The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a comprehensive policy document approved by the Union Cabinet of India on July 29, 2020, which outlines the vision for the new education system of India. It is a concept and framework that replaced the previous National Policy on Education, 1986, after 34 years. The policy was drafted based on the recommendations of a panel led by former ISRO chief K. Kasturirangan, which submitted its report in 2019. The core problem it aims to solve is transforming India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower by making education more holistic, flexible, and multidisciplinary, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The NEP 2020 works by introducing major structural and pedagogical changes across all levels of education. In school education, it replaces the 10+2 structure with a 5+3+3+4 curricular framework, corresponding to ages 3-18 years. Key provisions include the highest priority to achieving universal Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by 2025 and introducing vocational education from Class 6 with internships. The policy also mandates teaching up to at least Grade 5 in the mother tongue or regional language and promotes a flexible three-language formula.
In higher education, the policy aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50% by 2035 and introduces a flexible undergraduate degree of 3 or 4 years with multiple entry and exit options and appropriate certification. It connects to the proposed establishment of the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), which will act as a single, overarching umbrella body with four separate verticals for regulation, accreditation, funding, and academic standard setting, replacing the existing University Grants Commission (UGC). A recent change in the implementation of the policy involved the scrapping of the 'No Detention Policy' for students in Classes 5 and 8 in December 2024, requiring students who fail year-end exams to retake them. The policy also led to the renaming of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to the Ministry of Education.