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Tag: National education policy

  • What’s new for 2024 CBSE board exams: Competency-based questions introduced and more, check details

    What’s new for 2024 CBSE board exams: Competency-based questions introduced and more, check details



    The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has recently announced a significant change in its assessment practices for the upcoming academic session 2023-24. The board has made changes in the composition of question papers for year-end examinations, reducing the weightage given to traditional short and long-answer type questions and introducing more competency-based questions.
    These changes are in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and are likely to be implemented for the academic session 2023-24 only.
    According to the revised composition of question papers for the year-end examinations for classes IX-X, the competency-focused questions will now comprise 50% of the paper, select response type questions (MCQs) will have a weightage of 20%, and the remaining 30% will comprise constructed response questions (short and long answer type questions). Similarly, for classes XI-XII, competency-focused questions will have a weightage of 40%, select response type questions (MCQs) will be 20%, and the remaining 40% will comprise constructed response questions (short and long answer type questions).
    The competency-focused questions will be in the form of MCQs, case-based questions, source-based integrated questions, or any other type, and will test students’ practical understanding of the subject matter. This change in the assessment practices will encourage students to focus more on developing practical skills and competencies rather than just rote learning.
    Read official circular here
    Particulars Academic Session 2022-23 Academic Session 2023-24
    Classes IX-X
    Composition of question paper year-end examination/Board Examination (Theory)
    • Competency Based Questions are 40% in the form of Multiple-Choice Questions, Case-Based Questions, Source Based Integrated Questions or any other type.
    • Objective Questions are 20%
    • The remaining 40% of Questions are Short Answer/ Long Answer Questions
    • Competency Focused Questions in the form of MCQs/Case Based Questions, Source-based Integrated Questions or any other type = 50%
    • Select response type questions(MCQ) = 20%
    • Constructed response questions (Short Answer/Long Answer type Questions, as per existing pattern) = 30%
    Classes XI-XII
    Composition of question paper year-end examination/Board Examination (Theory)
    • Competency Based Questions are 30% in the form of Multiple-Choice Questions, Case-Based Questions, Source Based Integrated Questions or any other type.
    • Objective Questions are 20%
    • The remaining 50% of Questions are Short Answer/Long Answer Questions
    • Competency Focused Questions in the form of MCQs/Case Based Questions, Source-based Integrated Questions or any other type = 40%
    • Select response type questions(MCQ) = 20%
    • Constructed response questions (Short Answer Questions/Long Answer type Questions, as per existing pattern) = 40%

    The NEP 2020 recommends a shift towards competency-based education, and CBSE’s revised assessment practices align with this shift. The new assessment practices will help students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills, which are essential in today’s fast-paced and rapidly changing world. These skills are necessary for students to be successful in higher education and the workforce.
    The CBSE has also released the curriculum document for the academic session 2023-24 and sample question papers for individual subjects, which can be accessed on the board’s official website for reference. Additionally, learning frameworks for various subjects for classes IX-XII are also available on the CBSE academic website.



  • NCF 2023: No exam for classes up to 2, introduction of semester for class 12 recommended

    NCF 2023: No exam for classes up to 2, introduction of semester for class 12 recommended



    The National Curriculum Framework for School Education has been released by the NCERT. In the NCF various recommendations have been made for almost each grade student. The pre-draft proposes various recommendations, such as modifying the class 10 and 12 board exams, transitioning from a 10+2 structure to a 5+3+3+4 structure, and emphasizing developmental perspectives to suggest changes in curriculum and teaching methods at different stages, including foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary levels.
    Grades up to 2
    The draft National Curriculum Framework (NCF), inspired by the new National Education Policy (NEP), proposes that explicit tests and exams are not suitable assessment tools for children in classes up to 2. It recommends introducing written tests only from class 3 onwards to avoid imposing additional burden on the child. The NCF emphasizes that assessment methods should be designed in a way that does not add to the child’s workload.
    For the foundational stage, the framework suggests two appropriate assessment methods: observation of the child and analysis of artefacts produced as part of their learning experience.
    According to the draft, explicit tests and exams are not suitable for evaluating students in the Foundational stage, which encompasses preschool to class 2.
    The assessment process should be inclusive of diverse learning styles and methods of expression. Given that children learn and demonstrate their learning differently, teachers should have the flexibility to design various forms of assessment for a single learning outcome and apply each assessment appropriately.
    Documentation and recording of children’s progress should be carried out systematically through the collection of evidence. The assessment process should not impose any additional burden on children, and assessment tools and procedures should naturally complement their learning experiences.
    Download National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023
    The NEP 2020 recommends that schooling should be imagined in four stages in a new 5+3+3+4 design covering ages 3-18. “The curricular and pedagogical structure and the curricular framework for school education will therefore be guided by a 5+3+3+4 design, consisting of the Foundational Stage (in two parts, that is, 3 years of Anganwadi/pre-school + 2 years in primary school in Grades 1-2; both together covering ages 3-8), Preparatory Stage (Grades 3-5, covering ages 8-11), Middle Stage (Grades 6-8, covering ages 11-14), and Secondary Stage (Grades 9-12 in two phases, i.e., 9 and 10 in the first and 11 and 12 in the second, covering ages 14-18).”
    Grades 3-5
    According to the draft, in the preparatory stage, it is recommended to introduce written tests as part of the assessment process. To encourage learning, a range of assessment methods should be utilized, including portfolios which provide a holistic view of a student’s progress through their work and can also offer parents a reliable overview of their child’s learning. Additionally, peer and self-assessments may be implemented to assist students in monitoring their own learning trajectory.
    Upon completion of the preparatory stage, a comprehensive summative assessment should be conducted to evaluate the student’s preparedness for the middle stage, which introduces several new curricular areas.
    On Thursday, the education ministry unveiled a “pre-draft” of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for school education and solicited input from key stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, and scholars. The draft was formulated by a committee led by K Kasturirangan, a former head of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
    Grades 6-8
    According to the draft, during the middle stage of schooling, the curriculum should emphasize developing conceptual comprehension and advanced abilities. The document suggests that evaluation methods such as projects, debates, presentations, experiments, investigations, role plays, journals, and portfolios should be employed to assess student learning. Additionally, periodic summative assessments containing multiple-choice and constructed-response questions, including short and long answer questions, should be administered to assist students in synthesizing their knowledge at logical junctures such as year-end, term-end, and unit-end.
    The Education Ministry officials have stated that the textbooks aligned with the new NCF will be rolled out from the upcoming year. The Education Ministry has formulated four NCFs that align with the 5+3+3+4 ‘curricular and pedagogical’ structure recommended for school education by NEP 2020.
    In October 2022, the ministry launched the NCF for foundational stage (NCF-FS) targeting children aged between 3-8 years. As a continuation of this policy, the Education Ministry is currently preparing the next NCF for school education.
    Grades 9 and 10
    To complete Grade 10, students will complete two Essential Courses from each of the eight Curricular Areas available i.e., a total of 16 Essential Courses across two years of Grade 9 and 10.
    Grades 9 and 10 will follow an annual structure (a semester structure in these classes is possible to construct but is unnecessary since all students will do all the essential courses).
    Students must clear 8 Board examinations at end of Grade 10 – these assess each of the two Essential Courses in each Curricular Area learnt during Grades 9 and 10.
    Grades 11-12
    The same set of eight Curricular Areas will continue to be on offer, but choice-based courses will be designed based on the Disciplines within the Curricular Areas to ensure deeper and more rigorous engagement. Choice-based courses and their content will be designed on the basis of the specific nature of disciplines.
    This phase of the Secondary Stage would be divided into semesters and each choice-based course would be for a semester. Students must complete 16 choice-based courses to complete Grade 12.
    The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) has undergone four revisions in the past – in 1975, 1988, 2000, and 2005. The proposed revision, if implemented, would be the fifth iteration of the framework.



  • NEP 2020: Study materials till Class 5 to be provided in 22 Indian languages, says Pradhan

    NEP 2020: Study materials till Class 5 to be provided in 22 Indian languages, says Pradhan



    NEW DELHI: The government will provide study materials to the students till Class 5 in 22 Indian languages as the National Education Policy, NEP 2020 places a special emphasis on the mother tongue, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday.
    “We have decided to provide the curriculum till the 5th standard in 22 Indian languages listed in the Constitution. Study materials of the foundational stage, be it textbook, playbook, or play-based material, will be prepared in 22 languages of the Indian Constitution using technology,” Pradhan said.
    While talking to reporters at the launch of the three-day ‘Future of Learning Collaborative’ conference, Pradhan said that the mother tongue and local language are special features of the National Education Policy.
    The education minister said that the decision was taken on Monday to review the study materials for the foundational stage under the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF). He said, till now NCERT textbooks were being provided in three languages i.e., English, Hindi, and Urdu.
    The new school education system outlined in NEP 2020 will work on a 5+3+3+4 format i.e., children will spend five years in the foundational stage, three years in the preparatory stage, and three years in the middle stage as well, while four years in the secondary stage.
    On the government’s plan to build a Digital University, Pradhan said it is a unique concept with no world model, and deliberations are underway for the same.



  • AI, IoT find strong presence in high school curriculum

    AI, IoT find strong presence in high school curriculum



    By Nafisa Khatoon
    The course will encourage students to create projects using indigenous solutions to solve local challenges
    To increase technology integration in schools, the CBSE has introduced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in the school curriculum from classes VI to X. The initiative was launched jointly by NITI Aayod and Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) in October 2022. This was introduced as the pilot project in 59 schools having Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) at their campuses. The schools are now making efforts to include students who are outside the ambit of ATLs.
    “CBSE has introduced emerging technologies such as AI, Data Science, AR and VR as skill subjects for classes VI-XII. Presently, more than 10,00,000 students from more than 5,000 schools have enrolled in these subjects. As its integration into academic subjects and teaching pedagogies is in the early stages, CBSE is conducting organizing capacity building programs for the teachers,” says Biswajit Saha, Director (Skill Education), CBSE.
    Intel was roped in to offer technical support and create the course activities.
    “We want to create a digital-first mindset among both teachers and students so that they can work in the AI-enabled future,” says Shweta Khurana, senior director, Global Government Affairs, Intel.
    The curriculum includes creative lesson plans for students to work on projects offering solutions to local problems. “The initial part of the program focused on training the computer teachers on AI and IoT, where we encouraged them to create lesson plans based on the new technologies. Students are encouraged to learn these technologies at ATL to create projects with social impact and build indigenous solutions,” adds Khurana.
    The National Education Policy of 2020 (NEP 2020) recognized the immense potential of AI and recommends its integration into the education system. “The larger aim is to align with the NEP 2020 and optimize the current ATLs infrastructure to make Indian schools AI-ready. For example, class IX students will gain knowledge through the newly designed lesson plan that focuses on identifying reasons for back pain and developing an AI-driven solution. They will work in group projects to develop an LED device that glows, whenever an incorrect posture is detected and green light glows when the correct posture is retained,” says Khurana.
    The technology has also been introduced in class IX textbooks of Social Science to create interesting lesson plans. “Science students are guided to understand why plants die in winter. Through the lesson plans, they are allowed to use tinkering tools like sensors to record the moisture level of the soil. They are then supported to deploy a supervised AI model to predict the plant’s health by making use of the recorded data. In another scenario, an English teacher built a lesson plan for explaining the poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost using the scientific probability method in computer labs,” she adds. So far, more than 20,000 teachers are trained, who are imparting knowledge to 350,000 students through boot camps and mentoring camps.



  • IP University Conducts Conference On NEP

    IP University Conducts Conference On NEP


    The conference aimed at discussing effectiveness of National Education Policy 2020 and its various dimensions

    The University School of Mass Communication, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, has inaugurated two day national conference on New Education Policy (NEP) on 24th March, 2023 at university premises. With focus on the National Education Policy, 2020, this conference aims at discussing its effectiveness and its various dimensions. It targets researchers and faculty members in the fields of mass communication and journalism, humanities and social sciences and associated interdisciplinary courses.

    Dr Sunil Mehroo, Joint Director, CEC (Consortium of Educational Communication, Ministry of Education, Government of India) highlighted that the NEP places a greater emphasis on creating an educational digital environment and for the purpose National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), an autonomous organisation has been established, which promotes technology adoption and integration into the classroom, to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas.

    “Education is the backbone of any country, to have a vibrant and knowledgable society, education is the only pillar and strength. The Indian education system needed a paradigm shift before the NEP could be made. In order to formulate it, suggestions and feedback received by various stakeholders were taken into consideration,” stated Professor Manukonda Rabindranath, Chairman, the Centre for Media Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. 

    Quality is fundamental in all endeavors of life, it is pervasive, it is not a one-person job, it is the responsibility of all stakeholders in the system, and NEP tries to emphasise the same thing by involving teachers, students, parents, policymakers and others to achieve the various NEP, 2020 goals. It gives students a wider range of courses and papers to choose from, with multiple entry and exit options. It employs a more learner-centred and outcome-based education approach. The other major area is online learning and distance education, which allows students to study from remote locations. This policy also encompasses previously unaddressed topics in conventional formal education. Forty percent of the courses are delivered in a hybrid format. The main goal of the policy is to make sure that everyone has equal access to formal education. Forty per cent of the courses are delivered in a hybrid format. The trend is moving towards digital university discussed Dr AK Saini, GGSIPU.

    The main aim of the conference is to explore the policy which has created a large canvas with futuristic vision. The themes of conference are re-establishing India as a Vishwaguru , Inculcating Freedom struggle and forgotten heroes in the curriculum framework, Women empowerment through National Education Policy 2020, Addressing concerns of Tribals and remote areas through the vision of National Education Policy. It aims at an inclusive and equitable Education System and at Higher education level introduces broad-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic education with flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects, integration of vocational education and multiple entries and exit points with appropriate certification. Thus, the prime objective of organising this conference is to provide a common platform to all the students, researchers and faculty members to discuss and deliberate over the concern of National Education Policy 2020 and promoting the same.

    The Conference is sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and Ministry of education. Prof Queeny Pradhan, Dean, University School of Mass Communication; Dr Durgesh Tripathi, USMC; Dr Sachin Bharti, USMC and other speakers from various knowledge partners are among the organisers.

  • NEP 2020 Has Been Accepted By All Union Home Minister

    NEP 2020 Has Been Accepted By All Union Home Minister


    The Union Home Minister said that the New Education Policy-2020 brought by PM Modi is the only education policy on which there was no controversy or opposition and it has been accepted by all

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah on New Education Policy-2020 said that it has potential to put the youth of India in front of the youth of the world on the global stage.

    Amit Shah attended the fourth convocation ceremony of the Central University of Gujarat on Sunday.

    Addressing the gathering Shah said that the responsibility of making India great and first in every field of the world rests with the youth of the country. He added that it is the responsibility of students to make a great India.

    The Union Home Minister said that the New Education Policy-2020 brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only education policy on which there was no controversy or opposition and it has been accepted by all.

    He said that this education policy has the power to put the youth of India in front of the youth of the world on the global stage as it has been prepared after extensive deliberations.

    Shah said, “This policy has brought our education out of narrow thinking. The aim of education is not to get a degree, a good job or comforts in personal life, but to become a complete human. We should always make efforts in this direction and this education policy gives full opportunity for this.”

    He said that it is based on Indian values but also includes all the elements of modern education. Shah said that the objective of this policy is to create such students and humans who are filled with feeling of national pride as well as global welfare and this policy has all the capabilities to make global citizens.

    Union Home Minister said that in the new education policy, thrust has been given on mother tongue because any person can think well in his own language, can do research with better ability and it also enhances his analysis and decision-making ability. He said that in order to maintain the importance of language in the New Education Policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a provision to make primary education compulsory in the mother tongue.

    Shah said that all our languages are flexible and we can expand our vocabulary and we should expand and enrich it. In order to bring flexibility, provisions have also been made in higher education and emphasis has also been laid on e-learning.

    Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided immense opportunities for the youth of the country. He said that there were 724 startups in the country in 2016, which have increased to more than 70,000 by 2022, whereas 107 startups are in the unicorn club, compared to just four in 2016.

    He said that out of the total startups in the country, 45 per cent are run by women and girls and 45 per cent of startups are in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

    Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi started ‘Make in India’ scheme by identifying several sectors. Many new sectors have been opened in it and as a result, India’s merchandise exports have crossed USD 400 billion and investment of worth Rs 4 lakh crore has come through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI).

    (ANI)

  • Centre Open to Fresh Approaches on National Education Policy, says Dharmendra Pradhan

    Centre Open to Fresh Approaches on National Education Policy, says Dharmendra Pradhan

    According to Union Minister for Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan, the National Education Policy (NEP) is a lengthy document with many new features for the benefit of students.

    The Centre was anticipating that Tamil Nadu would approve the NEP, despite the fact that education is on the concurrent list of the States, he stated.

    Speaking at the 34th convocation of the city’s Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Pradhan stated that the union government is receptive to fresh concepts and approaches when it comes to the NEP.

    The National Education Policy (NEP) will support learning, reading, and writing in the mother tongue during the foundational years, he said. He also said that the government had asked the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to start publishing books in all Indian languages as of the current academic year.

    According to Pradhan, if children learned in their mother tongue and India’s educational system emphasised employability, empowerment, and enlightenment, their overall development would be improved.

    The union minister claimed that technology was a recent disruptor and that millions of people use cell phones.

    “Internet and smartphones are basic requirements and we were dependent on foreign technologies like Android or iOS. However, IIT Madras has developed technology for the indigenous 5G a few days ago,” he pointed out.

    Indians have taken the vaccine, but no one in the world got certificate within a few seconds after taking it like in our country. It is such type of technology we are developing in India.

    Referring to Covid-19 vaccines, Pradhan said

    Highlighting about women empowerment, the union minister said, “Tamil Nadu is much more ahead of the rest of the country and the state has the highest number of working women in the country. India is the mother of democracy and Tamil Nadu the epicenter.”

    During India’s G20 Presidency this year, “I expect discussion and deliberation takes place about it in the university.”

    Later, in response to a query regarding a reduced budget allocation for NEP, the union minister claimed that the information was incorrect.

    “The government and the finance ministry were extending full support to the new education policy and in the next budget, more funds will be allocated,” he said.

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  • Change In Global And Indian Education Landscape

    Change In Global And Indian Education Landscape

    The current circumstance of education on the planet is comparable, is encountering a change in outlook and innovation is assuming a critical job. Not at all like its commonness recent, chiefly in some created nations and certain upscale territories of India, advanced learning or e-learning has now become the standard. In any event, for the individuals who are unprepared for it, this is the main conceivable approach to continue education. In this circumstance, most instructors and teachers have found, and maybe even imagined, newer roads of virtual educating. In spite of the fact that it might appear as though Indian education is bringing an unexpected jump into the future, it is regardless, an essential jump that was in the making particularly to make more future-prepared residents.

    The Government of India as of late declared a New Education Policy that will conceivably change the manner in which education is seen and gotten in the nation. On one hand, the Policy weighs on Liberal Arts education in schools and colleges, and then again, it underlines the requirement for youthful personalities to turn out to be more acquainted with Data Sciences and Digital Learning. This demonstrates a longing to be more comprehensive in the way to deal with teaching, mirroring a craving that is turning out to be increasingly more typical internationally. Gone are the days when STEM was viewed as discrete from Humanities, and professional education was viewed as the most worthwhile. In the current, quickly changing scene of Indian education, the thoughts of “multidisciplinary” and “interdisciplinary” education are getting more conspicuous.

    Noted logician and educationist, John Dewey was of the sentiment that ”Education isn’t the arrangement of life. Education is life itself“. These expressions of Dewey may sound implausible yet the new worldwide vision of education attempts to guzzle this way of thinking in the changing teaching method. For instance, the idea of Reality Pedagogy, where the common climate of the understudy is contemplated while bestowing education, focuses on the general development and adapting aptitudes of the student. Essentially, Project Oriented Guided Inquiry Lessons (POGIL) urge the understudies to utilize their own personal thinking and approach while unwinding the exercise, with guided contributions from the instructor and route. This technique gives the student additional time and extension to appreciate the current circumstance and utilize their own personal discernment to understand it. The change of the education framework in India is attempted the utilization of such teaching methods to support the understudies’ pragmatic information and its application.

    Essentially, academic techniques like Flipped Learning and Blended Learning are being energized, particularly in Higher Education Institutions. By permitting understudies to have command over how and when they decided to contemplate, the new methodology hopes to make students and not simply understudies. The American instructor, John Holt, a backer of self-teaching and misinforming instructional methods, broadly said, “Learning isn’t the result of educating. Learning is the result of the movement of students”. Through “institutional rebuilding and solidification” the New Education Policy plans to change the current technique for delivering aloof understudies into a framework that makes more dynamic, included, and educated students. Consequently, the Policy additionally weighs on long-lasting learning and students.

    The redesigning of education during the pandemic has taken into account the acknowledgment of numerous academic instruments which were being ruminated on. It has likewise made education not so much selective but rather more open while unpacking the conventional ways to deal with instructing. A long time back, when Rabindranath Tagore had established Shantiniketan and educated out in the open, he was viewed as a visionary. In any case, today, the remittances that are being made so as to empower self-learning would have done right by him. Courses as MOOCs are additionally empowering a more liberal way to deal with Indian education. The field of open-learning is at long last being made genuinely available and urging students to put resources into their interests. The worldwide network is nearer than at any other time to one another and is getting progressively helpful for a global society that can upset education soon which is as a rule thoughtfully looking forward as a proclaiming first light particularly in India.

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  • National Education Policy 2020: Why States are Wary

    National Education Policy 2020: Why States are Wary

    For a country of India’s size and diversity, a national education policy, besides reforming the education sector for improving quality and promoting excellence, is essentially expected to promote national integration and cohesion between the Centre and the states. Going by the developments in higher education, the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) must not end up doing just the opposite.

    The policy has already caused disquiet in the states. Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have come out in the open about their reservations against the policy. West Bengal too is getting the policy assessed for its implications and is likely to follow suit. As the implementation of the policy intensifies, their discomfiture has been growing all the more. They clamour to be an equal partner in the process of reforming higher education but find themselves at the receiving end. They are feeling exceedingly sidelined and see no attempts to address their concerns. Nor do they see any efforts to reach out to them to seek their support and cooperation.

    States’ discordance about the NEP 2020 emanates from its content, which they had been pointing out ever since the policy was put in the public domain. Lately, however, they are all warier about the way the policy is being put into effect. The growing tendency to use the text as a pretext, and convenient interpretation of the content to suit a different intent, is proving to be all the more worrisome. The propensity to pull all stops to do what fancies someone’s imagination is, in fact, proving to be the last straw even for those who sincerely believed that a good part of the policy dealing with higher education was good enough to deserve a chance.

    Higher education being on the concurrent list of the Constitution is the joint and shared responsibility between the Centre and the states. The fact that the coordination and maintenance of standards in higher education fall in the exclusive domain of the Union government, does not provide it total control over higher education across the country. The national education policies are far too comprehensive and go much beyond the coordination and maintenance of standards.

    States are major players in higher education and are the dominant contributors to the development of education in the country. The analysis of the budgeted expenditure on education for the year 2018-19 (the latest year for which the data is available) indicates that the states contribute more than 77 percent of the total expenditure on education in the country. The share of the state in higher education expenditure to is as high as 71.24 per cent. Additionally, the state sector higher educational institutions account for 99.43 per cent of all higher educational institutions in the country catering to 91.78 per cent of the total enrolment in higher education.

    They had obviously expected that the national policy would be announced only after consulting them and addressing their concerns. The present policy prides on its distinctiveness of undergoing an elaborate consultative process spanning over five years and encompassing a broad spectrum of people from the top to the bottom. Yet, there is little in the public domain to show that the concerns and suggestions of the states received due consideration.

    States had hoped that the policy would be implemented in an orderly manner. Considering the fact that higher education in the country has been in limbo for want of massive regulatory reforms, this was supposed to get precedence over anything else. After all, the NEP 2020 too had expressed that there was no hope for improvement in higher education unless a ‘light but tight’ regulation replaced the multiple regulatory bodies with overlapping functions and mandates. The proposed regulatory reforms would have necessitated legislative measures, which could in turn have afforded people an opportunity to discuss the policy in Parliament. Alas! That has not happened as yet.

    In the meantime, a slew of changes has been unleashed in higher education leaving the states perplexed. The common admission test has not only been made mandatory for undergraduate admission to all central universities, it has also been touted as the first step towards admission to all higher educational institutions across the country. This was done by invoking the policy, though the policy explicitly mentions that it would be left to individual higher education institutions to use such tests or not.

    States are obviously uncomfortable. Their experience with the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admission to medical and engineering education informs them that a centralised system of admission causes exclusion, works to the disadvantage of students coming out of their school boards, favouring students from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and works to the best advantage of the rich and affluent because they can afford expensive coaching to crack such entrance examinations.

    A few states are uneasy about a number of policy provisions which they think are meaningless for them. The policy may prescribe measures and strategies for raising the target gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education from 27.1 per cent at the present to 50 per cent by 2035. But it has no meaning for Tamil Nadu as it already has a GER of 51.4 per cent. It would, therefore, instead of focusing on GER further, want to direct its resources to improve quality and promoting excellence.

    No less wary are stated about the implementation challenges and their financial implications. Making all higher educational institutions multi-disciplinary, and creating conditions for multiple entries and pathways entail huge expenditure in higher education. Even innocuous requirements like entering and uploading all the credits earned by all the students on the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) portal, has huge cost implications. Such announcements are being made on a daily basis sans any commitment for financial support.

    Finally, a national policy must be an expression of the government’s intention and direction for the future development of higher education. It must provide a broad framework of the purpose, objectives and indicative roadmaps. It must ensure scope for the states to mould it according to their needs and local conditions. Too many and too frequent directives bordering micromanagement may only create more friction, which may be good neither for the states nor for the nation.

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  • NIRF Releases Higher Education Institutions Ranking 2021, Check top 20 Institutes in India

    NIRF Releases Higher Education Institutions Ranking 2021, Check top 20 Institutes in India

    Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan released the NIRF Ranking 2021 listing the top institutes and universities in India this year. The education minister went live from his Twitter handle with Minister of State Sanjay Dhotre and AICTE Chairman Anil Saharsrabudhe to announce the top universities of India. The live recordings can also be seen on YouTube and Twitter.
    The top two institutes remain the same as last year in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). IIT Madras has topped the ‘Overall’ NIRF Rankings and the second spot was taken by IISc Bengaluru. The third spot has changed from last year’s IIT Delhi to IIT Bombay.

    Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in his live webinar said “The NIRF Indian rankings should not be considered as an end but the beginning of the improvement of quality in higher education,”.

    The number of Indian institutes registered for the NIRF ranking 2020 increased by 20 percent as compared to 2019. In 2020, 3,800 institutes participated in NIRF Rankings. In 2021, the number was 6000.

    The top institutes and universities of India are examined on the basis of certain predetermined factors for the NIRF Rankings including Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Graduation Outcomes (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), Peer Perception.

    Each of these parameters includes sub-parameters as well. Though there were only four factors on the basis of which the NIRF rankings were conducted in 2015 the first year of the educational institute rankings, now many more factors have been drawn up by the core committee.

    The NIRF rankings are usually announced in April but were delayed this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Institutes need to register and submit data for the NIRF Rankings. The same data is also made public through its website. Physical audits and checks are carried out by NIRF to ensure that the data is authentic. Institutes may be debarred from ranking and face consequences if they are providing false data.

    Depending on the category for which an institute has been judged, their scores may differ. The categories NIRF has chosen in 2021 to rank colleges in are Overall, Research, Universities, Engineering, Management, Pharmacy, Colleges, Medical, Law, Architecture, and Dental.

    NIRF Ranking 2021 for Top 20 institutes in ‘Overall’ category are Rank 1- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras with Score: 86.76, Rank 2- Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru – Score: 82.67, Rank 3- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay- Score: 82.52, Rank 4- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi- Score: 81.75, Rank 5- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur- Score: 76.50, Rank 6- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur- Score: 75.62, Rank 7- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee- Score: 71.40, Rank 8- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati- Score: 69.26, Rank 9- Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)-Score: 66.61, Rank 10- Banaras Hindu University (BHU)-Score: 63.10.

    Rank 11- Calcutta University (CU)-Score: 61.45, Rank 12- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham-Score: 59.87, Rank 13- Jamia Millia Islamia- Score: 59.54, Rank 14-Jadavpur University (JU)-Score: 58.93, Rank 15-Manipal Academy of Higher Education-Score: 58.91, Rank 16- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad-Score: 58.53, Rank 17-University of Hyderabad (UoH)-Score: 57.67, Rank 18- Aligarh Muslim University-Score: 57.38, Rank 19-University of Delhi (DU)-Score: 56.03 and Rank 20- Savitribai Phule Pune University-Score: 55.83.

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