National Education Policy 2020: Features and Implementation

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is the major policy framework intended to reshape India’s education system from early schooling to higher education. Drafted by a committee chaired by Dr. K. Kasturirangan, it replaces the National Policy on Education, 1986 and seeks alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4.

School Education Reforms

• New school structure: NEP 2020 replaces the 10+2 system with a 5+3+3+4 structure.
• Foundational Stage: 3 years of preschool/Anganwadi plus Grades 1 and 2, for children aged 3–8 years.
• Preparatory Stage: Grades 3–5, covering ages 8–11 years.
• Middle Stage: Grades 6–8, covering ages 11–14 years.
• Secondary Stage: Grades 9–12, covering ages 14–18 years.
• Enrolment goal: The policy aims for 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in school education by 2030, from preschool to secondary level.
• Vocational integration: Skill-based and vocational exposure begins in middle school and expands through secondary education.
• Early learning focus: The policy gives strong emphasis to foundational literacy and numeracy as the basis of later learning.

Higher Education and Academic Flexibility

• Higher education target: NEP 2020 seeks a 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by 2035.
• Flexible learning paths: The National Credit Framework (NCrF) allows academic and skill-based learning to be integrated.
• Vocational credits: Students can earn up to 50% of academic credits through vocational and skill-based learning.
• Multiple Entry-Multiple Exit: The policy supports multiple entry and exit options, with certificate, diploma or degree outcomes depending on years completed.
• Academic Bank of Credits: The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) is meant to store and transfer earned academic credits.
• APAAR ID: The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR ID) is linked to academic record management.

Regulatory and Research Architecture

• Single regulator proposal: The Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill is intended to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC) as an overarching regulator.
• Regulatory design: Draft iterations have indicated that funding powers may be kept outside the proposed HECI’s regulatory role.
• Research funding body: The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established under the ANRF Act, 2023.
• Research mandate: ANRF supports scientific and humanities research and has subsumed the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).

Implementation Schemes and State Participation

• PM SHRI memorandums: As of March 2026, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal had not signed the PM SHRI MoU.
• State participation: Kerala signed the scheme in October 2025, while Punjab re-joined it in July 2024 after temporarily opting out.
• Multilingual learning: BBPS is designed to strengthen vernacular and multilingual education through digital academic content.

Budgetary Commitments and Spending Trends

• Public education spending target: NEP 2020 recommends public expenditure on education at 6% of GDP.
• Current gap: Combined Centre and State public spending stood at 2.7% of GDP in the FY26 Budget Estimates, compared with 2.9% in FY20.
• Union allocation trend: The Ministry of Education’s share of total Union expenditure declined from 4.6% in 2013-14 to 2.5% in the 2025-26 Budget Estimates.
• Union Budget 2026-27: The Ministry of Education received ₹1,39,289.48 crore, which was 8.27% higher than the 2025-26 Budget Estimates.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Chairman of drafting committee: Dr. K. Kasturirangan.
• Policy replaced: National Policy on Education, 1986.
• School structure: 5+3+3+4 model with Foundational, Preparatory, Middle and Secondary stages.
• Enrolment targets: 100% GER in school education by 2030 and 50% GER in higher education by 2035.
• Credit flexibility: NCrF, ABC and APAAR ID support academic mobility and record management.
• Vocational learning: Up to 50% of academic credits may come from vocational and skill-based learning.
• Research institution: ANRF, under the ANRF Act, 2023, has subsumed SERB.