As the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) completes three years, a slew of changes has been incorporated in the higher education ecosystem. From adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to introducing the Credit Transfer System and aligning curriculum with emerging technologies, institutions are reportedly trying to align with the policy. “Under the NEP, each institution has a different level of implementation. Some have embraced the holistic view, combining practical knowledge and life skills, while others can find it difficult to fully commit to ideas,” Vipin Jain, principal, TMIMT College of Management, told FE Education.
One of the changes that NEP 2020 has brought in higher education institutions is the adaptation of a multidisciplinary approach. As per the policy, all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should evolve into multidisciplinary entities, with 3,000 or more students by 2040. “To foster a multidisciplinary approach, we have introduced a range of courses which transcend traditional academic boundaries. Collaborative efforts among different departments and faculties have resulted in interdisciplinary programmes which equip students with a holistic skill set,” Yajulu Medury, vice chancellor, Mahindra University, said.
Additionally, the NEP 2020 has recommended creating a Credit Transfer System which aims to facilitate students’ movement between institutions without losing academic credit. To be sure, while a few institute claim that this system has been created, some are still building it. “We have developed a comprehensive online portal that streamlines the credit-transfer process, providing transparency and accessibility to both students and administrative staff,” Medury added.
However, it has not been an easy task when it comes to implementing the policy. For example, in terms of adopting the Credit Transfer System, experts opined that alignment of various curriculum structures with evaluating equivalencies have proven to be difficult. “The cooperation of the faculty was essential in removing these obstacles and creating precise standards for credit recognition. To continuously improve the system, feedback mechanisms and regular reviews were put in place,”Jain added.
Besides, these other challenges faced by institutions include alignment of diverse curricula while maintaining academic rigour and ensuring the recognition of transferred credits by external accrediting bodies.
Furthemore, centralisation of competitive exams such as CUET, NEET, JEE Main and JEE Advance, has been another area of change. While the aim behind this move was to largely reduce the pressure on students, it is believed that somewhere the move has had an adverse impact, especially in the case of CUET. Despite the national level entrance exams, institutions still keep a cut off percentage for admissions. “These exams aim to establish a uniform standard for assessing students across the country, making sure that all the students are judged on the same criteria. This promotes fairness and equality. However, over time, critics have argued that centralising exams has created severe pressure and stress among students due to the competition,” Anil Somani, chairman, FOSTIIMA Business School- Delhi, said.
One of the significant recommendations under NEP 2020 is the establishment of a single regulatory body, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), to replace various regulatory entities that aim to make regulation smooth and swift. Interestingly, while a few institutions support this move, some are sceptical. “HECI could be a very welcoming move if it is done in the right spirit,” Aman Mittal, vice president, Lovely Professional University, said. Meanwhile for Dhruv Galgotia, CEO, Galgotias University said that while there are advantages in terms of consistency and efficiency, concerns related to potential centralisation of powers exist. “From multidisciplinary shifts to exam centralisation, the report highlights the insights and challenges in aligning with National Education Policy 2020,” he added.
Interestingly, these are not the only changes that the higher-education system is expected to go through. A lot still remains to be implemented. “The coming decade till 2040 will be the decade of operations. We cannot expect a smooth implementation and transition in a quick go,” Gunjan Rajput, Deputy Registrar Rishihood University, said.
