Higher Education in India: Transformations Under NEP 2020

With the introduction of NEP 2020 higher education in India is beginning to change. In order to equip students for success in the classroom and in the workplace the emphasis is on giving them more flexibility, skill development and industry alignment. NEP envisages moving towards a holistic and multidisciplinary education characterised by flexibility in curriculum and course options that would be on offer to students, in addition to rigorous specialization in the chosen disciplinary areas of study. A holistic and multidisciplinary education is considered essential to lead the country into the 21st century and to prepare the students to respond to the requirements of the fourth industrial revolution.  

Four-Year UG and One-Year PG

Undergraduate programs in India conventionally have been of three-year duration with postgraduate programs being of two years duration. In keeping with international standards, NEP 2020 replaces the conventional three-year degree program with a four-year undergraduate degree with an in-built option to exit after three years if the student does not want to pursue honours.  The benefit of a four-year bachelor’s degree is that such students can complete their PG in one year. Moreover, those who complete four-year undergraduate degree with honours with research would become eligible to take direct admission in the PhD program. 

Multidisciplinary Learning

Towards the attainment of a multidisciplinary education, NEP recommends inclusion of credit-based courses and projects in the areas of community engagement and service, environmental education, and value-based education. Environment education will include areas such as climate change, pollution, waste management, sanitation, conservation of biological diversity, management of biological resources and biodiversity, forest and wildlife conservation, and sustainable development and living. Value-based education will include the development of humanistic, ethical, constitutional, and universal human values of truth, righteous conduct, peace, love, nonviolence, scientific temper, citizenship values, and life- skill. Students can also opt for courses beyond their core specialization. For example, an engineering student can take up humanities courses, a management student can take a minor in psychology, and science students can study entrepreneurship—encouraging well-rounded academic growth and career opportunities.  

Multiple Entry-Multiple Exit

ME-ME allows students to leave and return to various phases of their academic programs without losing their progress. Thus, if a student wants to exit after completing one year of study, s/he can obtain an undergraduate certificate in the concerned discipline. An exit after completing two years will entitle her/him to get an undergraduate diploma in the concerned discipline, a Bachelors degree after completing three years of education and a bachelor’s degree with either Honours or honours in research if the student completes full four years.  

Academic Bank of Credits (ABC)

As per National Education Policy 2020, the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) has been envisaged to facilitate the academic mobility of students with the freedom to study across the Higher Education Institutions in the country with an appropriate "credit transfer" mechanism from one programme to another, leading to attain a Degree/ Diploma/PG-diploma, etc..  

Creditization of Online courses and Massive Open Online Courses

MOOCs are now accepted for credit toward academic diplomas. Platforms that offer certified courses that count toward credits include SWAYAM NPTEL and others. Students in remote locations who might not have direct access to prestigious universities will find this especially useful.  

Mandatory Internships

Mandatory internships assist students in gaining real-world experience that is pertinent to the industry. Universities are collaborating with industries, startups, and research institutions to provide hands-on training, helping students acquire job-ready skills before they graduate  

Biannual Admissions

Biannual admissions have also been introduced to provide students with more opportunities to enroll. In line with global practices, UGC now allows biannual admissions in higher education institutions (HEIs) in regular mode from 2024-25 academic session. Earlier, it was allowed under open and distance learning (ODL) and online modes in January and July during an academic year. 

Vocational Education

To enhance employability, Vocational education has been given key emphasis in the new education policy 2020. Many new and emerging courses in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital marketing, entrepreneurship among others are now part of regular degree programs curriculum. This integration imparts a holistic approach and also ensures that students graduate with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, equipping them to meet industry demands.  

The article is authored by Prof (Dr) Sunil Jakhoria, Dean, School of Management, IMS Unison University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand