India is not a country where one size fits all—there is diversity across states and communities. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recognises this fundamental differentiator, and has laid out a far-reaching vision to create a learning ecosystem that adopts a multidisciplinary approach, that cater to a well-rounded education for all individuals, and has the immense potential to transform India’s human capital development.
The Open EdWork as part of it’s newly launched initiative and teacher’s day celebrations, invited the Chief Architect of NEP 2020, Dr Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan to share the untold story on the making of the policy. He said, ‘The Prime Minister himself had presided over several consultative meetings and set the tone for the New Education Policy to be reformative in such a way that it paves the way for inclusivity, quality, accountability and innovation”.
This 90-minute Tête-à-Tête between Dr Kasturirangan and Mr TV Mohandas Pai, Chirman Aarin Capital & Mentor, TOE analysed how the new policy is designed to meet the changing requirements of quality education, digital transformation and promoting R&D. “The present fragmented system of small colleges with about 100 students cannot sustain quality teaching and research programmes. Thus, the policy calls for an urgent consolidation of higher education institutions that focus on research and teaching complemented by a system of degree granting autonomous colleges providing high quality education. The policy also highlights the critical need to better manage research at all levels and of all kinds,” said the NEP drafting committee chairman.
Education is on the concurrent list and therefore NEP needed a consensus from States for a national acceptance. “I have received endorsement letters from 10-11 State Chief Ministers and Education Ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, who are completely aligned to NEP 2020 and now look forward to implementing the policy in their respective states at the earliest” said Dr Kasturirangan.
“Students must be given a much broader multidisciplinary foundation to adapt and reinvent themselves as necessary over their entire working lives. One undervalues the importance of vocational education. It is necessary to prepare our children to manage a dignified and decent living through jobs, self employment or entrepreneurship where vocational and life skills are the key,” he further added to the incisive questions of Mr. Mohandas Pai.
The Open Work (TOE) is coming together of Thought Leaders, Passionate Professionals, Academicians and Industry Experts, with 100+ years of collective wisdom, to conceptualise next best practices in the industry and facilitate the transformation of organisations. TOE is committed to offer a broad suite of “impact consulting” services and end to end solutions, helping organisations and institutions plan, grow, re-structure and integrate new-age technologies”, said Dr Saxena, CO-Founder, TOE and Former VC, NMIMS, Mumbai.
Ranjan Paul, Co-Founder, TOE in his vote of thanks reiterated the commitment of TOE in facilitating the institutions with contextualized transformation solutions based on organisation’s global consulting framework. Tête-à-Tête with ToE witnessed participation from 6 countries and 18 states from across India.
