Ministry of Education Announces New Education Policy: Here Are the Key Points

The Ministry of Human Resource and Development, which has now been renamed as the Ministry of Education, has just announced the New Education Policy. The policy has been cleared by the cabinet and aims at ensuring major reforms in the education sector. Here are some of the main highlights of the New Education Policy:

1. Multiple entry and exit options will be introduced for degrees.
2. Undergraduate programs can be three or four years, post-graduation one or two years, and integrated degrees will be five years long.
3. MPhil degree will be discontinued.
4. The affiliation system will be phased out in 15 years.
5. A fee fixation within a Broad Regulatory Framework will be considered.
6. All higher education institutions, except legal and medical colleges, will be governed by a single regulator.
7. The Ministry of education will work towards digitally empowering school, students and teachers.
8. Technology will be used in education planning; teaching, learning and assessment; administration and management; and regulation.
9. e-Content in regional languages will be introduced.
10. Students will be provided access to virtual labs.
11. All students will take school examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8 which will be conducted by the appropriate authority.
12. Board exams for Grades 10 and 12 will be continued, but redesigned with holistic development as the aim.
13. Policy emphasises mother tongue or local or regional language as medium of instruction at least till Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond.
14. Sanskrit will be offered at all school levels and higher education as an option, including in 3-language formula.
15. School curriculum to be reduced to core concepts.