National Education Policy 2020

Education Policy lays particular emphasis on the development of the creative potential of each
individual. It is based on the principle that education must develop not only cognitive capacities -
both the ‘foundational capacities ’of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cognitive capacities,
such as critical thinking and problem solving – but also social, ethical, and emotional capacities and
dispositions.

The rich heritage of ancient and eternal Indian knowledge and thought has been a guiding light for
this Policy. The pursuit of knowledge (Jnan), wisdom (Pragyaa), and truth (Satya) was always
considered in Indian thought and philosophy as the highest human goal. The aim of education in
ancient India was not just the acquisition of knowledge as preparation for life in this world, or life
beyond schooling, but for the complete realization and liberation of the self. World-class institutions
of ancient India such as Takshashila, Nalanda,Vikramshila, Vallabhi, set the highest standards of
multidisciplinary teaching and research and hosted scholars and students from across backgrounds
and countries. The Indian education system produced great scholars such as Charaka, Susruta,
Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta, Chanakya, Chakrapani Datta, Madhava,
Panini, Patanjali, Nagarjuna, Gautama, Pingala, Sankardev, Maitreyi, Gargi and Thiruvalluvar,
among numerous others, who made seminal contributions to world knowledge in diverse fields such
as mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, medical science and surgery, civil engineering, architecture,
shipbuilding and navigation, yoga, fine arts, chess, and more. Indian culture and philosophy have had
a strong influence on the world. These rich legacies to world heritage must not only be nurtured and
preserved for posterity but also researched, enhanced, and put to new uses through our education
system.

The teacher must be at the centre of the fundamental reforms in the education system. The new
education policy must help re-establish teachers, at all levels, as the most respected and essential
members of our society, because they truly shape our next generation of citizens. It must do
everything to empower teachers and help them to do their job as effectively as possible. The new
education policy must help recruit the very best and brightest to enter the teaching profession at all
levels, by ensuring livelihood, respect, dignity, and autonomy, while also instilling in the system
basic methods of quality control and accountability.

The new education policy must provide to all students, irrespective of their place of residence, a
quality education system, with particular focus on historically marginalized, disadvantaged, and
underrepresented groups. Education is a great leveler and is the best tool for achieving economic and
social mobility, inclusion, and equality. Initiatives must be in place to ensure that all students from
such groups, despite inherent obstacles, are provided various targeted opportunities to enter and excel
in the educational system.

These elements must be incorporated taking into account the local and global needs of the country,
and with a respect for and deference to its rich diversity and culture. Instilling knowledge of India and
its varied social, cultural, and technological needs, its inimitable artistic, language, and knowledge
traditions, and its strong ethics in India’s young people is considered critical for purposes of national
pride, self-confidence, self-knowledge, cooperation, and integration.

Previous Policies

The implementation of previous policies on education has focused largely on issues of access and
equity. The unfinished agenda of the National Policy on Education 1986, modified in 1992 (NPE
1986/92), is appropriately dealt with in this Policy. A major development since the last Policy of
1986/92 has been the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 which laid
down legal underpinnings for achieving universal elementary education.

Principles of this Policy

The purpose of the education system is to develop good human beings capable of rational thought
and action, possessing compassion and empathy, courage and resilience, scientific temper and

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creative imagination, with sound ethical moorings and values. It aims at producing engaged,
productive, and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as
envisaged by our Constitution.

A good education institution is one in which every student feels welcomed and cared for, where a
safe and stimulating learning environment exists, where a wide range of learning experiences are
offered, and where good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive to learning are
available to all students. Attaining these qualities must be the goal of every educational institution.
However, at the same time, there must also be seamless integration and coordination across
institutions and across all stages of education.

The fundamental principles that will guide both the education system at large, as well as the
individual institutions within it are:

• recognizing, identifying, and fostering the unique capabilities of each student, by

sensitizing teachers as well as parents to promote each student’s holistic development in both
academic and non-academic spheres;
• according the highest priority to achieving Foundational Literacy and Numeracy by all
students by Grade 3;
• flexibility, so that learners have the ability to choose their learning trajectories and programmes,
and thereby choose their own paths in life according to their talents and interests;
• no hard separations between arts and sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular
activities, between vocational and academic streams, etc. in order to eliminate harmful
hierarchies among, and silos between different areas of learning;
• multidisciplinarity and a holistic education across the sciences, social sciences, arts,
humanities, and sports for a multidisciplinary world in order to ensure the unity and integrity
of all knowledge;
• emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and learning-for-exams;
• creativity and critical thinking to encourage logical decision-making and innovation;
• ethics and human & Constitutional values like empathy, respect for others, cleanliness,
courtesy, democratic spirit, spirit of service, respect for public property, scientific temper,
liberty, responsibility, pluralism, equality, and justice;
• promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning;
• life skills such as communication, cooperation, teamwork, and resilience;
• focus on regular formative assessment for learning rather than the summative assessment that
encourages today’s ‘coaching culture’;
• extensive use of technology in teaching and learning, removing language barriers, increasing
access for Divyang students, and educational planning and management;
• respect for diversity and respect for the local context in all curriculum, pedagogy, and policy,
always keeping in mind that education is a concurrent subject;
• full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all
students are able to thrive in the education system;
• synergy in curriculum across all levels of education from early childhood care and
education to school education to higher education;
• teachers and faculty as the heart of the learning process – their recruitment, continuous
professional development, positive working environments and service conditions;

• a ‘light but tight’ regulatory framework to ensure integrity, transparency, and resource
efficiency of the educational system through audit and public disclosure while encouraging
innovation and out-of-the-box ideas through autonomy, good governance, and empowerment;
• outstanding research as a corequisite for outstanding education and development;
• continuous review of progress based on sustained research and regular assessment by
educational experts;

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National Education Policy 2020

• a rootedness and pride in India, and its rich, diverse, ancient and modern culture and
knowledge systems and traditions;
• education is a public service; access to quality education must be considered a basic right of
every child;
• substantial investment in a strong, vibrant public education system as well as the
encouragement and facilitation of true philanthropic private and community participation.

The Vision of this Policy

This National Education Policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes
directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge
society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India a global knowledge
superpower. The Policy envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must
develop among the students a deep sense of respect towards the Fundamental Duties and
Constitutional values, bonding with one’s country, and a conscious awareness of one’s roles
and responsibilities in a changing world. The vision of the Policy is to instill among the
learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect,
and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support
responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global
well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.

Part I. SCHOOL EDUCATION

This policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be modified with a new
pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18 as shown in the
representative figure and elaborated in detail later under Chapter 4.

Previous academic structure New Pedagogical & Curricular Structure

Secondary
2 4
(Ages16-18) (Class 9 to 12)
(Ages14-18)
Middle

3
(Class 6 to 8)
(Ages 11-14)
Preparatory

10
3
(Ages 6-16) (Class 3 to 5)
(Ages 8-11)
Foundational

2 years
(Class 1 & 2)
(Ages 6-8)
.............………………
3 years
(Anganwadi/ pre-
school/Balvatika)
(Ages 3-6)

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National Education Policy 2020

Currently, children in the age group of 3-6 are not covered in the 10+2 structure as Class 1 begins at
age 6. In the new 5+3+3+4 structure, a strong base of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
from age 3 is also included, which is aimed at promoting better overall learning, development, and
well-being.

1. Early Childhood Care and Education: The Foundation of Learning

1.1. Over 85% of a child’s cumulative brain development occurs prior to the age of 6, indicating the
critical importance of appropriate care and stimulation of the brain in the early years in order to
ensure healthy brain development and growth. Presently, quality ECCE is not available to crores of
young children, particularly children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Strong
investment in ECCE has the potential to give all young children such access, enabling them to
participate and flourish in the educational system throughout their lives. Universal provisioning of
quality early childhood development, care, and education must thus be achieved as soon as possible,
and no later than 2030, to ensure that all students entering Grade 1 are school ready.

1.2. ECCE ideally consists of flexible, multi-faceted, multi-level, play-based, activity-based, and
inquiry-based learning, comprising of alphabets, languages, numbers, counting, colours, shapes,
indoor and outdoor play, puzzles and logical thinking, problem-solving, drawing, painting and other
visual art, craft, drama and puppetry, music and movement. It also includes a focus on developing
social capacities, sensitivity, good behaviour, courtesy, ethics, personal and public cleanliness,
teamwork, and cooperation. The overall aim of ECCE will be to attain optimal outcomes in the
domains of: physical and motor development, cognitive development, socio-emotional-ethical
development, cultural/artistic development, and the development of communication and early
language, literacy, and numeracy.

1.3. A National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education
(NCPFECCE) for children up to the age of 8 will be developed by NCERT in two parts, namely, a
sub-framework for 0-3 year-olds, and a sub-framework for 3-8 year-olds, aligned with the above
guidelines, the latest research on ECCE, and national and international best practices. In particular,
the numerous rich local traditions of India developed over millennia in ECCE involving art, stories,
poetry, games, songs, and more, will also be suitably incorporated. The framework will serve as a
guide both for parents and for early childhood care and education institutions.

1.4. The overarching goal will be to ensure universal access to high-quality ECCE across the country
in a phased manner. Special attention and priority will be given to districts and locations that are
particularly socio-economically disadvantaged. ECCE shall be delivered through a significantly
expanded and strengthened system of early-childhood education institutions consisting of (a) stand-
alone Anganwadis; (b) Anganwadis co-located with primary schools; (c) pre-primary
schools/sections covering at least age 5 to 6 years co-located with existing primary schools; and (d)
stand-alone pre-schools - all of which would recruit workers/teachers specially trained in the
curriculum and pedagogy of ECCE.

1.5. For universal access to ECCE, Anganwadi Centres will be strengthened with high-quality
infrastructure, play equipment, and well-trained Anganwadi workers/teachers. Every Anganwadi will
have a well-ventilated, well-designed, child-friendly and well-constructed building with an enriched
learning environment. Children in Anganwadi Centres shall take activity-filled tours - and meet the
teachers and students of their local primary schools, in order to make the transition from Anganwadi
Centres to primary schools a smooth one. Anganwadis shall be fully integrated into school
complexes/clusters, and Anganwadi children, parents, and teachers will be invited to attend and
participate in school/school complex programmes and vice versa.

1.6. It is envisaged that prior to the age of 5 every child will move to a “Preparatory Class”
or “Balavatika” (that is, before Class 1), which has an ECCE-qualified teacher. The learning
in the Preparatory Class shall be based primarily on play-based learning with a focus on
developing cognitive, affective, and psychomotor abilities and early literacy and numeracy. The mid-
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