A case of practical, pragmatic and innovative education

There has been much attention on the issues of the practical utility, employment generating capacity, innovativeness of the research universe and the capacity of the Indian educational universe for global competition under the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

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The NEP 2020 is a long-term structural reform, designed for phased implementation. It aims to transform India’s education system by fostering innovation, strengthening industry-academia collaboration, and enhancing student employability through a wide array of initiatives. The NEP-2020 works in a three-fold way: ensuring originality and indigenously-rooted imagination in research; constant competitiveness in the global educational sphere, and preparing students on a multiple career path. Towards better employability

The NEP proposes a four-year innovative flexible teaching programme which is certainly not designed to push students into low-paying jobs, as some allege. Instead, students earn other credentials during their educational journey and return later to complete their degrees. This is beneficial to students who might otherwise be forced to drop out without formal qualifications. It enables them to pursue diverse career trajectories with tangible credentials. Along with a vocationalisation of education and industry internships, students gain meaningful knowledge with practical exposure, thereby enhancing their employability. Before the NEP, it was a serious concern whether Indian education provided real world competencies. Under the NEP, there is a push for industry-academia linkages, vocational training, and internships to enhance the employability outcome. Around 167 universities and 59 colleges have already begun four-year undergraduate degrees — 224 universities and 101 colleges offer a multidisciplinary degree programme. To enable an original and innovative research universe, a vibrant research internship programme for undergraduate and postgraduate students has evolved in higher education institutions. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements by embedding hands-on, practical training within the curriculum.