NEP 2020 Opens Up New Horizon For Indian Education

NEW DELHI: The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 stands as a defining moment in India’s journey towards revitalising its higher education landscape.

Anchored in the guiding principles of access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability, NEP 2020 seeks to redefine both the structure and substance of education.

For higher education, the policy proposes a systemic shift from rigid silos to flexible, learner-centric models; from content-heavy instruction to critical thinking and research; and from fragmented regulation to a streamlined, empowered governance architecture.

Enhancing Access, Equity, and Inclusion

NEP 2020 aims to achieve a GER of 50 % by the year 2035. To achieve this the government is focusing on setting up more higher education institutions, provide support to disadvantaged students.

Initiatives

PM VidyaLakshmi Scheme

PM VidyaLakshmi Scheme aims to enhance access to higher education through collateral-free loans for students enrolled in India’s top 860 institutions. With a budget of ₹3,600 crore from FY 2024–25 to 2030–31, it is set to benefit over 22 lakh students annually and support an additional 7 lakh students, with a focus on inclusivity.

Support for Divyangjans

To ensure meaningful participation of persons with disabilities and mental illness in higher education, efforts are being made to through guidelines on inclusive pedagogical practices. These focus on adapting teaching methods and learning environments to meet diverse needs and foster equitable academic engagement.

Multi-disciplinary centres

As per NEP 2020, four-year UG programmes with multiple exit options and credit portability via the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) have been introduced.

Curricula now follow a Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS), enabling interdisciplinary combinations and nurturing critical thinking and ethical reasoning.

All Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are to transition into multidisciplinary universities or degree-granting colleges by 2040, with at least one major HEI in every district by 2030.

Online and distance learning

In total, 116 HEIs offer 1,149 Open & Distance Learning programmes, and 102 HEIs offer 544 online programmes, benefiting over 19 lakh students.

The National Digital University (NDU) has been designed to broaden access to high-quality education, foster lifelong learning, and equip students with industry-relevant skills through a flexible, inclusive, and technology-enabled framework.

Multidisciplinary education

The NEP 2020 envisions a transformative shift in Indian higher education, promoting a learner-centric, flexible, and multidisciplinary ecosystem. This vision is being realized through a series of structural reforms and digital innovations. Multiple Entry and Exit (MEME), Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), Biannual Admissions in HEIs, National Credit Framework, Curriculum and Credit Framework for Undergraduate Programs (CCFUP), Dual Degrees and National Higher Education Qualification Framework (NHEQF) are some of the initiatives.

Key reform under NEP 2020 aimed at standardizing and enhancing the quality of higher education in India. It provides a structured framework for the development, classification, and recognition of qualifications from Level 4.5 (first-year undergraduate) to Level 8 (doctoral programs).

Centers of Excellence

Since 2014, 42 new Central Higher Educational Institutions have been established, including Central Universities, IITs, IIMs, NITs, IIITs, and IISERs, reflecting a strong push towards academic excellence and regional development.

Ladakh has got its first ever Central University by the name, Sindhu Central University.

Center of Excellence in AI

The government has approved establishment of three Centers of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) namely CoE in Health in IISc, COE in Sustainable Cities in IIT Kanpur and CoE in Agriculture in IIT Ropar with a total outlay of Rs. 990 crore. A new COE in Education with an outlay of Rs.500 crore was announced in the budget for FY 2025-26.

Institutions of Eminence

The initiative aims to establish a framework for identifying and supporting higher education institutions with the potential to evolve into world-class centers of teaching and research. Under this effort, 12 Institutions of Eminence (IoEs) have been recognized.

Startup Ecosystem in HEIs

The government is strengthening the innovation and startup ecosystem within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through the establishment of Institution’s Innovation Councils (IICs) to promote applied research, ideation, and entrepreneurship. To date, 16,051 IICs have been set up across 28 States and 8 Union Territories.

Indian Knowledge Systems

The government has prioritised the promotion of Indian languages and the integration of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into mainstream education.

Anuvadini App & e-KUMBH Portal: AICTE’s Anuvadini App facilitates translation of engineering, medical, law, UG, PG, and skill books into Indian languages; these are accessible via e-KUMBH portal.

Multilingual Content on SWAYAM: Study materials are made available in multiple Indian languages on the SWAYAM platform to support diverse learners.

CSTT Terminology Compilation: The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) has compiled over 30 lakh scientific and technical terms in 22 Indian languages, with 16 lakh terms digitized.

Regional Language Education in Engineering: 41 engineering institutes across 10 states permitted to offer education in 12 regional languages, promoting technical education in mother tongues.

Multilingual National Exams: CUET, JEE (Mains), and NEET (UG) are conducted in 12 Indian languages, enhancing access and fairness in national-level entrance tests.

International campuses

India has established international campuses of its premier higher education institutions. These are IIT Madras–Zanzibar, IIT Delhi–Abu Dhabi and IIM Ahmedabad–Dubai.

Foreign Universities in India

Prestigious institutions like Deakin and Wollongong Universities (Australia) have opened campuses in GIFT City, Gujarat, and the University of Southampton (UK) has set up in. Six universities from UK, Australia, USA and Italy have been given LoA for setting up their campuses in India

Study in India

The Study in India campaign, since its launch, has seen total enrolment of 47,602 international students from Asian and African countries.

Regulations for joint degrees

To promote academic and research excellence through global engagement, the UGC has issued the Regulations on Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Educational Institutions, enabling Indian institutions to offer Twinning, Joint Degree, and Dual Degree programmes in collaboration with reputed foreign universities.

Out of 230 eligible Indian universities, 103 HEIs are offering collaborative academic programmes with foreign institutions.

World rankings

India continues to strengthen its global academic presence, emerging as the most represented higher education system in the QS World University- Asia Rankings 2025, with 163 Indian universities out of the 987 institutions featured. Seven Indian institutions rank among the top 100 Asian universities, including five IITs, University of Delhi, and IISc.

In the QS World University Subject Rankings 2025, a total of 79 Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) have been included. Additionally, 10 Indian HEIs have secured positions in the top 50 globally in specific subject areas.

PM-USHA

The Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) supports transformation of state universities and colleges by providing funding tied to performance-based outcomes.