National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Promotion Policy for Schools, introduction of 75 ‘Bharatiya Games’ in schools, launch of ‘Kalashala Initiative’ in 750 schools to help students discover India’s rich cultural heritage and public opinion survey to get suggestions for new national curriculum Framework for schools was among several initiatives announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the second anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Delhi on Friday.
The NEP was launched by the government on 29 July 2020 to transform India’s education system in line with futuristic needs while making it “rooted in Indianness”. In the last two years, the Union Ministry of Education has already implemented several recommendations of the NEP 2020 in both school and higher education.
Launching the new initiatives, Shah said that NEP 2020 is the foundation to make India a great country. “The National Education Policy 2020 is in tune with the roots of the nation and has received unprecedented acceptance across the country. The policy has made it clear that a robust public education system is the foundation of a thriving democratic nation,” he said.
Highlighting the NEP’s recommendation to use the regional language as a medium of education in schools as well as higher education, Shah said it will help the country tap into the country’s 100% potential. “Whether it is technical education, medical education or legal education, if we do not teach all these in Indian languages, we are limiting the possibilities and potential of our country. But if we teach it all in Indian languages, we will be able to tap the 100% potential of the country,” he said.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that knowledge has always been the capital of India. “When the world was facing the crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, India turned the crisis into an opportunity and came up with the futuristic National Education Policy 2020 under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.” “NEP 2020 is the antidote to the Macaulay education system that was designed to colonize our minds. It is now India’s present and India’s future and represents the Indian mindset,” he added. Among the initiatives launched was a national innovation and entrepreneurship policy for schools to foster a learning environment where students’ creativity, ideas, innovation, problem-solving and entrepreneurial skills are developed regardless of their age.
This policy will promote a culture of ideas, innovation and entrepreneurship (IIE) in schools. It will provide an implementation mechanism to create a culture of innovation, ideation, design thinking, creative thinking, entrepreneurship and start-ups in schools… It will help create more start-ups from school education and ensure fair sharing of equity between stakeholders,” said a document shared by the Ministry of Education .
The Union Home Minister also launched a three-day mela under the government’s Indian Knowledge System (IKS) during the event. Under this, two announcements were made i.e. ‘Kalashala Initiative’ and promotion of 75 ‘Bharatiya Games’ in schools. “The Kalashala initiative will be launched in 750 schools. He envisions educating children about India’s various art forms and helping them discover the country’s rich cultural heritage. Students of the school will be introduced to various forms of art through lectures by a guest artist,” the ministry said.
Apart from this, the government has also announced to introduce Indian games in schools. “Every month, one Bharatiya (Indian) play will be introduced in schools through physical education teachers. Students will participate in the quiz on the ‘mygovindia’ portal and can get certificates,” the ministry added. The ministry also announced that it will launch more than 100 futuristic undergraduate programs in six areas, including industrial automation, infrastructure connectivity, electronics manufacturing, digital technology and research and development. These programs will be developed in line with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).
The ministry also launched a public consultation survey in 23 languages to gather input and suggestions for the development of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), which will be used to decide the content of school textbooks. A partnership with Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) was also announced to provide upward mobility to students and help them achieve higher education and more livelihood opportunities. “Under the partnership, 32 National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), 3000 Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), 500+ Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and nearly 300 Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs) will be associated with IGNOU as registration centres,” it said ministry. Meanwhile, no announcement has been made regarding the commencement of the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), which is planned as an autonomous body under the NEP 2020, which will dissolve all other autonomous bodies including the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council. for Technical Education (AICTE).
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