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What are major problems of current education system?, how can they be resolved?, what should be the proper solutions for that problems? are some big questions that give rise to need for new education policy. Old education policy is suffering from some noticed problems like lack of multidisciplinary education, early expertise, lack of career opportunities for meritorious students, improper outcomes of learning, insufficient skills development, higher education is not easily available to all, less focus in research etc. A new education policy that speculates the higher education system completely, rejuvenates and revitalizes it to overcome above mentioned problems by delivering high-quality higher education, with equity and inclusion. The main aim of quality higher education should be, to provide greater employment opportunities, literacy and a sound base for knowledge acquisition. Keeping all the above objectives in mind, a draft of new education policy, drafted by a committee under the guidance of Kasturirangan ,later released by Ministry of Human Resource Development was proposed by Indian Government after 34 years. It is the third education policy of independent India which contains four foundation pillars - access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability.

We analysed reforms in higher education under NEP2020 as prescribed by MHRD and find out their main purpose, explore it and predict strengths and weaknesses of each major reforms if implemented successfully.

Key Reforms for Higher Education with Strengths and Weaknesses
A More Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Education:
 In India, the basic idea of higher education is based on stream based education like BSc(PCM), BSc.(Bio), B.Com. etc. NEP proposes to interrupt stream based border line and suggests multidisciplinary education.  Students can opt a subject of their choice over the streams for their overall development. It is also mentioned that there should be a interdisciplinary higher education institution with in or near every district.
Strength: This will definitely boost up the morale of students as they will study subjects of their choice like (Maths, Hindi, Bio) or (Physics, English, History) etc. If a student wants to study Physics, Chemistry with English not with Maths, it will be possible with interdisciplinary feature of NEP-2020. It will help students to develop expertise in subject of their choice.
Weakness: How it could be possible to manage multidisciplinary subjects teaching /preparation of time-table from different streams together as in present system there is a separation and modularization of departments on the basis of streams like department of science, department of commerce, department of arts and humanities etc.  The specialization into science, commerce, arts is not clear in this plan. Conduction of examination will also time consuming, tedious and typical task. If any student can choose any subject, then how lectures will have scheduled? Management and arrangement of multidisciplinary schedule will have proved to be a big question? 
3-or 4-year Duration and Multiple Exit
The duration of undergraduate programmes except some professional courses, is usually three years in current Indian education system. NEP brings a new idea that more desirable option is the four-year’ multidisciplinary bachelor’s degree over present three years’ bachelor degree. It is mentioned in plan that the duration of undergraduate degree will be of either 3-or 4-year, with in that duration students can have multiple exit and entry option with an appropriate certification after successful completion of every year. Means after completing 4-years, a student can obtain a degree 'with research’ and obtain a bachelor’s degree after successful completion of 3-years.An advanced diploma certificate after completing 2- years and a certificate after completing 1- year which will utilize every year of study rather than as in  previous system students were not obtain any degree/diploma in middle before completing full duration of course
Strength: One can leave the degree in middle after one, two or three years without any loss, if some problem has occurred in his/her life and then continue it back when he/she found favourable situations. This is  because of the feature that after every year he/she will get certificate/diploma/degree and no need to start from the beginning. It will also suppose to open more job opportunities for poor students and those who wants to learn with earn.
Weakness:  This flexible approach of graduation will motivate students to drop and re-join again and again which may increase dropout rate of students not completing their graduation. It will also suppose to increase unemployment situation until more job opportunities will not be provided by the Indian government.
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER)
GER in higher education is the ration of enrolment in higher education to the population in the eligible age group (18-23 years) which is 26.3%  for year 2018 and 27.1 % in India for year 2019-20. This reform aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from 26.3% (2018) to 50% by 2035. In order to fulfill these requirements,  one possible solution should be development of new educational institution and enhancement of existing one’s 
Strength: If GER increases to 50% in India it will improve the reputation of our country in whole world because currently GER in higher education for for our country is low as compared to global average Gross Enrolment Ratio (29%).
Weakness:  This target cannot be achieved only by increasing the number of colleges, or universities or by promoting degrees via distance or online learning, but also India should focus more on increasing the number of students completing higher secondary level education and start Awareness Campaign to increase enrolment in higher education after secondary education.
Academic Bank of Credit (ABC)
An Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) which could store the academic credits scored by students digitally so that the degrees  can be awarded on the basis of credits earned by students. This would provide an opportunity to students to resume their programme at a later time, who have dropped out it due to some unavoidable situations. 
Strength: This will provide support to students who wants to leave the course in middle. They can start it again from where they left it before without any problem. Also students can easily access their academic credits anytime, anywhere as and when required.
Weakness: It is necessary to complete atleast one year to store academic credits.   If a student leave course before completing atleast one year, he/she will not get any credit. Although it’s not a weakness but a requisite condition.
Flexible Masters Programmes
To enrol in PhD, there will be a requirement of either a Master’s degree or a 4-year Bachelor’s degree with research. The M.Phil. Programme is no longer.
For students who will obtain three-year bachelors degree, the duration of masters degree will be of two years. In two year master’s  degree, second year will be focused on research  and for  completing a four-year bachelors degree with research, the duration of master's programme will be one year.  Another option of masters degree will be an integrated five-years Bachelor’s/Master’s degree after twelfth. 
Strength: Flexibility of doing one or two years, integrated master’s programme is a praiseworthy step. And as masters programmes are more research oriented its value will definitely increase.
Weakness: There is no guarantee of getting a job even after doing post graduation. Post graduation is a specialised and highest degree, thus it should be more valuable and job oriented. 
Internationalization of Indian Higher Education
 Top 100 high performing overseas universities will be permitted to operate in India and encouraged to set up their campuses, mentioned by NEP2020. A lawmaking structure to assist such entry will be proposed by NEP and such universities will be given relaxation regarding rules, regulations and norms. 
Strength: This will provide a chance of learning, in world’s topmost universities at low prices within  their own country. It will definitely improve the quality of education and image of India’s in world’s education system.
Weakness: There may be a chance to increase tuition fees which may in turn increase the feeamont of higher education degrees and keep well qualified faculty from reputed universities at high salary. And as a consequence of which quality education becomes out of reach of some poor students. 
National Entrance Test
A single university entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency is also proposed by NEP 2020, that could be a big change for students, who wants to go for higher education after twelfth. A good news for students is that now students will not have to appear for numerous entrance tests conducted by different universities. The new education policy states, that it will be decided by individual universities and colleges according to their choice to use National testing agency‘s evaluation for their admissions.
Strength: This will enable most universities to use NTA common entrance test rather than having their own entrance exams and as a consequence will improve the uniformity of entrance exam.  It will be capable to lower down the burden of the entire education system. It will be proved to be advantageous for students as it will reduce cost and overhead of filling different entrance exam forms, appearing to many entrance , doing preparations for numerous entrance exams etc. 
Weakness: Although it will minimize the burden over students, universities and colleges but will increase the overhead of National Testing Agencies to conduct such a large scale entrance test. 
Promotion of Regional Languages
NEP has recommended that higher education institutions can adopt regional/local languages or the local tongue as the medium of instruction in the classroom teaching to encourage the use of regional languages. This will definitely help the students to understand the concept better. E-content prepared in regional languages will also be available to assist students.
Strength:  As students who are not proficient in English will be encouraged for further studies in regional/local languages/mother tongue thus it will improve the ratio of students moving towards higher education. This will support students to understand the concept easily.
Weakness: Using regional languages as a medium of instruction will lower down global opportunities of employment and may increase the chellanges to students, as english is a global language and no regional language is treated as global language. It will definitely limit the scope of job opportunities to localize areas.
National Research Foundation
 A National Research Foundation (NRF) will setup by the government, with the aim to accelerate and vitalize research and transformation across all academic streams of higher education.
Strength: The research fund proposed for NRF is highly influential and may positively contribute to enhance research outputs.
Weakness: Preparation and organization of various resources and amount required for the development of NRF and research will be big question?
No affiliation, autonomous degree granted institutions.
 There is a need to establish a step by step process to  grant graded autonomy to colleges  in duration of  15 years means all colleges currently affiliated to some university will  become autonomous degree-granting colleges, by 2035.
Strength: Autonomous institutions will acquire more flexibility which may lead to take their own decisions regarding curriculum planning, emergence into research-intensive or teaching-intensive universities etc.
Weakness: It will reduce the uniformity as in case of affiliated institutions because each autonomous institution will be free to take their own decisions without any obligation.
Regulatory System of Higher Education
Presently, University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) are three main regulating bodies for higher education. According to NEP2020, a Higher Education Council of India (HECI) will be set up to regulate higher education that have four independent verticals namely NHERC( National Higher Education Regulatory Council) , NAC(National Accreditation Council), HEGC(Higher Education Grants Council), and GEC(General Education Council) for different purposes.
Strength: This will be a requisite  step to have uniformity in education standards  to ensure quality of higher education.
Weakness:   It is obvious that the overload and overhead both will increase for higher education council of India, for being a single regulatory body.
Financial Support to Assist Students
Higher education institutions will encourage scholarships to support students based on their talents and ST, SC, OBC, and SEDGs category students will get scholarships based on their merits. At least half of the strength of  students of private higher education institutions are selected for scholarships.
Strength: All  poor students will receive scholarships to support their studies and no student will be underprivileged to achieve higher education due to poor economic conditions.
Weakness: Although scholarships for financially weak and talented students is a good and appreciable step, but usually it is seen in practice that there may be a misuse of scholarships, as sometimes those students who are not financially weak may get advantage.
The National Education Technology Forum (NETF):
National Educational Technology Forum (NETF)  will be set up as a new autonomous body, which will be a single point to talk about  the use of technology and to promote and strategize online education.
Strength: Online mode of education and e-contents, makes education easy to attain. Most of the higher education institutes have adopted online mode of teaching and learning for uninterrupted education during COVID-19 pandemic.
Weakness: Online mode of learning is quite new to everyone; it was typical to reach out to every student as most of the students was struggling for basic technical support due to their financial conditions or their locality. It is also difficult to understand student’s body language, their interactions and involvements in online mode of teaching.                                    

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