Why NEP 2020 deserves a fair chance in higher education

Hindustan Times

23-05-2025

Adopt, Adapt and Adept are intrinsic to the implementation of any transformative idea, concept or vision. This is even more so when in the case of The National Education Policy that is a vision document and not an imposition. It offers flexibility, promotes multilingualism, and brings Indian higher education closer to global standards. So why adopt?
The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) represents a landmark moment in India's educational transformation. Rather than being a prescriptive mandate, it is best understood as a vision document—designed to democratise access, break down silos, and bring Indian education in line with global aspirations.
We live in a time when the centralisation of disciplinary excellence is gradually giving way to creativity, the socialisation of knowledge, and the democratisation of wisdom. Rigid academic pathways no longer serve the needs of an innovation-driven economy. NEP 2020 addresses this head-on.
A cornerstone of the reform is the multiple entry and exit system, supported by the Academic Bank of Credits. This allows learners to obtain a certificate after one year, a diploma after two, and a full degree after three or four—while retaining the option to pause and rejoin education later. For students from marginalised backgrounds, first-generation college-goers, or those juggling work and education, this flexibility is transformative. It aligns India with global trends in modular, life-long learning.
Skill development, too, is no longer an afterthought. NEP 2020 integrates vocational education with mainstream academia and ties curricula to local and global employability. In today's world, where commercialisation is increasingly replaced by innovation-driven entrepreneurship and economic ingenuity, this shift is critical. Education is no longer just about job-readiness—it's about enterprise-readiness.
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Another defining feature of NEP 2020 is its focus on the internationalisation of Indian higher education. The establishment of a National Research Foundation, encouragement for global collaborations, and efforts to attract world-class universities signal India's intent to be a producer of knowledge, not just a consumer. In an age where Indian students look abroad for quality research ecosystems, this is a long-overdue corrective.
This brings us to the adapt stage. Now even though NEP attempts to re-imagine the system from the grassroots to research, it finds itself caught in a swirl of criticism—some rooted in legitimate regional concerns, others in selective readings of the text.
Among the most contested elements is the three-language formula. Often misunderstood as a tool of linguistic imposition, NEP 2020 in fact declares unambiguously that 'no language will be imposed on any state.' The choice remains with the state, region, and learner, provided at least two of the three languages are Indian. The aim here is not uniformity, but multilingual empowerment. In a country as diverse as India, the policy celebrates the richness of linguistic heritage, offering flexibility without enforcing conformity.
This intent becomes clearer when we observe how many elite private schools have long embraced trilingual models. Multilingual education is celebrated in such institutions for enhancing cognitive skills and cultural fluency. The question, then, is not whether learning three languages is beneficial—but why students in government schools are denied similar opportunities. The real debate is about access and equity, not language per se.
Equally important is the policy's commitment to regional languages. At the foundational level, NEP rightly supports mother-tongue instruction, recognising that children learn best in their native language. At the higher education level, too, it advocates for translating academic resources into Indian languages, bridging the linguistic gap that has historically excluded vast sections of our population from higher learning.
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Of course, concerns about linguistic imposition, especially in states with a history of opposing centralised language policies, cannot be dismissed lightly. But NEP 2020 is not a replay of past mandates. It is grounded in flexibility, choice, and contextual adaptation. States are not passive recipients but active partners in implementation.
This calls for genuine cooperative federalism. Education lies on the Concurrent List of the Constitution. Any reform at this scale must be negotiated—not enforced. Financial incentives from the Centre should be viewed as supportive, not coercive. At the same time, rejecting the entire policy due to ideological disagreements signals a gap in the grassroot work by the state to adapt the policy by tailoring it to the regional needs and aspirations and depriving the students of the benefits of much-needed academic innovation.
The NEP is still in its infancy and the terms of its implementation are being constantly negotiated and renegotiated by different institutions to evolve a framework best suited to the needs of the students. So, the adept stage is a bit early to be claimed. However, maybe a page may be taken out of the Jammu University's implementation of Design Your Degree Program. Recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, it explicitly demonstrates how NEP in its essence is a choice-based policy and not hegemonic.
The students are given freedom of choice of subjects which nevertheless are approached through their regional contexts. Further, the regional aspirations and needs are addressed through the revisionist pedagogy that is firmly grounded in the socio-cultural matrix of the region. It explicitly demonstrates how beyond the language question, NEP 2020's implications for higher education are far-reaching.
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The policy actively dismantles rigid disciplinary boundaries, encouraging interdisciplinary learning. The 'Design Your Degree' initiative is emblematic of this shift, allowing students to tailor their academic journey across sciences, arts, humanities, and vocational domains. This is essential in an era where problem-solving demands a fusion of creativity, technical insight, and ethical reasoning.
In today's landscape, where innovation, digital literacy, and interdisciplinary thinking are critical, we need an education system that matches the ambition of our youth. NEP 2020 is that opportunity. It does not claim to have all the answers—but it does ask the right questions and provides a framework that can evolve with time.
Rather than dismissing the NEP, we must approach it as a living, breathing document—open to dialogue, refinement, and experimentation. Its strength lies not in rigid conformity, but in its ambition to decentralise opportunity, democratise access, and modernise learning.
As India stands poised to reap its demographic dividend, the real question is not whether we need the NEP. The question is: can we afford not to embrace it?
Garima Gupta and Dushyant Kumar Rai are professors at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, University of Jammu.
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