Emerging Challenges in the Implementation of New Education Policy 2020: Dr. Suresh Behari Lall

Globally it is conceded that Education is the catalyst of empowerment of all sections of the society irrespective of race, caste, religion, geographical location. Every human society has developed its own cultures, traditions, behavioral paradigms, modus operandi, responses,attitudes,beliefs etc. Science and technology have been useful in generating new information,knowledge,and has added to experience and expertise continuously. Humans have used Education,science and technology to evolve new policy planning, administration,skills,mentoring and monitoring systems to disseminate information and knowledge to all sections of the society, to manage their ecosystems,biodiversity,resources of food water, air quality, remove superstition, conservative mindsets.

There has been a huge and explosive change in education after the second world war. Numerous nations got their independence and their academicians begin to think of what kind of Education policy the nation should have to emerge as a self sufficient nation in all respects. They were keen to get rid of McCauley system of Education which mass produced brain washed to promote British legacy and styles of functioning. This was felt by political leaders of both India and China which became independent in 1947 and 1948 respectively. Both had teeming millions of population ,which were to be educated,given productive skills,freedom to be enterpreneur. Production and processing Hubs in the form of Defence Industrial Complex also emerged along with centers for research ,universities and colleges etc.

The basic challenges before every education policy are five: What to teach,Why to teach,When to teach,How to teach,and Who will teach. China and India had some parallel approaches,but the implementation style of China could not be adopted in a democracy like India. The Chinese Communist Party Chairman was told that it will take twenty years for China to build suitable syllabi to address the problems,in the meantime the youth should be sent to western world for training ,when they come back they would become individual centers of excellence ,given all infrastructure and funds for training other youths with the stipulation that such trained youth will migrate to other cities and establish centers of excellence. If a person sent overseas for training,gaining skills and expertise did not return his family would be executed. This was impossible for India to do,although thousands of our youth overseas to study,gain experience and expertise. Very many did not return.

The Kothari Commission was constituted to frame the new Education Policy. Since then many new bodies came into being like UGC,ICMR,CSIR,NCERT,SIERT.CDRI,ITRC.IRIR ,ICAR. They were concerned with various level of Education, Science,Technology,Health,Agriculture. All pursued their goals in unique manners. We even developed subject wise syllabi through National Commissions and Committee. It is shocking to see that recommendations could not be implemented on ground. In fact, the pattern of implementation ran in conflict with even the basics of policy.

From Kothari Commission to Kasturirangan commission of 2020, we have seen the best of recommendations. Yet our education system barring a few glaring exceptions,has failed to produce youth that can be called professional,responsible,accountable who can meet the expectations and requirement of industry,trade,commerce,research. The National scenario of health, education,sanitation,hygiene,medical and engineering science is dismal as NASCAM report says that Nine out of ten Engineers are unemployable and even untrainable!The situation in Medical and other sciences is even worst.

Let us see the road blocks in the implementation of New Education Policy _2020.

1. Education is a State subject. The first challenge wiil come from states who have their own ministries, school boards ,appointing authorities for schools, colleges and universities with autonomous academic committees and Council.

2. Education is not only highly politicised, but also criminalized and this moved to the ultimate stage of criminals protected, supported and encouraged by politicians.

3. Education is highly privatised.Black money is being funneled into education by politicians, industrialist and Maafia. Land received at throw away price has helped them develop their mushrooming network of schools,colleges and universities. They have their own syllabi, unique modes of faculty recruitment and use the principle of Hire and Fire. They will resist any implementation of New Education Policy, as it will Topsy truly their present establishment.

4. The growing billions of rupees market of fake degrees, plagiarism,cheating,dishonest marking will create numerous obstacles in the implementation.

5. The infrastructure of school,colleges,universities is facing all signs of degeneration. How will it reach village,town children who have no food,cloth,live in slum and guttural conditions. No one can debate the issue that the syllabi taught to the son of a collector,politician should be taught even to a tribal child. This would not happen even in the coming two decades.

6. No structured common syllabi is there as per new policy. The making of syllabi for various levels will take years.

7. The present status of Faculty, in schools, colleges and universities is very poor. Most of the recruitment’s are on the basis of caste,religion,region,corrupt practices like bribery and muscle power with political affiliation.

8. Skill development programs must receive top priority as they are linked to entrepreneurship and creation of production hub. If this happens, like it did in China, the dream of Make in India, and buy Indian because quality wise it is the best.

Thus, the New Education Policy 2020should be subjected to stringent analyses from the point of view of implementation. If we can implement Ten percent of it every year, we should feel happy. It is a mammoth task and will require Herculean Effort. However, one should appreciate the great documentation work of Mr.Kasturirangan and his team. Assemblies and Parliament will have to make laws so that some of the aforesaid barriers can be removed.