India's New Education Vision

Five years after NEP 2020, the shift to local languages and indigenous knowledge Is reshaping how young Indians learn.

- Prof. Dinesh Chandra Rai

As July 2025 marks five years since the ratification of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, India stands at a pivotal point in its education reform journey.

Designed as a sweeping roadmap to reshape the nation’s learning landscape, this policy lays out a vision for an inclusive, flexible, and skill-oriented education system.

It imagines a country where learning is deeply grounded in India’s cultural ethos, and where students develop strong cognitive abilities, critical thinking skills, and a deep sense of ethical and social responsibility.

At its core, NEP 2020 is a deliberate move to reconnect India’s education system with its rich intellectual and cultural roots.

By promoting indigenous knowledge traditions that were long overlooked or marginalized, the policy does more than set academic goals. It seeks to restore a sense of intellectual independence.

Its success, therefore, must be measured not just in test scores or literacy rates, but in how effectively it reclaims and integrates India’s civilizational heritage into modern learning.

Among the most significant shifts NEP 2020 introduced is its strong emphasis on multilingual education and mother tongue-based instruction.

The policy recommends that children receive instruction in their mother tongue or local language at least through Grade 5, and preferably until Grade 8. This departure from previous policy frameworks marks a new clarity of purpose and direction.

Over the past five years, meaningful strides have been made toward promoting linguistic inclusion.

According to the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2020-21, instruction for Grades 1 to 5 is now delivered in 28 Indian languages. This reflects a conscious recognition of the country’s linguistic diversity.