[Answered] Five years into NEP, reforms face Centre-state tussles and institutional delays. Examine how these impediments impact equitable educational transformation and holistic human capital development in India.

Introduction

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisioned a radical shift in India’s education system. However, Centre-state frictions and institutional inertia threaten its promise of inclusive, equitable, and transformative learning outcomes.

Vision of NEP 2020: A Paradigm Shift

1. NEP 2020 aimed to overhaul India’s education system by promoting flexibility, inclusivity, and multidisciplinary learning from early childhood to higher education.
2. Key pillars included foundational literacy, universal early childhood care, mother tongue instruction, credit-based higher education, and teacher training — all aimed at unlocking India’s human capital potential and achieving SDG-4 (Quality Education).

What Has Worked

1. Foundational Reform in Schooling: The shift from 10+2 to the 5+3+3+4 model has been initiated. NCERT textbooks under the new National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) have been introduced for classes 1–8.
2. Early Childhood Education: Initiatives like Jaadui Pitara and the ECCE curriculum show promise, with Delhi, Kerala, and Karnataka enforcing the minimum entry age of 6 for class 1.
3. Digital Credit System: The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and National Credit Framework (NCrF) enable multi-entry-exit options and foster lifelong learning.
4. Global Engagements: Institutions like IITs and IIMs establishing campuses abroad reflects India’s growing educational soft power.

What’s Lagging and Why

1. Centre–State Tussles and Three-Language Formula: States like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal oppose it, citing cultural and linguistic imposition.
2. Four-Year UG Degree Resistance: Tamil Nadu and Kerala oppose the new undergraduate framework, calling it central overreach. Karnataka scrapped it mid-course, and is drafting its own State Education Policy.
3. PM-SHRI Schools: States refusing to adopt the NEP framework are denied Samagra Shiksha funds, leading to litigation in the Supreme Court (e.g., Tamil Nadu).
4. Impact: These disputes undermine the policy’s federal spirit (Article 246) and obstruct equitable access to progressive models, especially in backward regions.

Institutional Delays

1. Delayed Frameworks: The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education is yet to be released, affecting the quality of teacher training and the rollout of ITEP.
2. Holistic Report Cards: Despite PARAKH’s creation, few boards have implemented comprehensive evaluation mechanisms beyond marks.
3. HECI Bill Pending: The proposed Higher Education Commission of India remains stalled, delaying streamlined governance and quality assurance in higher education.

4. Impact: Fragmented policy execution weakens institutional capacity, affecting education-to-employment pipelines and long-term productivity gains.

Nutrition and Inclusion Deficit

1. No Breakfast Scheme: Despite NEP recommendations, the Finance Ministry rejected proposals to provide breakfast in schools — impacting nutrition, learning outcomes, and attendance, particularly in rural and tribal belts.
2. Mother Tongue Instruction: Though NEP promotes instruction in regional languages till class 5, implementation remains partial due to lack of content and teacher readiness.

3. Impact: These gaps disproportionately affect marginalised communities, widening the rural-urban and socio-economic learning divide.

Consequences for Human Capital Development

1. Stunted Learning Gains: Surveys under NIPUN Bharat report only 64% language and 60% math proficiency by class 3 — far from NEP’s universal foundational literacy target.
2. Inequitable Access: Credit frameworks and CUET remain urban-centric; digital divide and lack of institutional readiness marginalise SC/ST/OBC and rural learners.
3. Brain Drain vs Brain Gain: While India exports education through international campuses, domestic challenges in affordability, quality, and equity persist.

Way Forward

1. Cooperative Federalism: Create NEP State Adaptation Cells for contextual implementation while respecting linguistic and cultural diversity.
2. Accelerate Teacher Education Reform: Notify and implement the long-delayed teacher curriculum framework to ensure pedagogical quality.
3. Bridge Nutritional Gaps: Integrate NEP with Poshan 2.0 to provide breakfast, especially in tribal and aspirational districts.
4. Monitor with Data: Deploy Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+) for real-time tracking of NEP outcomes.

Conclusion

Without consensus and systemic capacity, NEP’s transformative goals risk fragmentation. Bridging Centre-state divides and institutional inertia is crucial to building an equitable and skilled India through inclusive education reform.