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National Education Policy-2020 and Integration of Information and

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 ISBN: 978-81-948866-3-1

NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY-2020 AND INTEGRATION

OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
(ICT) WITH EDUCATION

Aftab Alam
Assistant Professor
College of Teacher Education, Darbhanga
Maulana Azad National Urdu University,
Hyderabad, India

ABSTRACT

The present world is trying to come out from the severe efect of the pandemic
the
of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The outbreak ofthis novel disease across

world has brought changes in all walks of lije. In the education system, it led to a
complete paradigm shift from physical to virtual classroom. One of the most important
policies of the 21st century is New Education Poliy (NEP) that was drafted (revised) in
2019 and approved by Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020. The policy is
revolutionary and far-reaching in every aspect and its focus is on various facets of
education including the integration of lICT. In the 21st century, the requirement of usage
of ICT in the field of education was speedily growing. The policy discerns the necessity
and significance of information and communications techmology in aiding teachers
bridging the language barrier especially in a multilingual country like India, creating
digital libraries and facilitating a technology-based platform for teacher raining. The
policy also concedes the significance of technology to promote interdisciplinary research
and innovation and to improve teaching and enhance learning, assessment, plamning and
administration of education. The policy also focuses on creating the Academic Bank f
Credit and utilising technology to ensure the effectiveness and transparency of regulatory
bodies. The policy admits the challenges arisingfrom Artificial Intelligence and calls for
imvestment in digital infrastructure and virtual platform. Other education commissions
harve also highlighted the needs and significance of ICT in Education as National Policy
on ICT in School Education-2012. The policy is a protonpical tool towards building
digitalIndia
Key words: NEP-2020, ICT, NETF, DIKSHA, Academic Bank of Credit, Digital
Infrustructure, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Library, Virtual Lab and Digital Repositor

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INTRODUCTION

Education is indeed backbone and the real foundation of the development of a society and
country from all perspectives. A country cannot develop unless it imparts education to its all citizens
irrespective of class, race caste and region etc. education is a pre-requisite instrument to prepare
individuals for their duties and to aware them about their rights. Education prepares new generations for
for (Alam A & Zahoor, N, 2019). Unlike other countries, India
ahasbetter tuture and trains them tomorrow
a long history of education and in ancient time it was a popular centre of education in the entire
world. From Charter Act 1813 till today, countless education commissions were set up and policies were
made notably English Education Act-1835, Hunter Commission-1882, University Commission-1902 &
Calcutta University Commission-1917, Sargent Plan-1944, Education
University Committee-1948,
Secondary Education Commission-1952, Indian Education Commission-1964-66, National Education
Policy-1968 and 1986, National Curriculum Framework-2005, National Knowledge Commission-2006,
National Policy on Information and Communications Technology in School Education-2012 and New
Education Policy-2020.

The twenty-first century is the time of science and technology and all the societies all over the
world have been transformed into information-intensive society. The growing requirement of ICT and
usage of technological gazettes, Artificial Intelligence, E-learning, Virtual Classroom, Digital Platform,
Digital Libraries and Digital Infrastructure etc. are some gifts of this century. Novel Coronavirus
Disease (COVID-19) and its outbreak across the world geared up and gave a boost to the field of
technology. The disease first broke out in December in Wuhan city of China. It was first reported to the
World Health Organisation (WHO) country office on 31st December 2019, and on 30th January 2020
WHO declared a public health emergency of international concem (WHO, 2020). The integration of ICT
with education provides better opportunities to learners, teachers and administrators to work better in the
current scenario of the education system (Raushan A., 2020).

National Education Policy-2020

One of the most important education policies of the 21st century is New Education Policy (NEP)
that was drafted (revised) in 2019 and approved by Union Cabinet of India on 29 July 2020. The policy
Is revolutionary and far-reaching in every aspect and it focuses on various aspects including the
integration of ICT with education. The policy purposes emendation and refurbishing all aspects of
education structure in the country including its regulation and govemance to build a new system that is
aligned with aspirational goals of twenty-tirst-century education. The National Education Policy 2020
states "envisions an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming out nation
sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by providing high-quality education to all"
(Government of India, 2019). The policy tocussed the Indian education from all perspectives
addressed all types of education including pre-school education, school education, higher education,
professional education and technical education etc. by drawing inputs from vast and long historical
heritage of the country and considering the contributions from many scholars. The purpose of the policy

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s to provide a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary liberal education to all citizen and it set various
us

educational lifecycle stages (Aithal. P. S.. & Aithal, S., 2020).

Information and Conmmunications Technology (1CT)

According to the Wikipedia of ICT, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is a

modified and an extensional term for Information technology (IT) that focuses on the role of unified
communications and the integration of telecommunications and computers as well necessary enterprises
sottware. middleware, storage and audio-visual that enable the user to access, store, transmit and
manipulate information. ICT is a broad term and concept that include any product that will store,
retrieve. manipulate. transmit or receive information electrically in a digital form such as a personal

computer, digital television, email or robots ("Information and Communications Technology", 2021).
TCT has been an integral part of the present world and it has brought rapid technological, social,
educational, political and economic changes and consequently a network society emerged (Castell,
1996). ICT and education are two sides of the same coin. It enhances the quality and quantity of

teaching. learning and research interactive and engaging nature in both formal and
through its dynamic,
non-formal even informal education. It has the potential to accelerate, enrich and deepen skills and
motivate and engage individuals in learning (Yusuf, M. 0. (2005).

Integration of ICT with Education

In the twenty-first century, the entire world is going rapid changes in the field of science and

technology such as the rise of big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence (Aithal, P. S., &
Aithal, S., 2016). On one hand, education plays an important role in transforming into digitally

empowered society and on the other hand, technology itself plays a critical role in the improvement of
the process and outcomes of education,. The policy closely observed and acknowledged the bi-
directional relationship between technology and education. The policy states " Appropriate integration

of technology into all levels of education is to support teacher preparation and development, improve
teaching, learning and evaluation process; enhance educational access to disadvantaged groups; and
streamline educational planning, administration and management" (Government of India, 2019). The

policy recognises the importance of technology in aiding teachers, bridging the language barrier,
creating digital libraries and facilitating a technology-based platform for teacher-training. The policy
also concedes the significance of technology to promote interdisciplinary research and innovation andto
The
improve eaching and enhance learming, assessment, planning and administration of education.
the
policy also focuses on creating the Academic Bank of Credit and utilising technology to ensure
effectiveness and transparency of regulatory bodies. The policy admits the challenges arising from
Arificial Intelligence and calls for investment in digital infrastructure and virtual platform (Mitra Y. &

Singh D., 2020).

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National Educational Technology Forum (NETF)

National Educational Technology Forum was suggested to be created as an independent and

sovereign body to provide a virtual platform for the free exchange of ideas regarding usage o
technology to improve teaching, learning, assessment, management and administration etc. for all
educational institutions in the country (Government of India, 2019). NETF will help in decision making
regarding induction, placement and usage of technology through providing leadership to education
institutions. governments and other stakeholders (Mitra Y. & Singh D., 2020). It will also provide the
latest knowledge, research and opportunity to consult and share best practices. It will suggest central and
state governments regarding technology-based institutions build intellectual and institutional capacities
in educational technology and visualise strategic thrust in this area. The NETF will maintain a

continuous inundation of authentic data from various sources and will organise conferences workshops
etc. to develop a vibrant knowledgeable society (Panditrao, M. M., & Panditrao, M. M., 2020).

E-Content at DIKSHA & Academic Bank of Credit

Educational software will be developed and made accessible in all major Indian languages to
teachers and students at all levels. E-contents will be continuously developed in all regional languages
by all states, NCERT, CIET, CBSE, NIOS and all other institutions that will be uploaded onto the
DIKSHA platform. CIET will promote and expand this platform and other education technology
initiatives. Equipment will be made available to school teachers to integrate e-content into teaching-
learning. An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) will be established to digitally store academic credits
earned from various higher education institutions to award degree taking into account credit earned
(Mitra Y. & Singh D., 2020).

Online Teaching, Assessment and Training

Online teaching, assessment and training of teachers and administrators etc. especially at the
time of pandemic of COVID-19 have been common across the world. Education system all over the
world has adopted online practices and developing a virtual platform for all educational activities as an
alternative with offline traditional practices (Raushan, A., 2020). In regard to online teaching-learning
platform, existing e-education platforms such as SWAYAM, DIKSHA wll be strengthened to provide
teachers with well-structured, user-friendly and rich assistive tools to monitor the progress of learners.
As per policy, for online assessment and examinations, appropriate bodies such as National Assessment
Centre or PARAKH (proposed), school examination boards, National Testing Agency (NTA) and other
bodies will prepare and implement evaluation frameworks on a digital platform (Panditrao, M. M., &
Panditrao, M. M., 2020). Teachers will undergo rigorous training for learner-centric pedagogy and
become high-quality online content creators by using online platfoms and tools. They will be initially
trained for appropriate integration of ICT with education by utilising available technology-based
resources at all levels (Mathur, A., 2020).

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Virtual Lab and Digital Repository and Dissemination

The policy focused on the necesity of digital lahs with existing e-learning platforms such as
DIKSHA, SWAYAM and SWAYAMPRABHA to enable students of the various discipline of science.
medical and engineering ete. to have equal and remote access to quality practical and experiment-based
leaming experiences. Students and teachers will have adequate access to virtual labs through digital
devices as mobiles. tablets and laptops/desktops etc. (Malhotra. S. 2019). A digital repository of content
comprising the creation of coursework. Learning Games and Stimulations. Augmented Reality and
Virtual Reality will be developed and there will be ratings by users on effectiveness and quality. For the
purpose of fun-based leaming. student-suitable tools such as apps. gamification of lndian art and culture
in various regional languages will also be created. A reliable backup mechanism for disseminating e
content to students will be provided (Government of India, 2019).

Three Mode of Teaching-Learning in HEIs

The policy suggested for compulsory three modes of teaching-learning in Higher Education
Institutions of the country maximising the usage of ICT and minimising the barriers in the traditional
model of the campus-based teaching-learning process. HEls should provide exposer of online education
to new generation students and adopt technology-based training that comprises (a) weekly three days
classroom-based classes, (b) weekly two days online classes. (c) weekly one day skill-based
online/class-based classes and (d) two subjects per semester through MOOCS like SWAYM/NPTEL or
ODL etc. (A ithal, P. S.. & Aithal. S., 2020).

Integrated National Digital Library (INDL)

National Digital Library will be strengthened by adding a digital copy of all published books
with ISBN and a digital copy of all journals with ISSN. Al libraries of all sectors should be converted
into digital libraries through the membership of Integrated National Digital Library. All HEls should be
compulsorily a member of the INDL to have access to books, journals, periodicals, patents and other
databases from a single platform. It will eradicate multiple subscriptions for library resources and it will
decrease expenditure on library resources with eliminating a large amount of money from foreign
exchange (Aithal, P. S., & Aithal, S., 2020).

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The policy was prepared at the time when innovative technology such as Artificial Intelligence
3D/7D Vitual Reality has emerged. Al will match and outrun and that is why will be a valuable aid to
even skilied professionals such as engineers, doctors and teachers etc. in some specitic tasks. The
disruptive potential of Al in the workplace is clear and the education system must be composed to
respond NETF will categorise such technologies and will present this analysis to the Ministry of
Fducation, (jovt. of India and the ministry will identity those technologies that demand a response trom
the education system. Then the National Research Foundation (NRF) will conduct or expand research on
UIitaltdu atio PostCOVIDE a
 ISBN: 978-81-948866-3-1

Al considering three approaches: (a) advancing core Al research, (b) developing application-based
research and (C) advancing research efforts to address global challenges using Al. Higher Education
Institutions (HEls) will offer doctoral and masters programmes in such areas as Machine Learning and
Al+X ete. Data is the real base for Al-based technologies and therefore it is necessary to raise awareness
ssues ofprivacy, laws and data handling and protection etc. (Government of India, 2019).

Digital Infrastructure and Educational Digital Content and Capacity

The policy has acknowledged the needs to create open, interoperable, evolvable and public
digital infrastructure in the education sector to solve India's scale, diversity, complexity and device
penetration. It will provide the latest technology-based solutions with rapid advancement in technology.
Technology in education is a continuous process bot a product to be made. Digital infrastr ture, digital
content and capacity will be built in the ministry to look after the e-education needs at every level
including both schools and higher education. A vibrant ecosystem has to be encouraged to create
solutions because of the rapid evolution of technology and needs specialists to deliver high-quality e-
education. The ministry wll, therefore, create a unit that comprises experts drawn from all fields as
administration, education, educational technology, digital pedagogy and assessment and e-govenance
etc. (Shenbagaraj, P., 2020).

Teacher Preparation and Professional Development

ICT based training programmes will be arranged to address common difficulties and challenges
related to connectivity, maintenance of equipment and its operation, pedagogical strategies tor using e
content and using suitable tools to improve teaching-learning. E-content of an open educational
repository will be used to train teachers in each subject. ICT based instruments will be developed to
evaluate the competencies of teacher trainees. First of all, a number of master teachers will be trained to
provide training to all teacher trainees in a phased manner. An online training platform to certify trainees
will be developed to empower in-service teachers at all levels to keep them up-to-date. The digital
platform will also permit teachers to share innovative ideas and vitrine their pedagogy and outstanding
teachers will be awarded (Shenbagaraj, P., 2020).

CONCLUSION
This is an undeniable fact that this century is the time of revolutionary interventions in the field
ot Information and Communications Technology. ICT has rooted in the present society and it
unformation-intensive and it brought sudden changes across the world. Moreover, the pandemic created
a favourable
atmosphere for it in the entire world. The National Education Policy is the tirst and the
most important education policy of this century and such a comprehensive national policy was dratted
ater thirty-four years in the country. The policy sensed the present societal needs and necessities of the
unry and acknowledged the role of both technology and the nature of education. t comprehensively
iscussed all the aspects of the usage of technology to provide universal access to quality education
UdIng schools and higher education institutions. It clearly suggested all digital resources required in
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the present education system. The policy also concedes the significance of technology to promote
interdisciplinary research and innovation and to enhance learning. assessment. planning and
administration of education. The policy is a prototypical tool towards building digital India and
India.
consequently building self-reliant

REFERENCES

Aithal. P. S., & Aithal. S. (2016). Impact of on-line education on higher education system. International
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Achieving its Objectives. Intemational Journal of Management, Technology, and Social Sciences
(1JMTS), 5(2). 19-41.

Alam A. & Zahoor, N. (2019). A Study of Organisational Structure and Functions of Managing
Committees in Government Aided Schools With Reference to Delhi, THINK INDIA (Qualterly
Journal), 22 (4) 9729-9738.

Castells. M. (1996). The Rise of the Network Society (vol. 2). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

Government of India. (2019). Draft National Education Policy 2019.

Information and Communications Technology. (2021, January, 07) In Wikipedia. https://en.

wikipedia.org/wiki/Infornmation_and _communications_technology
Malhotra, S. (2019). The Draft National Education Policy: A Distressing Attempt to Redefine
India. Journal of the Gujarat Research Society, 21(11), 103-115.

Mathur, A., (2020). Inventive Teaching in Smart Classrooms with Special Reference to NEP
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Mitra Y. &Singh D., (2020). NEP 2020: An Interplay of Education and Technology, India Corporate
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technology
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Kaushan, A. (2020). ICT enabled classroom for creating Autonomous learner: Issues and Challenges
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World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Outbreak situstion, Retrieved
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119 P a ge Digital Education Post covID Era

Digital Education:Post COVIDEra

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