New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS): The National Education Policy 2020 has been a welcome change in the education system, governed by an age-old policy for over three decades with learning driven by rote-learning and divorced from any real-life application. Within a year, which is otherwise too little time to assess the impact of any policy, the new education strategy has redefined learning pedagogies and curriculum structures to pace up with the rapidly evolving business world and global knowledge landscape. Besides pushing for introducing 21-century skills and breaking away from the existing silos of various subject streams, the new policy has promoted engaging, inclusive and practical learning coupled with rational outlook, action-oriented approach, scientific temperament, creative thinking and soft skills such as compassion, empathy, courage and resilience, and ethical values.

Commending the difference nation can create at global scale with the NEP 2020 governing the youth towards the direction of development, Prof Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, "With its progressive framework to elevate workforce to be at par with the best in the world, the NEP 2020 is acting as a turning point in the Indian education system. Given that one-fifth of the world's population is in India, The NEP will help India achieve the natural goal of becoming a global knowledge powerhouse. Through our broad-based, multidisciplinary academic offerings, we aim to help the country's youth discover their full potential by exploring new-age skills. We also encourage a risk-bearing attitude among our students to nurture their ideas and help them provide business creating solutions to the large array of opportunities around us."

With the pandemic propelling rapid digitalisation and technological advancements, which many view as the fourth industrial revolution, NEP 2020 has very well aligned its vision and scope of education to meet the current evolving dynamics. Emphasising on the practicality, equitability and globalised scope of education through the new policy, Mr. Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman, Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, Ghaziabad, said, "The goal of NEP 2020 has been to advance the existing education system in the country to make students ready for industry 4.0. The last year has seen the education sector making some headway into implementing the national education policy 2020, despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. The shift in education towards blended learning and acceptance of technology-based pedagogies are building the case.

"We have seen schools align their curriculum to the vision of the policy. Boards have started looking forward to the 5+3+3+4 structure and multidisciplinary pedagogies to implement the policy fully. There have been increased efforts to make students imbibe resilience, empathy, life skills, problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills. Going forward, there should be collective and unified efforts of all stakeholders for effective and time-bound implementation of NEP 2020."

Lauding the smooth manner in which the new strategy has been revamping the entire educational universe with least friction, Prof Milind Padalkar, Pro-Chancellor, The NorthCap University, said, "NEP 2020 is easily the most important policy change that has happened to higher education in the last three decades. On the first anniversary, its impact is already felt in many areas, which can be summed up into greater professionalisation, modernisation, and innovation.

"The various initiatives such as emphasis on measuring learning outcomes, choice-based curricula, credit-based evaluation systems and transferability, and the imperatives of getting accredited have induced powerful changes which will benefit all stakeholders in society. Perhaps the most important change has been the positive mindset that has pervaded academia. I am very hopeful that higher education will be a very promising area soon."

Appreciating the progressive move undertaken by the Indian government, the timing of which could not have been better, Mr Kunal Vasudeva, COO, Indian School of Hospitality, said, "The NEP is truly a milestone reform which will transform the higher education landscape in India. The government has certainly made progress in year one and we eagerly look forward to the strategic implementation of the initiatives relating to credit bank and also of foreign universities being allowed to set up campuses in India. The success of any policy of this large- scale depends on its execution, which makes the expected decision of having a single regulator for higher education all the more important."

Acknowledging the paradigmatic shift caused by the new NEP by integrating vocationalisation, internationalisation, digitalisation and innovation, Dr Niranjan Hiranandani, Provost - HSNC University, said, "India is ready to kick-start its journey on being a global hub of education with effective implementation of the policies even in the current scenario, where strengthening digital infrastructure has been ramped up. In fact, with the launch of the National Education Technology Forum (NETF), NISHTHA 2.0 and other similar programmes during PM Modi's address on the NEP anniversary, development and evolution of the education sector is expected to thrive. Besides, changes like the academic bank of credit, multiple entries and exit options for higher education students, internationalisation of higher education with credit transfers, twinning programmes, multidisciplinary approach for research, skill development at early, etc. will aid students to pursue a suitable career at their timelines and prepare them for Industry 4.0."

The NEP 2020, besides widening the scope of the Indian education system by fostering holistic learning and instilling global patterns, has added confidence, nationalistic pride and the spirit of self-reliance, promoting an entrepreneurial mindset among the country's youth. It has equipped them with faith, potential and skills to compete with the global workforce. It aims to facilitate the maximum youth population of the country with new-age skills and learning methodologies, put the brakes on the country's spiralling drop-out rate, and flip the scenario with an increased Gross Enrolment Ratio. Along with students' learning, the new plan also caters to teacher training and education as per the new National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCFTE, which will be framed by 2021.