What ails implementation of NEP in higher education
S JYOTIRANJAN
PRASANT KUMAR SAHOO
Gandhiji once remarked, “Education is the realisation of the best in man – body, soul and spirit.” This is what exactly the New Education Policy (NEP), 2020 strives to achieve. It aims for an integrated, holistic, bottom-up approach with a continuous assessment of students for making them learn not only the livelihood skills but also the life skills which is having utmost significance in today’s world.
As per the Union Minister of Education, “NEP 2020 is a visionary education policy for the 21st century through which India is harnessing the capabilities of each student, universalising education, building capacities and transforming the learning landscape in the country.” But after two years of its implementation, the results are not manifested at ground level as expected. There are some structural issues causing hindrances to its implementation.
First of all, the diversity of India’s higher education sector in the States with different needs makes the policy implementation a Herculean task. India’s higher education consists of 3.74 crore students in 1,043 universities, 42,343 colleges and 11,779 standalone institutes. While the national average of Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is around 27%, major States such as Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, UP, Bihar are far below this as per the 2019 AISHE report. Therefore, the requirements of Tamil Nadu with 51.4% GER in higher education is different from that of Bihar with 14.5% and Odisha with 21.7%. Thus, to properly implement the NEP across the country having varied educational needs and with varied stakeholders is not an easy task.
Second, higher education in India incorporates private sector too because as many as 78.6% colleges are privately-managed according to the AISHE report 2019-20. To achieve an affordable, accessible and quality higher education is a big question mark, especially in the Empowered Action Group (EAG) States, where poverty and hunger is deeply ingrained.
Third, with only 3% spending of GDP in education, our higher education institutions (HEIs) are severely underfunded. To attract more bright scholars in technical education and research therefore is massively lacking in India. This has a serious corollary as well. India spends very less (below 1% of GDP) on R&D among the leading countries. There is also asymmetry among the Centrally- and State-funded universities and institutions. The plights of State universities are more deplorable. They have to rely up to years even for lab expenses due to over-bureaucratisation. Conditions of library facilities indicate no good sign. Maximum university departments are devoid of latest journals, the lifeline of higher and technical education. Faculty positions are lying vacant for years. What is even more worrisome is that new topics and syllabus changed some decades back. Hence, the knowledge addition process remains stagnant in state institutions unlike the IITs or IIMs where autonomy reigns high.
Fourth, the NEP envisages a dramatic shift from rote learning to experimental learning and critical thinking. However for this to materialise, a sea change in the attitude of decision-makers, people running the HEIs and other sector operators is needed which is very less often seen currently. Therefore, HEIs would require capacity enhancement for operational and management aspects of implementing this mega policy with a clear set of mission and vision. For this, accountability needs to be fixed across the different stakeholders so that the goals of NEP be achieved in all its forms and set targets. For example, the organisational structure of the Ministry of Education has to be transformed towards more decentralisation and de-bureaucratisation that can lead to repercussions on regulatory bodies accepting modern approaches while giving instructions to the HEIs, the quality of which is at stake now. In this context, the setting up of a Higher Education Commission replacing the UGC should not be further delayed that can provide valuable directions and can fruitfully help implement the NEP.
Next, as fallout of Federal politics, some States are not able to implement it over the language issues and funding mechanisms. Karnataka became the first State to execute it followed by Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. But the non-BJP-ruled States need to implement the policy outlines to get the benefits of it that can largely advantage the students. The Centre too should emphasise on decentralising the education system and some of the policy elements without costing the quality assurance.
Lastly, the new concept of multiple entries and exits has been one of the significant breakthroughs in higher education. However, two important challenges persist, i.e., how to practically execute this provision and the value of such certificates or diploma degrees. Will the students with such degrees be able to be employed? As per the India Skill Report, our graduates have an employability rate of below 50%. With high dropout rates in higher education and low job creations in industry and services sectors, the policy papers are mute to answer this.
The need of the hour is an overhaul of the educational practices and bringing changes in the system as stressing more on the formal training is bad because that does not necessarily enhance employability. More priority rather should be given to learning outcomes loaded with values and morality which is particularly lacking in the current education system. The method of the Academic Bank of Credit has to be very objective without any ambiguity. Besides, the budget ought to be increased to at least 6% of the GDP and more expenditure on R&D to stop brain drain from India. Post the Covid-19 situation, digital connectivity has been indispensable for imparting quality education and materials to the students. E-leaning has shown the way like DIKSHA, NISTHA, NIPUN Bharat Mission, etc. This has to be further expedited and transformation in the MOOT learning practices and SWAYAM are the urgent steps which have to be taken for the emergence of a New India. Last but not the least, regional diversities have to be taken into consideration for effectively proceeding towards proper implementation of the NEP.
(Jyotiranjan is an Addl Central Government Standing Counsel and a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Law and Media Studies, School of Mass Communication, KIIT University. Prof Sahoo is an Asst Professor of Anthropology, FM College, Balasore. Views are personal)