A two-day Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam is being organised by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to coincide with the 3rd anniversary of National Education Policy 2020, on July 29, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event and will be launching various initiatives on the occasion.
The two day event at ITPO, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, will include sixteen sessions spread over 2 days and discussions will be held on Access to Quality Education and Governance, Equitable and Inclusive Education, Issues of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Group (SEDG), National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), Indian knowledge System, Creating Synergy between education and Skilling Future of Work, Internationalisation of Education, among others.
Meanwhile in the run-up to the third anniversary of the NEP to be commemorated later this weekend, various institutes of higher learning are also sharing progress reports on its implementation.
From Hyderbad
According to Prof BS Murthy, Director of IIT Hyderabad, the institute pioneered the introduction of Fractal Academics, i.e. courses having credits ranging from 0.5 to 3, which enables students to have breadth and depth in the subjects of their interest. He said that the curriculum in all UG programs has 10% liberal arts incorporated and the students can also earn credits from outside the institute.
He added that in order to encourage entrepreneurship leading to Atmanirbhar Bharat, the IIT- H is supporting innovations by the students through BUILD (Bold & Unique Ideas Leading Development) projects and providing a semester break with 6 credits to students to pursue such innovations. Technology Research Park (TRP) for industries and Technology Incubation Park (TIP) for Startups with 150,000 sqft of space each have been created in IIT Hyderabad to encourage innovation with Industry support, the Director informed.
Speaking about the implementation of NEP in the University of Hyderabad, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. B. Jagdeeshwar Rao said that the scheme of Academic Bank of Credits has begun. Multiple Entry and Exit facility is being implemented for all Integrated Masters’ programmes, 19 programmes in all, he shared. Regulations for pursuing two academic programmes simultaneously have been adopted and the University is offering 14 Diploma courses through Centre for Distance and Virtual Learning Prof Rao informed. In line with the multi-disciplinary approach delineated in NEP, the University of Hyderabad has introduced new courses like -Introduction to Gender Studies, Value Based Education, NGOs and Nation Building etc. he shared.
The Joint Director of the Regional Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of Telangana state, Vidyanad stated under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY 2022-23), Schools, Higher education Institutions, Colleges, Universities, institutions of national repute etc. are being on-boarded as ‘Skill Hubs’, leveraging their existing infrastructure and domain experience to provide quality training under PMKVY. Today, there are close to 1000 Skill Hubs with 1 lakh candidates enrolled in them, he shared. About 2000+ institutions have been allocated targets, including institutions of national repute such as IITs, IIITs, NITs, and central universities. ISM Dhanbad and IIT Guwahati have already started training in Assistant Mine Surveyor, Green House Operator, Self Employed Tailor, Social Media Associate job roles.
Uttarakhand
Prof. Lalit Kumar Awasthi, the Director of NIT Uttarakhand, awhile talking on how the NEP has influenced the academic landscape and policies at NIT Uttarakhand, said his institute is embracing the multidisciplinary approach and fostering a culture of innovation and research among students. Prof. Awasthi also highlighted the institute’s commitment to inclusivity and providing quality education to all, aligning with the core principles of the NEP.
Key IIT Guwahati initiatives
Speaking about implementation of NEP2020, Prof. Paramesar K. Iyer, Officiating Director, IIT Guwahati, said, “At IIT Guwahati, we are implementing NEP2020 in a phase-wise manner to make sure the best practices can be included in our curriculum in the most efficient way possible.” In this regard, IIT Guwahati has implemented key features of NEP2020 through multiple inter, multi, and trans-disciplinary initiatives. These include: Multidisciplinary Academic Centres and Schools offering various inter and multidisciplinary programs in line with the objectives of NEP 2020.
He added that in order to make sure the students are fully equipped with knowledge and skills along with the freedom to pursue their interests, the Institute’s flexible curriculum provides the option for UG students to spend one full semester at Industries and Research laboratories for Internships or undergraduate project work. Similarly, Internships provisions is an option for PG students. On the entrepreneurial front, initiatives related to Introduction of techno-entrepreneurship and small business development programs for the students have been included in the curriculum.
IIT Guwahati has established a dedicated unit offering online degree programs including Bachelor’s Degree Prograame, and B. Sc. (Hons) in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Along with this, multiple PG programs in the areas of Computer Science, Robotics, Data Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence are in the pipeline that will maximize flexibility and engagement, enabling students to learn at their own pace, while optional campus visits will provide opportunities to engage with faculty and peers.
Also, the Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems has been established at IIT Guwahati that offers various programs in multi-disciplinary fields of Indian Knowledge for the holistic development of the students. Programs such as ‘Introduction to Indian Knowledge Systems’ for Ph.D. students, Archaeological Studies in Ancient Technology as an elective course, and Short term courses on ‘Spoken Sanskrit’ and ‘Spoken Assamese’, are some of the programs being offered by this centre.
