Higher Education Reforms in India: National Education Policy 2020 and Implementation Measures

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 replaces the National Policy on Education of 1986, marking a shift toward a flexible, multidisciplinary, and quality-driven higher education system in India. Approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2020, the policy aims to raise the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035. It focuses on structural restructuring, regulatory simplification, global integration, and technology inclusion to transition India into a knowledge hub.

Core Structural Changes in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programs

Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP)

• Multiple Entry and Exit Options: Offers certificate after 1 year, diploma after 2 years, bachelor’s degree after 3 years, and bachelor’s degree with research after 4 years.
• Academic Bank of Credits (ABC): A digital repository storing academic credits earned by students to facilitate credit transfer and mobility across institutions.
• Curriculum Flexibility: Eliminates rigid boundaries between science, arts, and commerce streams, allowing cross-disciplinary subject choices.

Post-Graduate and Doctoral Structure

• Flexible Master’s Degree: 1-year master’s program for students completing a 4-year undergraduate degree with research, and 2-year master’s for those with a 3-year undergraduate degree.
• M.Phil Discontinuation: The Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) degree program has been phased out completely.
• Direct Ph.D. Entry: Graduates completing a 4-year bachelor’s degree with research are eligible for direct entry into Ph.D. programs.

Institutional Restructuring and Classification

Reorganization of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs)

The policy categorizes all higher education institutions into three distinct types:

• Research-intensive Universities: Focus equally on research and teaching.
• Teaching-intensive Universities: Focus primarily on high-quality teaching across disciplines, with moderate research outputs.
• Autonomous Degree-granting Colleges: Focus primarily on undergraduate teaching and community engagement.

Institutional Autonomy and Phasing Out Affiliation

• Graded Autonomy: A graded framework bestows academic, administrative, and financial autonomy to colleges based on accreditation scores over a 15-year period.
• Single-Discipline Phaseout: Single-discipline institutions will be phased out and transformed into multidisciplinary universities and clusters by 2040.

Single Regulatory Umbrella: Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)

The Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) replaces existing regulatory bodies like the UGC and AICTE through four distinct verticals:

Research Promotion and Globalisation Frameworks

National Research Foundation (NRF)

• Established under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act to seed, fund, and coordinate research across India’s academic institutions.
• Aims to expand research funding, bridge the gap between academia and industry, and foster a research culture in state universities.

Internationalisation of Higher Education

• Foreign University Campuses: Regulations allow top-ranked global universities (top 500 in global rankings) to set up campuses in India.
• Gift City Framework: Enables foreign universities to set up campuses in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) free from domestic regulations.
• Twinning and Joint Degrees: Allows Indian HEIs to collaborate with foreign universities for dual degree, joint degree, and twinning programs.

Key Implementation Initiatives Launched by the Government

National Credit Framework (NCrF)

• Integrates credits earned across general education, vocational education, and experiential learning under a unified credit system.

APAAR ID (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry)

• Serves as a unique ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ to track learning outcomes, credit accumulation, and academic achievements from pre-primary to higher education.

Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme

• Focuses on capacity building and continuous professional development for faculty in higher education institutions.

PM-Vidyalaxmi Scheme

• Provides financial support to meritorious students entering top HEIs, offering collateral-free education loans through a digital application system.

Professor of Practice Portal

• Enables industry experts, practitioners, and professionals to join academic institutions as professors without requiring traditional academic qualifications.

Digital Infrastructure Initiatives

• SWAYAM and SWAYAM Prabha: Expands Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and direct-to-home educational channels.
• SAMARTH ERP: An open-source automation platform providing digital governance solutions to universities.
• UTSAH Portal: Tracks the implementation of NEP 2020 initiatives across higher educational institutions.

Key Facts and Trivia for Exam Preparation

• Kasturirangan Committee: The NEP 2020 was drafted by a committee chaired by former ISRO chief Dr. K. Kasturirangan.
• Predecessor Policies: NEP 2020 is India’s third national education policy, following the first in 1968 and the second in 1986.
• GDP Expenditure Target: The policy targets public expenditure on education to reach 6% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• GER Target: Aims to raise Higher Education Gross Enrolment Ratio to 50% by 2035, adding 3.5 crore seats.
• Integration of Vocational Education: Target to expose at least 50% of learners in school and higher education to vocational education by 2025.
• NHEQF: National Higher Education Qualifications Framework defines qualification levels ranging from Level 4.5 (first year UG) to Level 8 (doctoral level).
• Language Promotion: Encourages higher education programs in regional Indian languages, supported by AI translation tools like the Anuvadini App.