News Analysis India

Tag: National Education Policy

  • Bhagavad Geeta to be taught in NCERT textbooks: Centre 

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The NCERT textbooks have included references to Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta in Class VI and VII and its shlokas in Sanskrit textbooks of classes XI and XII, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

    In a written reply, the Minister of State for Education, Annapurna Devi, said the ministry had established the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Division in All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2020 with a vision to promote interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research on all aspects of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), preserve and disseminate IKS knowledge for further research and societal applications.

    She said the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had initiated the development of National Curriculum Frameworks where inputs are invited from various stakeholders, including various ministries, departments, states and Union Territories drawing from grass root levels.

    The National Education Policy (NEP) 2022 Para 4.27 refers to the traditional knowledge of India that is both sustainable and strives for the welfare of all, she added. 

    “To become the knowledge power in this century, we must understand our heritage and teach the world the ‘Indian way’ of doing things,” she added.

    NEW DELHI: The NCERT textbooks have included references to Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta in Class VI and VII and its shlokas in Sanskrit textbooks of classes XI and XII, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

    In a written reply, the Minister of State for Education, Annapurna Devi, said the ministry had established the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Division in All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2020 with a vision to promote interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research on all aspects of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), preserve and disseminate IKS knowledge for further research and societal applications.

    She said the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had initiated the development of National Curriculum Frameworks where inputs are invited from various stakeholders, including various ministries, departments, states and Union Territories drawing from grass root levels.

    The National Education Policy (NEP) 2022 Para 4.27 refers to the traditional knowledge of India that is both sustainable and strives for the welfare of all, she added. 

    “To become the knowledge power in this century, we must understand our heritage and teach the world the ‘Indian way’ of doing things,” she added.

  • Draft of National Credit Framework for public consultation launched, Pradhan describes it as game changer

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched for public consultation the draft of the National Credit Framework (NCrF), which he described as the next generation, multidimensional instrument under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 

    “National Credit Framework is a next-generation, multidimensional instrument under NEP. We are dedicating NCrF for ‘Jan-paramarsh’ for making it more dynamic,” he tweeted. 

    Jan-bhagidari is a key pillar of PM @narendramodi ji’s governance. NEP 2020 also embodies the spirit of Jan-bhagidari.National Credit Framework is a next generation, multidimensional instrument under NEP. We are dedicating NCrF for ‘Jan-paramarsh’ for making it more dynamic. pic.twitter.com/FRNCJcsnD3
    — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 19, 2022
    The NCrF, which will enable the integration of academic and vocational domains to ensure flexibility and mobility between the two, is an umbrella framework for skilling, re-skilling, up-skilling, accreditation and evaluation encompassing people in educational and skilling institutions and workforce, said the minister, who also described it as “game changer”.

    India is the only country to develop this framework for such a large population. “I appeal to all institutions, schools, ITIs, AICTE-affiliated engineering colleges, centrally-funded HEIs, (higher educational institutions, state universities and regulatory authorities/bodies to host the public consultation for National Credit Framework on their website for seeking suggestions from citizens,” he added.

    He said NCrF would open numerous options for further progression of students and inter-mingling of school and higher education with vocational education and experiential learning, thus mainstreaming skilling and vocational education. 

    NCrF will also enable students who have dropped out of mainstream education to re-enter the education ecosystem. It will be an inclusive umbrella framework which aims to make the options for multiple entry-multiple exits accessible and applicable across higher education, school education and vocational education, thus allowing students to choose their learning trajectories and programmes.

    The framework will seamlessly integrate the credits earned through school education, higher education and vocational and skill education by encompassing the National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF), National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF).

    “We have to make India a $5 trillion economy, accomplish the vision of a Vikasit Bharat in the next 25 years and empower 100 per cent of our population,” Pradhan said, adding that the NCrF will be the most important instrument under NEP for empowering the students and the youth so that they can realise their goals.

    “India is adopting technology at an unprecedented pace. We have to bring reforms to incentivise knowledge, skills and experience. Credits for knowledge acquisition, hands-on training, and positive social outcomes will be a key step for achieving 100 percent literacy in the next 2-3 years,” said Pradhan, who had on Tuesday chaired the high-level meeting with the committee preparing the NCrF for school education, higher education and skilling.

    It also supports educational acceleration for students with gifted learning abilities and recognition of prior learning for the workforce that has acquired knowledge and skills informally through the traditional family inheritance, work experience or other methods. 

    NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched for public consultation the draft of the National Credit Framework (NCrF), which he described as the next generation, multidimensional instrument under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. 

    “National Credit Framework is a next-generation, multidimensional instrument under NEP. We are dedicating NCrF for ‘Jan-paramarsh’ for making it more dynamic,” he tweeted. 

    Jan-bhagidari is a key pillar of PM @narendramodi ji’s governance. NEP 2020 also embodies the spirit of Jan-bhagidari.
    National Credit Framework is a next generation, multidimensional instrument under NEP. We are dedicating NCrF for ‘Jan-paramarsh’ for making it more dynamic. pic.twitter.com/FRNCJcsnD3
    — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 19, 2022
    The NCrF, which will enable the integration of academic and vocational domains to ensure flexibility and mobility between the two, is an umbrella framework for skilling, re-skilling, up-skilling, accreditation and evaluation encompassing people in educational and skilling institutions and workforce, said the minister, who also described it as “game changer”.

    India is the only country to develop this framework for such a large population. “I appeal to all institutions, schools, ITIs, AICTE-affiliated engineering colleges, centrally-funded HEIs, (higher educational institutions, state universities and regulatory authorities/bodies to host the public consultation for National Credit Framework on their website for seeking suggestions from citizens,” he added.

    He said NCrF would open numerous options for further progression of students and inter-mingling of school and higher education with vocational education and experiential learning, thus mainstreaming skilling and vocational education. 

    NCrF will also enable students who have dropped out of mainstream education to re-enter the education ecosystem. It will be an inclusive umbrella framework which aims to make the options for multiple entry-multiple exits accessible and applicable across higher education, school education and vocational education, thus allowing students to choose their learning trajectories and programmes.

    The framework will seamlessly integrate the credits earned through school education, higher education and vocational and skill education by encompassing the National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF), National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) and National School Education Qualification Framework (NSEQF).

    “We have to make India a $5 trillion economy, accomplish the vision of a Vikasit Bharat in the next 25 years and empower 100 per cent of our population,” Pradhan said, adding that the NCrF will be the most important instrument under NEP for empowering the students and the youth so that they can realise their goals.

    “India is adopting technology at an unprecedented pace. We have to bring reforms to incentivise knowledge, skills and experience. Credits for knowledge acquisition, hands-on training, and positive social outcomes will be a key step for achieving 100 percent literacy in the next 2-3 years,” said Pradhan, who had on Tuesday chaired the high-level meeting with the committee preparing the NCrF for school education, higher education and skilling.

    It also supports educational acceleration for students with gifted learning abilities and recognition of prior learning for the workforce that has acquired knowledge and skills informally through the traditional family inheritance, work experience or other methods. 

  • Lok Sabha passes bill to create Gati Shakti University

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to transform the National Rail and Transportation University into central university to be called Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.

    Currently, the National Rail and Transportation University located in Vadodara is a deemed-to-be-institution.

    The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, which also seeks to expand the scope of the deemed university from beyond the railways to cover the entire transport sector to support the ambitious growth and modernisation in the field, was passed by a voice vote after a brief discussion.

    Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional institute, would be the first central university after rollout of the National Education Policy, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said replying to a debate on the Bill.

    The plan is to unify different departments to create a new infrastructure where various transport sector elements — railways, road, waterways, aviation and port along with information and technology — will coordinate with each other on the platform of Gati Shakti Mission.

    The proposed global standard institute aims at not producing job-seekers but job creators, he said He said the establishment of the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will address the need of talent in the strategically important and expanding transportation sector and meet the demand for trained talent to fuel the growth and expansion of the sector.

    Earlier Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the focus of the institute will on five major aspects — transport focussed courses, skill development, applied research, technology development and transport economics and infrastructure financing.

    “While the headquarters will be in Vadodara there will be campuses across the country which will be developed as centres of excellence. Transportation is a complex sector and globally all countries have such institutes,” he said.

    Vaishnaw said the Budget has allocated Rs 166 crore for the institute in FY’23.

    Pradhan said the university will carry out critically-needed research and development by creating innovative technologies to encourage local manufacturing and substitute the imports of expensive technology, equipment and products.

    The university will also take additional measures for providing high quality teaching, research and skill development in diverse disciplines related to transportation, technology and management including establishing centres in India and abroad, he said.

    The university is named after the government’s flagship Rs 100-lakh crore PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity.

    The Gati Shakti Master Plan is essentially a digital platform bringing together 16 ministries, including roadways and railways for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.

    It seeks to incorporate infrastructure schemes of various ministries and state governments such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry and land ports, UDAN.

    NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha Wednesday passed a bill that seeks to transform the National Rail and Transportation University into central university to be called Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.

    Currently, the National Rail and Transportation University located in Vadodara is a deemed-to-be-institution.

    The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, which also seeks to expand the scope of the deemed university from beyond the railways to cover the entire transport sector to support the ambitious growth and modernisation in the field, was passed by a voice vote after a brief discussion.

    Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional institute, would be the first central university after rollout of the National Education Policy, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said replying to a debate on the Bill.

    The plan is to unify different departments to create a new infrastructure where various transport sector elements — railways, road, waterways, aviation and port along with information and technology — will coordinate with each other on the platform of Gati Shakti Mission.

    The proposed global standard institute aims at not producing job-seekers but job creators, he said He said the establishment of the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will address the need of talent in the strategically important and expanding transportation sector and meet the demand for trained talent to fuel the growth and expansion of the sector.

    Earlier Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the focus of the institute will on five major aspects — transport focussed courses, skill development, applied research, technology development and transport economics and infrastructure financing.

    “While the headquarters will be in Vadodara there will be campuses across the country which will be developed as centres of excellence. Transportation is a complex sector and globally all countries have such institutes,” he said.

    Vaishnaw said the Budget has allocated Rs 166 crore for the institute in FY’23.

    Pradhan said the university will carry out critically-needed research and development by creating innovative technologies to encourage local manufacturing and substitute the imports of expensive technology, equipment and products.

    The university will also take additional measures for providing high quality teaching, research and skill development in diverse disciplines related to transportation, technology and management including establishing centres in India and abroad, he said.

    The university is named after the government’s flagship Rs 100-lakh crore PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity.

    The Gati Shakti Master Plan is essentially a digital platform bringing together 16 ministries, including roadways and railways for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.

    It seeks to incorporate infrastructure schemes of various ministries and state governments such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry and land ports, UDAN.

  • Centre to set up ‘PM Shri Schools’ to prepare students for future: Education minister

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre is planning to set up ‘PM Shri schools’, which will be aimed at preparing students for the future. It will also be the laboratory of the new National Education Policy (NEP), said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday. 

    Addressing the two-day National Education Ministers’ Conference in Gujarat, Pradhan said, “School education is the foundation on which India will become a knowledge-based economy.”

    “We are in the process of establishing ‘PM Shri schools’ which will be fully equipped to prepare students for the future,” said the minister at the event, which was attended by state education ministers. Tamil Naidu boycotted the meeting to protest the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).

    He said these state-of-the-art schools will be the “laboratory of NEP 2020.”

    Highlighting that the “new generation” cannot be deprived of 21st-century knowledge and skills,” he said, he would like to “encourage and solicit suggestions and feedback” from all the states and union territories and the entire education ecosystem for creating a futuristic benchmark model in the form of PM Shri schools.

    He said the 5+3+3+4 approach of the NEP covering preschool to secondary school lays emphasis on early childhood care and education programme (ECCE), teacher training and adult education.

    Also, the focus has been given to the integration of skill development with school education and prioritising learning in the mother tongue.

     “The next 25 years are crucial to establishing India as a knowledge economy that is committed to global welfare. We all have to collaboratively work together, and learn from each other’s experiences and successes to make learning more vibrant and take India to greater heights.

    “I encourage education ministers of all states and union territories and also seek active participation from all stakeholders for developing our National Curriculum Framework as well as developing quality e-content for expanding the reach of digital education and for universalising education,” the minister said.

    Best practices in education coming from different states and union territories will act as a cumulative force in transforming India’s youth as global citizens, he added.

    Praising the education models of some of the states, he said, “The education fraternity can immensely benefit from models of Karnataka, Odisha, Delhi, Meghalaya, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana.”

    “Experience and knowledge sharing from all state education ministers and a structured and outcome-based discussion at the conference today will lead us one step further towards transforming our learning landscape, in line with the NEP 2020,” Pradhan said.

  • Move to make Hindi compulsory in North East schools will create disharmony: Students’ bodies

    Amit Shah had said at a meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee in New Delhi on April 7 that all northeast states have agreed to make Hindi compulsory in schools till Class 10.

  • New education policy will make students self-reliant, says Union minister

    By PTI

    WARDHA: Union Minister Subhas Sarkar on Saturday said the new National Education Policy will make students self-reliant and help in building a prosperous India.

    He was speaking as chief guest at a seminar on ‘National Education Policy, Innovation and Research’ organised by the Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University (MGIHU) here.

    “We are also working on translating the syllabus as part of this educational policy. We are trying to make education available in local and Indian or bilingual languages,” the minister of state for education said.

    Praising the ancient method of teaching in the country which grew over several thousand years, he said thoughts and works of scholars like Charak, Sushruta, Aryabhatta, Varahmihira, Maitreyi, Gargi etc need to be included in the present curriculum.

  • NEP 2020 has given national perspective to education of tribals, says Union Minister Arjun Munda

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The National Education Policy 2020 aims to ensure equity and inclusion and has given a national perspective to the education of tribals, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda has said.

    Munda also said the Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) Scheme is reflective of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary approach towards inclusive education.

    Under the scheme, the government has started model residential schools to impart quality education to tribal students across India.

    “The National Education Policy 2020, which aims to ensure equity and inclusion, has given a national perspective to education of tribals, and is a true manifest of good governance,” the minister said in a webinar organised by the Education Ministry.

    He also said that programmes like Digital India, Samagra Shiksha etc are facilitating students from tribal and rural areas to compete at the national level.

    Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan is an integrated scheme for school education extending support to states from preschool to senior secondary level.

    Munda also reminded the academia about their responsibility of giving wings to the aspirations of new generation, particularly the deprived ones.

  • Centre forms 12-member committee to suggest school textbook revisions

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday announced the constitution of a 12-member national steering committee under former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan for drafting a document, based on which school curricula across India will be revised.

    Kasturirangan had earlier headed the drafting committee of the National Education Policy, which was adopted by the government in 2020 after amendments. The committee’s other members include renowned mathematician Manjul Bhargava, Mahesh Chandra Pant, chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, and Jamia Millia Islamia University’s V-C Najma Akhtar, among others.

    The panel, formed for a period of three years, will prepare a National Curriculum Frameworks (NCF), which lays down the broad contours for school syllabi and textbooks and was last revised in 2005. The education ministry said the committee will develop four guiding documents – one each for school education, early childhood care and education, teachers’ education and adult education.

    The panel has also been asked to discuss the position papers finalised by the national focus groups on different aspects of all the above four areas while also drawing inputs from state curriculum frameworks. Usually, the state education boards follow the NCF in revising their school curriculum.  

    The panel has been allowed to invite subject experts, scholars and educationists as and when required and deliberate and decide upon the course of actions with the objective to meet the timelines for the development of the document.

    It will finalise the NCF after incorporating suggestions from various stakeholders such as states and also in the NCERT and CABE meetings.

  • Centre forms 12-member panel to suggest school curriculum revision across India

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday announced the constitution of a 12-member national steering committee under former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan for drafting a document, based on which school curriculum across India will be revised.

    Kasturirangan had earlier also headed the drafting committee of the National Education Policy, which was adopted by the government in 2020, after being refined.

    The committee’s other members include renowned mathematician Manjul Bhargava, Mahesh Chandra Pant, chancellor of the national Institute of Educational Planning and Administration and Jamia Milia Islamia University VC Najma Akhtar among others.

    The panel, formed for a period of 3 years, will prepare a National Curriculum Framework, which was last revised in 2005.

    The NCF lays down broad contours for school syllabus and textbooks.

    The Union education ministry said that as per the perspectives of the NEP 2020, the committee will develop four guiding documents—one each for school education, early childhood care and education, teachers’ education and adult education.

    The panel has also been asked to discuss the position papers finalised by the national focus groups on different aspects of all the above four area while also drawing inputs from state curriculum frameworks.

    Usually, the state education boards also follow the NCF in revising their respective school curriculum by involving the State Councils of Educational Research and Training which draw up the state curriculum frameworks.

    The government said that the national curriculum frameworks would also reflect upon the implications of situations such as the Covid-19 Pandemic on respective areas for the future.

    The panel, while convening its meetings, committee has been allowed to invite subject experts, scholars and educationists as and when required and deliberate and decide upon the course of actions with the objective to meet the timelines of the strategy for the development of the document.

    It will finalise the National Curriculum Frameworks after incorporating suggestions received from various stakeholders such as states and also in the meetings of the executive committee and the general body of the NCERT and Central Advisory Board on Education.

  • Shiksha Parv: PM Modi to address teachers, students, education stakeholders on September 7

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address teachers, students and other stakeholders in the education sector on September 7 during ‘Shiksha Parv’ being celebrated to honour the contribution of teachers, officials said.

    Modi will also launch five initiatives on the occasion, including Indian Sign Language dictionary of 10,000 words, Talking Books (audio books for visually impaired), School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework (SQAAF) of CBSE, NISTHA teachers’ training programme for NIPUN Bharat, and Vidyanjali Portal for facilitating education volunteers, donors and CSR contributors for school development.

    The Ministry of Education (MoE) is celebrating Shikshak Parv, 2021 from September 5-17 in recognition of valuable contributions of teachers and to take New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 a step forward.

    “The National Award to Teachers will be conferred by President Ram Nath Kovind through a webinar on September 5 due to the COVID-19 situation,” a senior MoE official said.

    “For the year 2021, online self-nomination process was followed by a three-tier selection process at district, state and national level. A documentary film on each of the 44 awardee teachers will also be shown, he added.

    The National Awards to Teachers were first instituted in 1958 to recognise excellence and commitment of teachers in shaping the minds as well as future of the youth.

    From mid-60s onwards, September 5 came to be the fixed date for the function on account of the birthday of Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, former president of India and an eminent educationist.

    The award is to accord public recognition to meritorious teachers working in elementary and secondary schools.

    “On September 7 at 11 am, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the teachers, students, parents and stakeholders associated with education.

    He will be launching five initiatives of the Department of School Education, the official said.

    The conclave will also be attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Ministers of State for Education Annpurna Devi, Subhas Sarkar and Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.

    “The inaugural conclave will be followed by webinars, discussions and presentations up to September 17 in which the educational practitioners from various schools of the country have been invited to share their experience, learnings and the roadmap ahead.

    It is noteworthy that teachers and practitioners from even remote schools will be speaking on issues relating to quality and innovation in school, the official said.

    “The SCERT and DIETs in respective states will also be deliberating further on each of the webinars and suggesting the roadmap which will be consolidated by state SCERT.

    These will be shared with NCERT and provide inputs for curricular framework and teacher training modules, he added.

    The theme of webinars has been further segregated into nine sub-themes in the subsequent webinars such as Technology in Education: NDEAR, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy: A Pre-requisite to Learning and ECCE, Nurturing Inclusive Classrooms, among others, to highlight the best practices and initiatives which can be adopted by schools of India.