By Deep Kumar

Patna, Sept 4, 2020: A webinar on India’s New Education Policy held September 4 in Patna, Bihar, heard eminent speakers highlight the multi-disciplinary approach of the policy to create a smart and creative India.

“NEP 2020 has incorporated the whole educational system in reform. The new educational system as envisaged in the document is aimed to create a smart and creative India,” said Professor Lalit Kumar, former principal, Patna Training College under Patna University.

In his valedictory speech, Kumar stressed the need for stressing more on quality education rather than its quantitative aspect.

“Dropouts and brain drain are two other important issues that we need to work upon. We need to make our students tough so that they are able to face all the challenges that life throws at them,” the professor told teachers, students, and teacher educators from 28 states and four union territories in India and four other countries who attended the webinar.

As many as 1,299 people had registered for the webinar on “NEP2020: A Way for New Horizon” organized by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell of St Xavier’s College of Education (Autonomous). It was telecast live on YouTube and Facebook.

Opening the webinar, Jesuit Father Ignatius Topno, the Principal of the host college, pointed out how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected every section of society.

Rajeev Ranjan, registrar of Aryabhatta Knowledge University in Patna and the chief guest, in his keynote noted the education policy stresses on multi-disciplinary approach instead of limiting to a specific discipline.

Once implemented successfully and effectively, the policy will really transform India’s education system and take the country ahead in the global arena, he said. Ranjan also applauded the Jesuit college for organizing the webinar.

Gyan Mani Deo Tripathi, dean of Aryabhatta Knowledge University, predicted drastic changes to take place in India school education. The purpose of an educational system is to develop good human capable of rational thought and action, possessing compassion and empathy, courage and resilience, scientific temper, and creative imagination with sound ethical values, he said.

“It is the moral duty of every educational institution to provide quality education to all irrespective of their place of residence, with a special focus on historically marginalized, disadvantaged, and unrepresented groups,” Tripathi said and stressed the need to pay special attention on language education for the successful implementation of the “visionary policy.”

Asheesh Srivastava, a professor from Motihari, finds the policy holistic, flexible, multi-disciplinary, and aligned with sustainable development and the individual needs of the stakeholders. It stresses equity and inclusion, he added.

The new policy helps students copy with the challenges from technology and the digital divide. It aims to reach the unreached with quality education and stop brain drain and address rising aspirations among the youth. “It represents the key to more vibrant, socially engaged, and cooperative communities,” Srivastava said.

Professor Pankaj Arora from Delhi stressed greater attention to training quality teachers. “Teachers are the backbone of curriculum construction and policymaking in education. They prepare quality citizens and are responsible for the success and failure of students,” he added.

The new policy, he noted, has given space for teacher education as well as higher education teachers.

He regretted that nearly half of India’s more than 10,000 teacher education institutions are substandard, without proper infrastructure and experienced faculty.

Anurag Nigam stressed the significant role Information and Communications Technology (ICT) plays in the educational setup. In the current Covid-19 pandemic, ICT has transformed multiply classrooms as online classes help students study from home. Electricity, infrastructure, trained teachers, advanced technology, and funds are some challenges India faces as it enters a new realm, he added.