The NEP 2020 is becoming a reality in several states across India. The challenge now is to find the way to implement it in a practical manner that puts us on track to achieve its goals of revolutionizing the education system in India.

In this webinar, Shakila Shamsu, former Officer on Special Duty (NEP), Ministry of Education, delved into various challenges and possible solutions for a successful implementation of NEP. The session was moderated by Hemalatha Reddy, former Principal, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi.

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⌛ CONTENT ANNOTATION WITH TIMESTAMP 

00:00:00 Welcome and introduction 

00:16:16 National Education Policy 

00:27:20 Multidisciplinary education 

00:43:14 National Research Foundation 

00:51:11 Question-Answer session

Summary of the webinar (by Poornimai Abirami G P)

The National Education Policy 2020 has been framed to get the youth of the nation ready to face the challenges of the 21^st century, to go through the process of learning joyfully, and to make sure that every individual, irrespective of his/​her background gets benefitted out of the NEP equally. In this webinar, moderated by Hemalatha Reddy, the speaker Shakila Shamsu elaborates on the key points of NEP, the challenges in implementing NEP, and how they could be tactfully overcome.

As Shamsu explains, the NEP proposes changes at all levels of education, ranging from pre‑, middle- and high- school to under- and postgraduate levels, as a strong foundation is essential to build higher levels of education. It also emphasizes experiential learning over traditional rote learning methods. Shamsu further describes what the policy envisages at the level of higher education, such as the option of regional languages as the medium of instruction, the academic bank of credits, multidisciplinarity of courses, multiple entry and exit points along a course, and more.

One of the key goals that the policy envisages is the development of MERUs (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Institutions). Speaking about the implementation of this goal, Shamsu notes that though this cannot be achieved overnight, higher education institutions must put efforts to gradually transform themselves into multidisciplinary institutions and that the faculty have a role in achieving this goal. She strongly encourages educators to embrace the idea of multidisciplinarity and shed their inhibitions and biases about their disciplines. She says, ​“a discipline does not get fossilized when it interacts with other disciplines”, and such an interaction is essential for it to evolve and stay relevant over time. For instance, if biology has to stay relevant as a discipline, it needs to understand its ramifications with social sciences, engineering, language, and other disciplines, she says.

Shamsu also points out the need for students to upskill and reinvent themselves to adapt to the changing needs of the 21^st century. This is particularly important in light of upcoming technologies, which may take over some of the jobs that humans are currently delivering, she says. She adds that the teaching-learning process students and teachers engage in should help students develop skills necessary to re-invent themselves, such as communication skills, networking skills, teamwork, and crisis-handling skills. The educators must transform the way they teach in the classroom to facilitate such skills and not merely disseminate information, she says.

To find out what Shamsu says about how small institutes could adopt NEP; how NEP can be brought to life post-pandemic; how pre-planning and time management are key for effective discussion-based learning; how assessment methods should be tailored for the success of the NEP; and more, check out the Q and A session of the webinar.

Also follow the discussion on this topic on our discussion forum.