5 Years of National Education Policy (NEP)

Posted 19 Aug 2025

Updated 22 Aug 2025

6 min read

Why in the News?

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 completed 5 years.

About NEP 2020

Know the term: Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) – Total number of students enrolled in a given education level, regardless of age. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) – Ability to read with understanding and perform basic maths by end of Grade 3

It is the country's third education policy post-independence (first 2 policies in 1968 and 1986 modified in 1992).
- It was drafted on the recommendations of Kasturirangan Committee.
Fundamental Principles of NEP
- Emphasis on Conceptual Understanding: Rather than rote learning.
- Use of Technology: In teaching and learning, removing language barriers, access for Divyang students.
- 'Light but tight' Regulatory Framework: Ensure integrity, transparency, and resource efficiency.
- Respect for diversity: Inclusion of local context in all curriculum, pedagogy, and policy.
- Equity and Inclusion: For unprivileged sections.
- Research: Corequisite for outstanding education and development.
- Continuous Review of Progress: Based on sustained research and regular assessment.

Key Focus Areas of NEP 2020

School Education
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)	National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (NCPFECCE) for children up to age of 8.
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN)	Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA)- a national platform for school education providing digital learning resources in 133 Indian languages.
New Pedagogical & Curricular Structure	5+3+3+4 design and National Curricular Framework for School Education (NCFSE) by NCERT.
Multilingualism	Medium of instruction until at least Grade 5 (preferably Grade 8 and beyond) in local language.
Assessment Reforms	National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development)- a standard-setting body for student assessment and evaluation.
Teachers	Pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) under 30:1 at each school level. Strengthening Teacher Eligibility Tests (TETs). Each teacher to participate in at least 50 hours of Continuous Professional Development every year.
Standard-setting and Accreditation	Department of School Education, apex state-level body for monitoring and policymaking.
Higher Education
Quality Universities and Colleges	3 or 4 year Undergraduate degree courses with multiple exit options. Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) to digitally store academic credits earned from various recognized HEIs.
Teacher Education	Use of technology platforms like SWAYAM/DIKSHA for online training of teachers. National Mission for Mentoring offers access to quality mentoring sessions from experienced professionals as Mentors to the teachers.
Regulatory Transformation	Umbrella institution, i.e., Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), with four independent verticals.
Other Key Areas	National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education (NCIVE) Professional Education Adult Education and Lifelong Learning Promotion of Indian Languages, Arts and Culture Technology Use and Integration through an autonomous body, the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), etc.

Key targets of NEP 2020: Universal FLN in primary schools by 2025; 100% Gross Enrolment Ratio in preschool to secondary level by 2030; 6% of GDP as public investment in education; 50% GER in higher education including vocational by 2035; all HEIs to be multidisciplinary by 2040; at least 50% learners to have vocational exposure by 2025.

Key Achievements of National Educational Policy 2020

School education (Economic Survey 2024-25)
- Near universal GER at primary level: 93 %
- Decline in School dropout rates: 1.9 % for primary, 5.2 % for upper primary, and 14.1 % for secondary levels.
- Digitalization: Increase in schools equipped with computers (38.5% to 57.2%) and internet facilities (22.3% to 53.9%) from 2023-2024 to 2019-20.
Higher Education (18–23 age group) (Economic Survey 2024-25)
- Increase in GER: From 23.7% (2014-15) to 28.4% (2021-22)
- Increase in Total Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): 13.8% from 2014- 15 to 2022-23.
Rural schools (Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024)
- FLN Directives: Over 80% of 15,728 rural schools reported receiving FLN directives.
- Overall school enrolment rates among 6-14 age group: > 95% for close to 20 years.
- Drop in Proportion of 15-16-year-old children not enrolled in school: From 13.1% in 2018 to 7.9% in 2024.
Teacher Training: 12.97 lakh teachers trained under NISHTHA (Teacher Training Programme).
Innovation: Patent filings reached 92,168 in 2023–24, with HEIs contributing 25%.
Inclusivity: 7.58 lakh girls enrolled in inclusive residential schools.
Internationalisation: Prestigious institutions like Deakin and Wollongong Universities (Australia) and University of Southampton (UK) have campuses in India.
Literacy: Ladakh became the first fully literate administrative unit followed by Mizoram, Goa and Tripura.
Multilingualism: National Tests like CUET, JEE (Mains), and NEET (UG) are conducted in 12 Indian languages.
Monitoring and Assessment: PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan (Dec 2024) covered 21.15 lakh students across 74,000 schools.

Hurdles in implementing NEP 2020

Inadequate funding: Overall education expenditure hovers around 3% of GDP against the NEP target of 6% of GDP.
- Financing is heavily input driven, focusing on infrastructure, recruitment, and material distribution falling short of improving actual learning outcomes.
Centre-States Policy divide: E.g. States like Kerala, West Bengal refused to sign MoUs for PM-SHRI schools which requires full adoption of NEP.
Institutional Delays: Formation of Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) as a successor to UGC and National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education delayed.
Over-regulation: Regulatory framework (UGC/AICTE) currently includes over 50 regulations addressing different aspects of education and research.
Challenges with retention rates: E.g., it stands 45.6% for higher secondary (classes I to XII). (Economic Survey 2024-25)
Other issues:
- Teachers facing technical barriers including difficulties in connecting laptops to smart boards etc.
- Opposition from states like Tamil Nadu regarding the imposition of Three-Language Formula.
- Lack of effective learning time (only 35 minutes per day) on Early Childhood Education
- Implementation of Four-Year Undergraduate Degrees faces challenges due to infrastructural and faculty constraints.

Key Government Schemes/Initiatives under NEP 2020

PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India): Revamping over 14,500 schools (2022-2027)
National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat): Ensures FLN by the end of Grade 3 by 2026-27.
One Nation One Subscription (ONOS): A Central Sector Scheme for providing country-wide access to scholarly research articles and journal publication on a single platform.
Initiatives for Children with Special Needs (CwSN): PM e-Vidya DTH Channel for Indian Sign Language; Disability Screening-PRASHAST etc.
PRERNA: Residential program for selected students of classes IX - XII focusing on experiential learning.
ULLAS or Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (New India Literacy Programme - NILP): Centrally sponsored initiative to empower adults aged 15 and above, who missed formal schooling.
Vidyanjali: School volunteer program encouraging community engagement and corporate social responsibility (CSR) participation.
Rashtriya Vidya Samiksha Kendra (RVSK): Provides real-time data on key performance indicators (KPIs) of school education for evidence-based decision-making.

Way forward on Improving the Implementation of NEP 2020

Outcomes-based financing (OBF): Funding approach where payments are tied to achievement of pre-defined, verified outcomes, as opposed to inputs or activities.
Stronger coordination: Shared framework for monitoring progress and adapting reforms to local contexts.
Technology Enabled Learning Ecosystem: Implemented with continuous monitoring, it can improve engagement and retention.
- E.g., Leveraging AI for teachers' professional development and providing AI-driven personal tutors for students.
Integrating structured peer learning: E.g., Mission Ankur in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat focuses on engaging schools and communities for holistic development of primary students, ensuring they achieve FLN skills.
Capacity Building: Investing in faculty development programs, creating a support system for teachers, and strengthening institutional leadership.
Decentralization and Flexibility: Providing flexibility to institutions to adapt the NEP to their specific context fostering innovation and ownership.

Conclusion

Five years into its rollout, NEP 2020 has laid a strong foundation for transforming India's educational landscape by focusing on inclusivity, quality, and relevance. While progress in enrolment, digital access, and teacher development is commendable, increased funding, improved governance, and overcoming infrastructural and policy hurdles are critical to realizing its full potential.