In a conversation with Keerthana, Correspondent, Higher Education Review Magazine, Dr. Hrishikesh Baruah, Principal, KC Das Commerce College, Guwahati shared his views and thoughts on various aspects pertaining to implementation of National Education Policy 2020,what are the major challenges in implementing the NEP 2020, the role of technology in achieving the goals of NEP and more.

In your opinion, how does NEP 2020 promote students’ holistic development and multidisciplinary education?

NEP 2020 has been one of the best initiatives taken-up by the Indian government post independence. Drafted on the foundational pillars of access, equality, affordability, quality and accountability, this policy outlines vision, mission and strategies to bring a paradigm shift in the education framework of our country – right from play school to higher education level. The policy aims at making education holistic where the components of academic, co-scholastic and vocational aspects are given high or equal status, with an option for flexible multiple entry/exit. The main aim of NEP 2020 is to promote students’ overall development by ensuring their multidisciplinary learning, thus transforming our country into a vibrant knowledge society. Today, since cutting-edge technologies like AI, ML, and IoT are ruling the world across all industries, it is paramount to ensure that the students possess at least the basic knowledge of these modern day technologies. Moreover, integration of subjects and promotion of interdisciplinary research will facilitate rational thought process. To summarize, the ultimate objective of this policy is to bridge the gap between industry and academia and make students not only employable, but also offer them a clear understanding of the current situation of the world.

Throw some light on the major challenges in implementing the NEP 2020.

Our country comprises of 2.4 percent of the world’s land area and 17.76 percent of the world’s population, with the highest number of youth population globally. Also, India is known for its diversity in terms of language, culture and many other aspects. However, the current educational infrastructure across the country is below par with the desired standards. Furthermore, there is a dearth of sufficient colleges/universities catering to higher education in our country, which poses a major hindrance to NEP 2020’s objective to achieve 50 percent GER. Thus, there is an immediate need to make resource allocation, massive investments in the education sector across various areas such as infrastructure development, setting-up more schools & colleges, and many others. Additionally, there must also be robust teacher training programs in place to ensure that they possess the necessary skills that are necessary to achieve the policy’s objectives. Implementation of the desired changes in curriculum and pedagogy as well as assessment and evaluation across the country should be done as soon as possible.

Briefly explain the role of technology in achieving the goals of NEP.

There is a very large Digital Divide that exists in our country today, wherein not all colleges have a computer science department. Thus, the government should support such colleges to develop the necessary digital infrastructure through which those institutions will become capable of providing blended learning. Given the massive scale at which AI is influencing every industry the world over, educational institutions must establish AI labs through which they can enhance the interest of students towards learning various subjects and help them explore diverse career opportunities. Additionally, the government should urge Corporate Houses to engage with educational institutions as part of their CSR initiatives in order to make sure that the upcoming generation of professionals possess the necessary tech skills to thrive in the fast paced and dynamic technology era.

In what ways does NEP 2020 promote research and innovation in Indian higher education?

Promoting a culture of research and innovation across the entire education ecosystem of the country has been one of the most prominent objectives of NEP 2020. As a result, the policy now allows brilliant students who have completed 4-year UG course students to even directly take-up PhD. Also, as part of this policy, the government has recently decided to allot huge funds for promoting interdisciplinary research through the National Research Foundation. Further, internationalization of domestic educational institutions is another key move in this regard, wherein for instance, IIT Delhi recently opened a campus in Abu Dhabi. Research outputs on Indian Knowledge System will be inspirational for many.

How can the NEP 2020 address the skill gap challenges among the Indian workforce and promote employability?

NEP aspires to promote creativity, critical thinking and problem solving among all students. The first step to be taken in this regard is to bring about a change in mindset of the teachers. Also, teaching should not be confined to just execution of the prescribed syllabus within the classroom. Today, most of the institutions have their own in-house placement cells, career counseling cells and academic councils. These bodies should identify students’ innate skills, promote the same, highlight the market requirements in terms of skill-sets, facilitate inter-disciplinary integration of thought process and then take necessary steps as per the guidelines laid by NEP. Promotion of institutional output in industry-academia and alumni web can facilitate many breakthroughs.