Education has always occupied a central place in Indian society and has been viewed as a powerful instrument of national development. During the freedom struggle, leaders like Mahatma Gandhi emphasised education that was closely linked with life and work. Gandhiji’s concept of basic education sought to harmonise intellectual learning with manual labour, making education socially relevant. After Independence, the Government of India accorded high priority to educational reconstruction, recognising its role in national progress, integration, and security.
Several commissions, including the University Education Commission (1948–49), the Secondary Education Commission (1952–53), and the Education Commission or the Kothari Commission (1964–66) examined the shortcomings of the existing system. Their recommendations laid the foundation for a comprehensive National Policy on Education (NPE) in 1968. The policy aimed at radical reconstruction of education to promote economic growth, social justice, scientific temper, and cultural development.
Key features of the policy included free and compulsory education up to the age of 14, improvement in the status and training of teachers, and equalisation of educational opportunities. Emphasis was laid on the development of regional languages along with Hindi, English, and Sanskrit through the three-language formula. Science and technology, agriculture, industry, and vocational education were given special importance to meet the needs of a developing economy.
The policy also stressed work-experience, national service, adult education, examination reforms, and the spread of literacy. It advocated a uniform 10+2+3 educational structure and increased public expenditure on education up to 6 per cent of national income. Overall, the NPE, 1968, sought to create capable, socially committed citizens and strengthen national integration through a balanced, inclusive and modern education system.
Thereafter, the Second National Policy on Education was introduced in 1986 by the then prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi. This policy emphasised vocational streams, the strengthening of adult literacy, and universal access with a 6 per cent GDP investment goal. It also focused on promoting equity, removing disparities in education, by improving educational opportunities for women, scheduled castes (SCs), and scheduled tribes (STs).
This policy was later modified in 1992. Some key changes included universalising elementary education, establishing a common entrance exam for professional courses, promoting vocational education, and ensuring 50 per cent of primary teachers are women.
Recently, the new education policy, namely the National Education Policy 2020, called the New Education Policy, has replaced the 1986 policy. It aims to modernise Indian education by facilitating a flexible, multidisciplinary, and technology-driven system.
Some salient features of this policy include:
- Structural Shift: Replaces the 10+2 system with a 5+3+3+4 structure (Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary)
- Medium of Instruction: Encourages the use of mother tongue or local language as the medium of instruction at least up to Grade 5
- Governance: Renamed the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to the Ministry of Education (MoE)
- Holistic Education: Focuses on vocational education, 21st-century skills, and on reducing curriculum content to core essentials
