated into classroom performance.
These results in de-professionalizing the teaching profession and curb a teacher’s “internal responsibility” — the sense of duty to the job.
World Development Report on Education (2018) opined that both teaching skills and motivation matter. Individually targeted continued training is important. In line with this, MHRD and the National Council for Teacher Education launched the National Teacher Platform, or Diksha in 2017 . It is a one-stop solution to address teacher competency gaps.
However, the current training through Diksha follows a one-size-fits-all approach. Even though the platform is designed to democratize both access to and creation of content by teachers, its real benefits are in the ability to provide continuous professional development which complements existing physical training.
This technology-enabled platform allows training to become a continuous activity rather than an annual event and also creates a feedback loop ensuring the effectiveness of the material.
Diksha has the potential to re-engineer in-service teacher training in India. It is important to create good content and also to ensure technology consumption by teachers, the role of headmasters in promoting teachers’ professional development, etc.

As India participates in the PISA in 2021, it is to be made sure that we recognize the importance of teachers and their role in education outcomes.

Private Schools vs Public Schools: The Big Debate in Education

At least 30% of students between the 6-14 age groups are in the private sector.

There is an increasing perception that the quality of teaching in private schools is better than that of public schools. Thus there is a clamour for increasing the number of private schools and simultaneously limiting public spending on government schools.
However, the claim on the quality of private schools is debatable as there is a wide disparity of the same among these schools.

Research paper by Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, professor of education and international development at the Institute of Education, London, offers insights into private-public school education in India:

The paper points out that between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the average enrolment in government schools declined from 122 to 108 students per school, while in private schools it rose from 202 to 208.
Nevertheless, according to the District Information System for Education (DISE), 65% of all school-going children, 113 million, get their education from government schools.
The study points out that the migration to private schools is due to the belief among parents that these schools offer better value for money in terms of quality.
IndiaSpend, in 2016, reported that despite the Rs 1.16 lakh crore spent on SSA, the quality of learning declined between 2009 and 2014. It also points out that less than one in five elementary school teachers in India are trained. Also, the contractual teachers, who are high in number in government schools, are likely to be less motivated and accountable.
Preference for private school tutoring is there.
The quality of schools varies between states. In 2016, in Kerala, the proportion of children enrolled in primary government schools increased from 40.6% in 2014 to 49.9% according to ASER 2016.
States with better-functioning government schools have more expensive private schools as there is no market for the ‘low-fee’ budget private schools. Around 80% of private schools in India are ‘low’ fee schools.
ASER 2016 has shown small improvements in learning outcomes in government schools.
Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the number of private schools grew by 35% – to 0.30 million. On the other hand, the number of government schools grew only by 1%, to 1.04 million. The migration out of government schools has left many of these economically unviable.
Government teachers in India earn four times that of China but don’t perform as well. Up to 80% of India’s public expenditure on education is spent on teachers. There is a need to link teacher salaries to their accountability.
However, the salary of private teachers is very low compared to their government counterparts. This is due to the “bureaucratically-set high ‘minimum wage’, which is being influenced by strong unions of government school teachers.
Another reason for the low salary of private school teachers is that the private education sector offers salaries based on market factors of demand and supply. Since 10.5% of graduates are unemployed in India, there is a high supply of teachers.
Rather than merely increasing the budget outlay for education, the need is to revise the Education policy for better accountability and monitoring mechanisms.
Gandhi argued that a Public-private partnership (PPP) model may be the solution, with public sector funding and private resources for education, since reforming the present system may not be politically feasible.

Rather than debating about private versus public schools, the focus should be to enable the private sector to set up more schools under the scrutiny of regulatory authorities. There is no point in driving off the private initiative in schooling given the limited resources of the states. Private investment should be encouraged but made accountable for quality and conduct.

The above discussion showed the challenges of the Indian education system. A workforce that India wants to create in this digital age requires reforms in education at all levels. UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2016 opined that India is expected to achieve universal primary education in 2050. India is 50 years late in achieving its global education commitments. If the nation wants fundamental changes in the education system, it has to meet the 2030 SDG targets on education. There is an urgent requirement for greater evolution in education in India.

Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP): How to transform Education in India?

EQUIP is a five-year vision plan on education, released by MHRD, by the Prime Minister’s decision to create a five-year vision plan for each Ministry.

The EQUIP project is crafted by ten expert groups led by experts within and outside the government:

Group 1: Strategies for expanding access
Group 2: Towards global best teaching/learning process
Group 3: Promoting Excellence
Group 4: Governance reforms
Group 5: Assessment, Accreditation, and Ranking Systems
Group 6: Promotion of research and innovation
Group 7: Employability and Entrepreneurship
Group 8: Using Technology for Better Reach
Group 9: Internationalisation
Group 10: Financing Higher Education

The groups have suggested initiatives to transform the education system completely. The goals set by the groups are:

Double GER in higher education and resolve the geographically and socially skewed access to higher education institutions.
Upgrade the quality of education to global standards.
Position at least 50 Indian institutions among the top 1000 global universities.
Introduce governance reforms in higher education for well-administered campuses.
Accreditation of all institutions as an assurance of quality.
Promote Research and Innovation ecosystems for positioning India in the top three countries in the world in matters of knowledge creation.
Double the employability of the students passing out of higher education.
Harness education technology for expanding the reach and improving pedagogy.
Promote India as a global study destination.
Achieve a quantum increase in investment in higher education.

We can see that each of the above goals has been known to us for a long time. The problem is its implementation. The political class and all other stakeholders should come together to achieve these goals. The plethora of government initiatives on higher education is a sure sign of the importance given by the political class in the reform of the education system of India. Let’s hope that a new dawn of Indian education is around the corner which will bring back the glory of ancient times when India was the centre of knowledge production.

As the Economic Survey 2016-17 points out, lack of health, malnourishment, etc. affects the cognitive ability of children. This will, in turn, have a detrimental effect on their future educational prospects. This leads to a vicious cycle of inter-generational illiteracy, poor health, and ultimately poverty. So education and health are complementary to each other and reforms in one sector should invariably be preceded and followed by reforms in other sectors. Human development as a whole can be considered as a wholesome development and we must appreciate the interlinkages of each section of human capital formation, be it health, education, digital literacy, skills, etc.

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Reader Interactions

November 27, 2019 at 10:33 pm

Wow what the largest matter of education is?. Very nice thank u sir

November 28, 2019 at 12:09 pm

Nice article but it is too long we need around 400 words which explains education in india,challenges,way forward only It is very hard to remember and segrate from given imp because all points look like imp please try to make it around 400 words only

November 28, 2019 at 2:00 pm

@MKM – The aim was to cover almost everything about Education in India as a comprehensive post. The post covers: (a) History of Education in India (b) Current Status of Education in India: Data from Census 2011 (c) RTE Act (d) Various Educational Policies in the past (e) The New National Educational Policy (NEP) (f) The Problems associated with the Education System in India (g) Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP): How to transform Education in India?

Though ClearIAS prefers short and crisp articles, for important areas like Education, we felt a detailed write-up would be useful.

Thank you for your feedback. We will continue to create concise articles as well.

November 28, 2019 at 12:35 pm

Good Source thank you Team.

November 28, 2019 at 1:56 pm

November 28, 2019 at 2:41 pm

November 29, 2019 at 7:45 am

This is a very nice and comprehensive information on education.

November 29, 2019 at 2:21 pm

Such a nice article sir thank you..

December 16, 2019 at 5:31 pm

March 30, 2020 at 12:48 pm

Sir,a small corrrection regarding literacy rate ranking, Kerala (93%)tops its followed by Lakshadweep(92 %), Mizoram (91 %) , Tripura (87.7 %) and Goa (87.4 %) as 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places repectively according to 2011 census.

June 16, 2020 at 12:20 am

Excellent Work

August 31, 2020 at 1:14 pm

Thank you vry much team.🤗 You provide excellent data ,analysis,facts,etc…evrything at one doc.

November 16, 2020 at 10:47 pm

Absolutely amazing stuff. Can’t believe.. Thanks from the bottom of my heart ❤️❤️

May 27, 2021 at 12:38 pm

Great article about Education very informative thanks for sharing

May 31, 2021 at 11:55 pm

Well and easy to understand…thank u for the team

September 12, 2021 at 10:37 am

Very good and such a broad information thank u 💖.. Lots of love

December 16, 2021 at 11:10 am

Need to update with current data eg how much percentage of school/ children get access of online education in pandemic Era COVID challanges others family support etc thank

January 28, 2022 at 10:32 am

Thank you so much for your birthday support

February 27, 2022 at 5:33 pm

good information

June 10, 2022 at 3:00 pm

Nice article very informative…traditional classroom study should be changed into a smart classroom online

July 14, 2022 at 8:55 pm

December 18, 2022 at 1:05 am

Absolute coverage article, Kindly keep it up for your determined spectators.

May 28, 2023 at 9:10 pm

desserstation on education/slums/miagration par hindi me pdf mil sakta hai

January 23, 2024 at 8:06 pm

The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of India’s education system, highlighting its pyramid structure and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals. Constitutional provisions like Article 21A and the RTE Act aim for universal education. However, the RTE Act faces criticism. To enhance educational outcomes, addressing these concerns and ensuring effective implementation are imperative. Schools in Pataudi Gurgaon focus on quality, inclusivity, and overcoming criticisms can lead Indian education to new heights. Thank You Samriddhi Sharma

February 7, 2024 at 7:44 pm

It’s crucial to delve into the challenges confronting the Indian education sector and understand the constitutional framework and policies guiding it. Exploring these aspects sheds light on the complexities and opportunities within the system. However, it’s equally important to consider how these discussions translate into action at the grassroots level, especially in local communities like Rajajinagar, Bangalore. How are schools in rajajinagar bangaloreaddressing these systemic issues and implementing reforms to ensure quality education for all students? This intersection of policy discourse and on-the-ground realities is where meaningful change happens.

March 8, 2024 at 6:22 am

Is there any data on how many states provide free education to girls till grade X and how many provide it till grade XII?

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Education System in India: Everything You Need To Know

Manali Ganguly ,

Jul 9, 2024

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The education system in India has evolved in the past few years to accommodate a more logical and practical approach towards education. The Indian education system can be roughly divided into the pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher secondary, graduate and postgraduate levels.

Education System in India: Everything You Need To Know

Education System in India: The education system in India has evolved over the years and plays an important role in shaping not just the careers of the students but their lives as well. The Indian education system is divided into several levels, including pre-primary, primary level, secondary, higher secondary, graduate and postgraduate levels.

In India, the education system is state-run. There are centralised boards as well as state boards to which the schools are affiliated. After the higher secondary level, education is imparted in colleges and universities, where the courses are bifurcated into academic, professional, and vocational courses.

An in-depth study of the complete system is crucial for a clearer understanding.

Table of Contents

History of the Education System in India

Stages of education in india, central and state school education boards in india, education schemes in india, challenges faced by the education system in india, literacy rate in india, right to education act (rte).

The education system in India that we see today is said to have come down since the Rig Vedic times. In the early period, Mathematics was the only subject through which education was imparted, implying a logical approach to learning.

In the latter period, subjects that were included to be taught were Pali grammar, Buddhist literature, social values and logic. Education was free in those times.

For the Hindu society, education was imparted in pathshalas or gurukuls where the students had to stay and serve the ‘guru’ or the teacher and learn their lessons. At the same time, in a Muslim society, there were Madrasas and Maqtabs.

When India became a British colony, initially the East India Company did not think of working on or improving the education system in India. It was later that the missionaries coming from Europe introduced Western education in the country. The Sergeant Commission and the Hunter Commission are the commissions that were set up by the British to improve the quality of education in India.

There was immense improvement in the Indian system of education in the postcolonial period. The modern education system in India can be segmented into four distinctive layers roughly. They are primary, secondary, higher secondary and higher education.

Modern India made it mandatory to educate children in the age group of 6 years to 14 years. Higher education refers to the education after completing the higher secondary level. The graduate, postgraduate, doctoral and postdoctoral levels constitute the higher education in the country.

Also Read: Indian Education System vs Foreign Education System

New Education Policy

The New Education Policy has made several amendments to the education system in India. The moderations made in the system have been mentioned in the section below:

The foundational stage of education runs for 5 years. The age group covered in this segment is 3 years to 8 years.
The preparatory stage runs for 3 years. The age group covered in this stage is 8 years to 11 years, which ideally corresponds to classes 5 to 8.
The middle stage of education is between the age group of 11 years to 14 years. The classes covered are 6 to 8.
The secondary stage is between 14 years and 16 years which includes classes 9 and 10.
The higher secondary stage is between 16 years and 18 years which corresponds to the higher secondary classes of 11 and 12.
There's no restriction on choosing the combination of subjects. Students can choose subjects across streams.

Also Read: What is Quality Education? Meaning and Importance

The education system in India is divided into the pre-primary level, the primary or the elementary level, the secondary level, the higher secondary level, the graduate level, the postgraduate level, and the doctoral and postdoctoral levels. The description for each level can be found below.

Pre-Primary Level: This stage covers the education of children between 3 and 6 years of age. While terminology may differ for different regions and schools, this stage mostly starts from the playgroup and ends with upper kindergarten.
Primary Level: This is a relatively longer stage and covers classes 1 to 8 in school. Classes 1 to 5 constitute the primary level and classes 6 to 8 constitute the upper primary level.
Secondary Level: This stage is constituted by classes 9 and 10 in school.
Higher Secondary Level: This stage includes classes 11 and 12 in school.
Graduate Level: This stage includes 3 years of degree courses which are done in the college.
Postgraduate Level: The postgraduate stage can be done in colleges or universities.
Doctoral and Postdoctoral Levels: The doctoral and postdoctoral levels require research and are done at the universities.

Also Read: Types of Education: Formal, Informal & Non-Formal

There are a number of education boards in India apart from the state education boards. The central boards are CBSE, CISCE, and NIOS. Each of these boards has a separate set of curriculum for teaching as well as conducting exams.

The centrally operating education boards in India are the following:

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)

The state-run education boards in India can be found below:

Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB)
Punjab School Education Board (PSEB)
Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE)
Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE)
Board of High School and Intermediate Education Uttar Pradesh
Chhattisgarh Board of Secondary Education (CGBSE)
Board of Secondary Education Rajasthan (RBSE)
Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE)
Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE)
Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (BSEAP)
Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education (BIEAP)
West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE)
Maharashtra State Board Of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE)
Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSEB)

Also Read: CBSE vs State Boards: Which is Better?

The education system in India has witnessed the introduction of various kinds of educational schemes aiming at improving the quality of education among the targeted population. All such schemes that have been introduced and implemented to improve the education system and therefore the literacy rate are mentioned below:

Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009): This act was passed in 2009 to make education compulsory for all children aged between 6 and 14 years.
Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC): This scheme was introduced to aid in the development and promotion of a conducive ecosystem in the higher educational institutes for conducting research by way of communication and exchange of ideas with foreign nations.
National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT): This scheme is aimed at improving the quality of education in higher educational institutes.
Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA): This scheme was introduced in 2013 by the then Ministry of Education. This scheme is sponsored by the Centre to facilitate strategic development in the higher educational institutes of the country.
NISHTHA 2.0: This scheme was introduced to train the teachers as per the requirement to support logical and critical thinking in students.
Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) Yojana: This scheme has been introduced by the Government of India to facilitate better learning in 14,000 schools located countrywide. The aim is to improve and uplift the education in these schools to bring them at par with the other centrally-controlled and state-controlled schools in the country.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme: This system was renamed the PM Poshan or Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman in September 2021. This scheme offers lunch to the children from classes 1 to 8 in the government-run schools.
PRAGYATA: This scheme issues an advisory in the form of guidelines, created by the NCERT, to the schools for digital education.
Samagra Shiksha: This scheme merges together the schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Teacher Education (TE), and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). This scheme covers the pre-primary to the higher secondary level of education in the schools. The scheme fosters equal and all-inclusive education in the schools.

Also Read: Women Education in India: Importance, Welfare Schemes, and Benefits

Despite the all-round development of the education system in India, there are a few challenges faced by the system. Corrective measures can help in dealing with the challenges and bring the education system of India to par with the top-ranking systems in the world.

The challenges faced by the system are:

Lack of Infrastructure: The lack of infrastructure in most of the schools in rural areas leads to insufficient development of the students in terms of learning.
Rote Learning Methods: This is one of the major drawbacks of the Indian education system. As compared to the top-ranking countries, in terms of education, the education system in India lies behind because of the rote learning techniques. The ways of teaching in most of the schools are rather outdated, despite digital platforms being used in a few. Stressing on rote learning fails to instil interest in the students thereby leading to a half-hearted knowledge.
Lack of Practical Application: Most of the lessons imparted in the school level lack any demonstration or practical application. This leads to insufficient knowledge among the students which hinders their educational growth in the long run.
Expensive Education: The top private schools rank among the best schools in the country. However, the expenses are sky reaching which makes it not just difficult but impossible for most of the population to afford these schools.
Teacher-to-Student Ratio: This is a factor that is constantly hindering proper learning among the students. The class strengths are quite high which makes it difficult for the teachers to pay attention to individual students and address their needs.

Also Read: 5 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Online Education

The education system in India is controlled and supervised by three central committees - University Grants Commission (UGC). National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). There exists a Ministry of Education in each state. There are more than 37000 colleges and 700 universities in India.

The literacy rate in India for seven-year-olds and above is 74.04%. The male literacy rate stands at 82.14% while the female literacy rate in India is 65.46%. The GER or General Enrolment Ratio for higher education in India stands at 26.30%. The GER is a metric that represents the percentage of people in the age group of 18 years to 23 years going for higher education.

Also Read: 10 Ways to Balance Student Life And Academics

The Right to Education Act was enacted on Aug 4, 2009, and came into force in Apr 2010. This is an Act of the Parliament of India to safeguard the rights of children to education free of cost. As per the act, the children are entitled to receive free and compulsory education from 6 years of age to 14 years of age.

The Right to Education Act makes it mandatory for children to receive fundamental education irrespective of caste, creed or gender. The Act lists the norms that the schools must abide by while imparting elementary education to the children of the specified age group.

Also Read: Best Career Options for Girl in India

Q: What is meant by the 5-3-4-4 education system?

Q: Which state ranks at no. 1 for education in India?

Q: What are the 4As of Education?

Q: Is LKG and UKG compulsory in India?

Q: At what rank does India stand in the world in terms of education?

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Advantages & Disadvantages of New Education Policy (NEP 2020)

The new education policy, NEP 2020 talks about major transformational reforms in the Indian academic sector which are appreciated by many. Along with appreciation, there is also criticism which focuses on the drawbacks of this new education policy.

In this blog, we will explore both the advantages and disadvantages of NEP, providing you with a comprehensive overview of its impact.

Benefits Of New Education Policy

For Students:

Holistic Development:

NEP 2020 focuses on the holistic development of students, addressing their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. It promotes critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, preparing students to thrive in the 21st century.

Flexible Learning Pathways:

The policy offers flexible learning pathways, allowing students to choose subjects based on their interests and career aspirations. This promotes personalized learning, enabling students to explore their passions and develop expertise in their chosen fields.

Reduced Curriculum Burden:

NEP aims to reduce the curriculum burden on students by emphasizing core concepts and essential learning outcomes. This allows for a deeper understanding of subjects and encourages a more comprehensive learning experience.

Inclusive Education:

The policy prioritizes inclusive education, ensuring equal opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities and from marginalized communities. It promotes an inclusive and supportive learning environment, fostering empathy and understanding among students.

Skill Development:

NEP 2020 emphasizes skill development, equipping students with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and digital literacy. This enhances their employability and prepares them for future challenges.

For Teachers:

Professional Development Opportunities:

The new education policy recognizes the importance of continuous professional development for teachers. It provides opportunities for training, workshops, and collaborations to enhance their teaching skills, update their knowledge, and stay abreast of evolving pedagogical practices.

Enhanced Teaching Practices:

The policy encourages a shift towards learner-centric teaching practices, promoting interactive and experiential learning methods. This allows teachers to engage students actively in the learning process, fostering deeper understanding and retention of concepts.

Integration of Technology:

NEP emphasizes the integration of technology in education. Teachers can leverage digital tools, online resources, and educational apps to enhance their teaching effectiveness, create interactive learning experiences, and cater to diverse learning styles.

Recognition of Leadership and Mentorship:

It also recognizes the importance of teacher leadership and mentorship. Teachers have the opportunity to take on mentoring roles, supporting their fellow educators, and contributing to policy implementation. This fosters professional growth and collaboration among teachers.

Collaborative Learning Communities:

NEP also promotes collaborative learning communities, encouraging teachers to engage in peer learning, share best practices, and collaborate with colleagues. This creates a supportive environment for professional growth and enhances teaching effectiveness.

Empowerment as Facilitators:

The policy empowers teachers to become facilitators of learning rather than just information providers. They can guide students through their learning journey, foster critical thinking, and nurture students’ interests and talents.

Disadvantages of NEP 2020

Increased pressure and competition for students:.

One of the primary concerns with the policy is the potential increase in pressure and competition among students. NEP emphasizes the importance of standardized examinations and encourages board exams at multiple levels, starting from the early years. This approach may lead to an excessive focus on grades and performance, compromising the overall development and well-being of students.

Narrowing of Subject Choices:

The new policy proposes a shift towards a multidisciplinary approach, which aims to provide students with a broad range of subjects. However, this might inadvertently limit their options. With an increased emphasis on vocational education and skill development, subjects like arts, humanities, and social sciences may receive less attention. This narrow focus could hinder the overall intellectual and creative growth of students.

Insufficient Teacher Training and Support:

The NEP 2020 falls short in adequately addressing the training and support needs of teachers. The lack of clear guidelines for continuous professional development and incentives may impact the quality of education imparted in classrooms.

Imbalance in Digital Infrastructure:

The new education policy places significant emphasis on digital education and e-learning platforms. While this can enhance access to education, it also exposes the digital divide prevalent in our society. Not all students have equal access to digital devices, internet connectivity, or resources required for online learning. This imbalance may further marginalize students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, exacerbating educational inequalities.

Standardization Challenges:

The policy’s aim to standardize education across the country may overlook regional and cultural diversities. The one-size-fits-all approach might not cater to the unique needs and aspirations of students from different states and regions.

Insufficient Implementation Strategy:

A major concern surrounding the policy is the lack of a robust implementation strategy. It proposes ambitious changes without providing a clear roadmap for execution. This ambiguity can lead to confusion among educational institutions, teachers, and students, resulting in uneven implementation across the country. Without a well-defined plan, the potential benefits of the policy may remain unrealized.

Final Thoughts

While the New Education Policy 2020 aims to bring about positive transformations in the Indian education system, it is essential to critically evaluate its pros and cons. By critically examining the advantages and disadvantages, stakeholders can work towards implementing the new education policy effectively, ensuring an education system that fosters holistic development, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all.

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Indian Education Essay

Read Indian Education Essay on Vedantu

The Education of a child is one of the most important decisions a parent can make. While there are many different types of educational options available, not all are created equal. Children in India have the unique opportunity to receive a world-class education, thanks to the many excellent schools that are available. Since ancient times, India has been known for its great educational system. The country's first university, Nalanda, was founded over 1,000 years ago. Today, there are thousands of schools in India, many of which are among the best in the world.

What is Indian Education?

Indian Education is a term used to refer to the Education that is offered primarily to American Indian students. The Indian Education Act of 1972 defined its purpose as "to meet the unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indian children."

Similarities Between Mainstream Education and Indian Education

There are several similarities between mainstream education in America, also known as public schools, and Indian Education. Traditional public schools are subject to the same educational mandates as Indian schools overseen by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Most incorporate a core set of subjects such as English, math, social studies, and science into their curriculum. The school year is roughly 180 days long, and students attend class 5 days a week for around 6 hours each day.

Differences Between Mainstream Education and Indian Education

Despite these similarities, there are also some key differences between mainstream education and Indian Education. Perhaps the most notable is that Indian Education is often delivered in a culturally relevant and inclusive manner, which takes into account the unique needs of Native American students. This can include incorporating tribal history and culture into the curriculum, providing Native American educators, and incorporating traditional tribal values and beliefs into the school environment. In addition, Indian Education is often offered on or near reservations, while mainstream Education is not.

Essay on Indian Education

Education plays an important role in the development of an individual and makes him a knowledgeable citizen. It is the Education that makes an individual self-reliant, helps to suppress social evils, and contributes towards the development of the society and nation as a whole. Education helps in unraveling the mystery of nature. It enables us to understand and improve the working of our society. It creates conditions for a better life. Education brings out the capabilities to fight injustice happening in society. Every individual has the right to Education.

Indian Education is one of the largest and complex education systems in the world along with China. India is committed to providing basic Education to its citizens, the framework of which is defined in the National Policy of Education. Elementary Education is now compulsory in India. At the time of Independence, only 14% of India's population was literate. Now after so many decades since Independence, the number of literates has increased by fivefold.

History of Education System

The history of the Indian education system comes from the times of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The historic Indian education system is also called the Gurukula system. There were gurus then who are now known as teachers and shishyas who are called students now. The gurus and the shishyas lived together under one roof in Gurukula until the completion of their Education. The shishyas were expected to help the guru in all the daily chores as part of their learning. The children belonging to higher strata of the society were taught all the subjects from Sanskrit to Holy Scriptures and mathematics to metaphysics by the gurus. The Gurukulas during those times focused on the practical aspects of life. The students were taught in the open classroom in the surrounding area of nature. This early system of Education in India continued for many years until the modern education system came into the picture in the nineteenth century.

In the early 19th century, during the British period, the modern education system was brought into our country by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay. The basic strength of this modernized education system was the examinations and a well-defined curriculum, which gave importance to subjects like science and mathematics and subjects like philosophy, metaphysics were given a back seat. The brick and mortar classrooms replaced the open classrooms in the Gurukulas. The essence of the guru shishya bond was taken over by a more formal relationship between the teacher and the student. To understand the progress of any student, examinations were conducted at frequent intervals. The focus of the education system shifted from learning to memorizing the concepts to score good marks in the examinations.

Problems of Indian Education System

Over a period of time, it has been observed that there are many loopholes in the system of Education in India. Instead of understanding the concepts, students started cramming and memorizing the lessons. Knowledge is given a backseat and scoring in high rankings takes importance. Modern parents have tuned their mindsets accordingly, and their goal is to ensure that their children score good marks instead of acquiring knowledge right from the primary level.

Private schools and colleges have been rapidly increasing in the country but the results produced by them are far beyond satisfactory. It has also been observed that the quality of teachers deteriorated with the passing of time. Our examination system is responsible for the wide skill gap. India is producing lakhs of engineers and professionals every year but only a fraction of this number is actually getting employed. This is because the Indian examination system focuses more on scoring good percentages rather than the actual continuous comprehensive evaluation.

Research and development, which should be the cornerstone of our system, are given the least importance. The private schools and colleges focus on the admission of more students and are least interested in the quality of their Education. This is the major reason why the faculties and the teachers lack skills and specialization. This is quite evident from the fact that a single professor is assigned to teach multiple subjects.

How Can We Improve the Indian Education System?

First and most importantly we should improve the grading system. Rote learning should be discouraged completely. Teachers and faculties should focus more on the analytical skills of the students and grade them accordingly. There should be more focus on comprehensive evaluation instead of scoring only good marks. Workshops must be organized for teachers on a regular basis to keep them updated about the latest developments in the sector of Education. At the same time, the curriculum should be reframed according to the present needs of Education in India.

Indian Education is a unique and specialized Education system that is offered primarily to Indian students. It incorporates culturally relevant and inclusive elements not found in mainstream Education but is subject to many of the same mandates .

The payroll structure of the teachers and the faculties, especially in the government institutions should be improved. This step will help in motivating the teachers to develop their skills and they will take a keen interest in grooming or shaping up a student's life and career. The government and other entities who are associated with the education sector, need to understand the importance of quality of Education. Education should be a holistic process that must focus on the overall development of the physical, emotional, social, and cognitive skills of a child. It needs to be a slow and cyclic process and must take place gradually to help the child develop into an autonomous, independent, and knowledgeable individual.

An educated individual is an individual who should be able to contribute towards the betterment of the economic and social development of the society as well as the country. The true goal of Education must exceed awarding the degrees and certificates to the students. Education is not a tool to earn livelihood, but it is a way to liberate the mind and soul of an individual.

FAQs on Indian Education Essay

1. Why is Education Important for Any Individual?

Education is important for the development of an individual. It makes an individual self-reliant, helps to suppress the social evils and contribute towards the development of the society and nation as a whole.

2. What Problems Does the Indian Education System Face?

The Indian education system focuses on rote learning. It means that the education system focuses more on memorizing instead of understanding the concepts. The grading system in the Indian education system is very poor. Teachers and faculties lack in skills and qualification. They don’t update themselves with the latest facts. Teachers are paid very less and so they lose motivation.

3. How Can the Education System Improve in India?

The education system in India should be improved by discouraging rote learning and changing the grading system. Utmost importance should be given to the research and development, which is the cornerstone of our system. Parents and teachers should focus on the overall development of a child and focus on their cognitive and analytical skills.

4. How are Women Empowered Through Education?

Education helps in empowering women. Women can voice out themselves in the society against the injustice done to them. They can be self-dependent. Women empowerment will bring a lot of development in society as well as in the nation.

5. What are the Skills Someone Needs to Acquire Through Education?

There are many skills that develop through Education, but some of the core ones include Communication, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Leadership, etc. A truly educated individual should be able to communicate effectively with others and use critical thinking to help them make the right decisions in life. Moreover, active listening is a skill needed for introspection, and leadership is important for guiding and motivating people. All these skills are essential for the overall development of an individual. These skills help one in achieving success not only in their Education but also in professional life. One of the main reasons for the success of the western world is that they put a great deal of emphasis on education and reward students who excel in it. These skills helped in making them leaders in their respective fields.

6. What are the Educational Goals of India?

India mainly has three educational goals - Equality, Excellence and Equity. To achieve the first two goals, the government of India is making tremendous efforts by providing free Education to students belonging to weaker sections of society. This measure helps in providing opportunities to all the children irrespective of their socio-economic background. To achieve excellence in Indian Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken many initiatives, including setting up world-class institutions, promoting research activities, etc. The third goal is equity in Education. The government is implementing schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to promote equitable distribution of resources for Education across different sections of society, including weaker and marginalized sections.

7. How Is Education Related to Employment?

Education is directly related to employment because of multiple reasons. Most importantly, qualifications are required for securing jobs. The more the qualification, the better is the chance of landing a good job. Moreover, an individual with quality education is more likely to be productive at work and do his/her tasks in a precise manner which helps their employer to achieve their goals as well. Also, the person is likely to be paid better if they have a good educational background. In a nutshell, Education helps an individual in getting a good job and earning a respectable salary.

8. How is Education Linked With Economic Development?

Education is the key to economic development because an educated person is able to contribute more to society. They are able to think innovatively and come up with new ideas that can help in improving the economic condition of their country. Moreover, they are able to work in various sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, services, etc., and contribute to the economic growth of their country. It can also be seen as a key to social development because an educated individual is able to contribute more towards societal welfare. This, in turn, plays a major role in reducing poverty and hunger levels across the world.

9. How Do We Make Education More Interesting and Interactive?

Education should be made more interesting and interactive by providing real-life examples in the classroom. For example, a mathematics teacher can explain a topic in a class by referring to a purchase receipt or tax statement of an individual. This way, students will be able to connect with what is being taught in the classroom and understand it better. Moreover, the teacher should not only rely on textbooks. Instead, they should use various other sources like newspapers, magazines, and the Internet to supplement teaching. Also, awarding marks for participation in classroom activities such as debates & discussions will help students develop public speaking skills and improve their communication. Vedantu teachers are constantly being trained in this area to provide better interactive sessions in the classroom.

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A student’s perspective on the new education policy, 2020.

Arundati Menon

Arundati Menon is a 12th standard student from Bangalore.

When the New Education Policy, 2020, was announced by the government, my ears perked up. As a student in 12th grade, still being very much a part of the education system, I was curious to see what the government had envisioned for millions like me. After reading the document released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, I have made certain observations from the standpoint of a student.

The New Education Policy’s ideals, as encapsulated in the beginning of the document, include the “complete realization and liberation of the self”, re-establishment of teachers as “the most respected and essential members of our society” , and the provision of access to education for students from all backgrounds despite “inherent obstacles” . Overall, The NEP aims at “instilling knowledge of India and its varied social, cultural, and technological needs, its inimitable artistic, language, and knowledge traditions, and its strong ethics in India’s young people is considered critical for purposes of national pride, self-confidence, self-knowledge, cooperation, and integration”.

The policy itself tackles various aspects of the education system as a way to achieve its stated ideals. For example, the long-drawn effort of reducing dropout rates and increasing the GRE, or the Gross Enrollment Ratio, with respect to both school and college education, features in the policy. There are also some drastic changes that have been envisioned in the policy. For one, the change of the schooling structure from 10+2 to 5+3+3+4, consisting of 5 years of foundational schooling (ages 3 to 8), 3 years of preparatory school (ages 8 to 11), 3 years of middle school (ages 11 to 14), and finally 4 years of secondary school (ages 14 to 18). Certain issues, like teacher training and introduction of preschools, that have been widely discussed by educationists, also feature in the policy. Another noteworthy proposition is to teach students in the local language till at least the 5th grade, and preferably till the 8th grade.

I am drawn, however, quite selfishly, to the parts regarding higher education, and this is the segment that I’d like to extensively analyse in the article.

Restructuring of the Higher Education System

The NEP has proposed some significant changes with respect to higher education. First is the establishment of an HECI, or Higher Education Commision of India, which replaces the current regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commision (UGC), and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). With this, the HECI will be the sole regulatory authority of the entire higher education system. The HECI is further subdivided into multiple verticals to carry out various standalone functions. The primary vertical of the HECI is the National Higher Education Regulatory Council (NHERC), which is in charge of regulating higher education in India, excluding medical and legal education. The second is the National Accreditation Council (NAC), which is given the responsibility of rating and accrediting colleges based on certain criteria, including good governance and basic norms. The Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC), the third body under HECI, is responsible for financing colleges and universities. The fourth body, the General Education Council (GEC), is in charge of framing the National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF). Overall, the HECI has been set up for, to quote the policy, “ “light but tight” regulation by a single regulator for higher education”.

The other important facet of the proposal is the complete restructuring of the higher education system through the introduction of a multidisciplinary undergraduate programme, with an option of either a three or four year duration, and multiple exit and entry points. This will bring a far greater level of flexibility within the higher education system.

Promising postulates of the NEP

There are a few things I felt that the policy did well in addressing. The first and foremost is the multidisciplinary undergraduate programme. There is an untapped repository of knowledge that students can hope to find by studying a combination of subjects. It will most definitely allow students to explore the world through the lens of multiple subjects, without the artificial constriction of streams. I myself have had the good fortune of choosing multidisciplinary subjects in 11th and 12th, and have greatly benefited from using the perspective I get from each of my subjects in viewing the world around me. A multidisciplinary education has provided me with a far greater scope, therefore, to take my learning beyond the classroom , and into the real world.

The second positive recommendation is the flexibility that the NEP will provide for choosing a three or four year programme, while also allowing some leeway to take gaps within one’s bachelor degree studies. The rigidity of the current system comes from the need to “teach” grown adults, who are old enough to vote and drive, rather than to facilitate their learning. This proposal allows students to have more control over their education, and removes the rigidity that currently prevails.

Reservations about the NEP

Firstly, I am quite skeptical about the power to control and administer the entire higher education system in India being in the hands of one institution, the HECI, whose autonomy is a subject of peculiar ambiguity. So many questions still remain unanswered-

Who is to regulate the regulatory body?

What rules are proposed to ensure its autonomy?

What are the metrics that will be used when the HECI decides the quality of a college in its ratings?

How does it ensure that the students’ intellectual freedom, as well as the right to free speech and expression, is maintained?

Does the HECI take action for every politically motivated incident in colleges, or does it allow student politics to thrive? If so, how will they ensure the freedom of students to remain political, is secured?

And, what in god’s name constitutes “light but tight regulation”?

Secondly, I find the document to be quite like a school project. As an avid writer of school projects, I should know! I say this because the policy uses large ideas, and builds castles in the clouds, but is not detail oriented. Given that the NEP aims to revamp our education system for the better, and will affect millions of lives and the future of our country, the dearth of enumerated specificities is alarming.

The portion of the NEP that talks about the implementation of the policy, “Part IV: Making It Happen” consists of two ‘whole’ pages. However, even these two pages fail to provide any particulars as to how the policy is going to be executed. For example, the policy aims to provide financial support to “various critical elements and components of education, such as ensuring universal access, learning resources, nutritional support, matters of student safety and well-being, adequate numbers of teachers and staff, teacher development, and support for all key initiatives towards equitable high-quality education for underprivileged and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.” However, nowhere does it mention how this will be done, what institutions are going to be involved, how access will be managed and ensured, what learning resources include, what all key initiatives are being taken towards providing high quality education to all that will require financial aid, and whether this is going to be financed by the 6% of our GDP that the policy claims the government will spend on education.

Specifically under the subheading “Implementation”, the policy writers add that the implementation will take place in consultation with concerned ministries and departments, and reiterate that it will take place with the spirit of the policy in mind. This, however, still does not clarify exactly how they plan to accomplish what they have envisaged in the policy.

I also find that the people involved in writing the policy soon forgot about one of the aims they mentioned in the introduction of the policy- enhancing our capabilities to compete with the world. While this noble ideal has been set by them, there is no real delineation of what they mean by making us capable of competing with the world. As an ambitious young girl, I aspire to be a part of a workforce that is driving inventive thought and is working towards solving the herculean problems that will be faced by my generation. I truly believe that our education system should enable us to aspire for our country something greater than being the “Backoffice of the world”. It takes a different kind of thought process, one that involves being intrinsically curious, to create inventions, and not innovations. The fundamental difference between the two is inventions are absolutely new ideas and discoveries of form and method, whereas innovations take inventions and adjust them to the needs arising in a specific context. Innovation is what we colloquially refer to as ‘jugaad’. We must, therefore, look at whether our education system is creating inventive individuals, or innovative ones.

Aspects the NEP has overlooked

There is one aspect that the policy does not address at all, and that is how it plans to ensure that the intellectual autonomy of students will be maintained within campuses. Apparently, for those involved in drafting the policy, there is no reason to address the issue of students being attacked for exercising their fundamental right to speech, and free expression within campuses. This is clearly because getting physically attacked on your campus by goons, while the police are watching, is most definitely not going to hamper your ability to benefit from, in the words of the policy-writers, “high-quality teaching-learning processes”. The policy aims to bring about a higher education system that is flexible, and is premised on the need for greater freedom, but at the same time, it overlooks the elements that threaten this very freedom. Hence, it’s quite curious as to why the policy makers didn’t feel the need to put together guidelines that would ensure the freedom to express oneself within one’s own campus, without getting physically or mentally harmed for it.

Another alarming observation is the scant mention of the state governments and their role in this new education system, especially with regard to higher education. As an item of the concurrent list, education is a shared responsibility between states and the centre. The blatant centralisation is quite alarming, for two reasons. Firstly, it can be viewed as a disregard for the quasi-federal nature of our country. What is on the concurrent list is a shared responsibility, and must continue to be so, because of the second reason, which is that centralisation can make the education system far more susceptible to control, especially of the political sort. The countries that have created educational institutions, which have become centers of excellence for quality education, have ensured these institutions remain separated from the state, with utmost freedom being allowed to the students and colleges to function. In order to create such institutions in our country, the congenial environment must be created, consisting of absolute decentralisation and absolute autonomy of varsities.

In conclusion, it is quite extraordinary to see the initiative taken by the government to transform the education system. The New Education Policy was marketed with the promise of landmark ideas. It is quite bold of the government to want to restructure the education system, with especially drastic changes in the higher education system.

However, how the government will manage to undertake these bold changes seems to be quite unimportant to those who have written this document. That is, unfortunately, not very surprising, seeing that implementation of policies may not be this government’s strong suit , as has been shown by the government’s mishandling of the landmark goods and services tax (GST) reforms. Secondly, the absolute power given to the HECI, with no clear guidelines, is distressing. This theme of centralisation, itself, is of concern, as there are no safety measures put in place to ensure that the independence of the higher education system will not be compromised by the single governing body. The indifference to the state governments’ role in the entire plan is also not particularly reassuring. Finally, the protection of the intellectual freedom and autonomy of colleges and the students has not been addressed by the policy at all. This adds to the alarm created by the general theme of centralisation. Thus, the New Education Policy is, to put it gently, an attempt at writing a policy, but not a particularly spectacular one.

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