INTRODUCTION FOR SPEAKERS :

CS and I representing Dafne civils Academy would like to give a brief overview
on Indian education and its policies which were introduced by the government of
India. There are three education policies introduced by the government till date.

 Let us have some idea about the education system in pre-independence

First of all What purpose does a National education policy serve?

Answer:- A NEP is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of
education in the country.

The Charter Act of 1813 was the first step towards education being made an
objective of the government. But there was a split in the government over what
kind of education was to be offered to the Indians. In 1835, it was decided that
western sciences and literature would be imparted to Indians through the
medium of English by Lord William Bentinck’s government.
 In the early 1900s, the Indian National Congress called for national education,
placing an emphasis on technical and vocational training. In 1920 Congress
initiated a boycott of government-aided and government-controlled schools and
founded several ‘national’ schools and colleges. These failed, as the rewards of
British-style education were so great that the boycott was largely ignored.

First National education policy[1968]

Based on the report and recommendations of the Kothari Commission (1964–

1966), Indira Gandhi’s government announced the first National Policy on
Education in 1968, which called for  radical restructuring and proposed equal
educational opportunities in order to achieve national integration and greater
cultural and economic development. The policy called for fulfilling compulsory
education for all children up to the age of 14, as stipulated by the Constitution of
India and specialized training and qualification of teachers. The policy called for
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a focus on the learning of regional languages, outlining the "three-language

formula" to be implemented in secondary education.

The policy also encouraged the teaching of the ancient Sanskrit language, which
was considered an essential part of India's culture and heritage. The NPE of
1968 called for education spending to increase to six percent of the national
income.

Second national educational policy:1986

In 1986, the government led by Rajiv Gandhi introduced a new National

Policy on Education. The new policy called for "special emphasis on the
removal of disparities and to equalize educational opportunity," especially
for Indian women, Scheduled Tribes (ST) and the Scheduled Caste (SC)
ecommunities. To achieve such a social integration, the policy called for
expanding scholarships, adult education, recruiting more teachers from
the SCs, incentives for poor families to send their children to school
regularly, development of new institutions, and providing housing and
 services. The NPE called for a "child-centered approach" in primary
education, and launched "Operation Blackboard" to improve primary
schools nationwide. 
The policy expanded the open university system with the Indira Gandhi National
Open University, which had been created in 1985.

 The NPE gave nearly 90 recommendations that the institutions of national

importance like UGC, NCERT, NIEPA, AICTE, ICAR, IMC,. will be strengthened
to enable them to give shape to the national system of education and to cope
with the emerging demands of the nation. .

Program of Action (PoA) 1992, under the National Policy on Education (NPE),
1986 envisaged conducting a common entrance examination on all India basis
for admission to professional and technical programs in the country. For
admission to Engineering and Architecture/Planning programs, Government of
India passed a  Resolution dated 18 October 2001 has laid down a Three –
Exam Scheme (JEE and AIEEE at the National Level and the State Level
Engineering Entrance Examinations (SLEEE) for State Level Institutions – with
an option to join AIEEE). This takes care of varying admission standards in these
programs and helps in the maintenance of professional standards. 

Let us now have a brief view on the 3rd National education policy which was
introduced by the Narendra Modi government...

 Third National educational policy [2020]:

The new NEP aims Sustainable development goal -4[SDG] i.e. to ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all. It also aims for holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary
education system.

 In school education, the policy focuses on examining the curriculum,

easier  Board exams, to reduce syllabus and focus on “experiential
learning and critical thinking”.

          As a major modification from 1986 policy, which pushed for a 10+2
structure of school education, the new NEP urges for a “5+3+3+4” design for the
age groups of 3-8 years (foundational stage), 8-11 (preparatory), 11-14 (middle),
and 14-18 (secondary). This brings early childhood education ( for children of
ages 3 to 5) under the scope of formal schooling. The mid-day meal program will
be extended to pre-school children. The NEP says students until Class 5 should
be taught in their mother tongue or regional language.

The NEP proposes significant changes including the expansion of Indian higher
education to foreign universities, dismantling of the UGC, and the All India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the introduction of a four-year
multidisciplinary undergraduate program with multiple exit options, and
discontinuation of the M Phil program.