NEP@5 - Beyond Tokenism

 NEP@5—Beyond Tokenism: Pedagogical and Structural Strategies for Effective NEP 2020 Execution

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17803.60966 

ABSTRACT  

Five years into the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, Indian higher education institutions continue to grapple with the practical challenges of translating its vision into actionable pedagogy. This paper critically examines gaps in implementation, specifically the lack of NEP-based schooling before undergraduate admissions, the over-reliance on MOOCs for interdisciplinary learning, and unresolved issues with employment frameworks. A cluster model integrating constituent colleges and postgraduate departments is proposed to enable authentic interdisciplinary learning. The paper also highlights the need to reconceptualize interdisciplinarity through thematic, problem-based, and team-taught courses.

Keywords: NEP 2020, Interdisciplinary Education, Higher Education Reform, Cluster Model, Teacher Training

1. INTRODUCTION

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) aims to transform India's education system by encouraging flexibility, holistic and multidisciplinary education, and skill development (MHRD, 2020). Five years after its adoption, it is imperative to reflect on its implementation trajectory and identify areas that require recalibration. While NEP 2020 has begun to reshape undergraduate programmes across several universities, the school education system (Classes 9 to 12) remains largely unreformed. This misalignment creates a significant pedagogical and systemic gap, which poses challenges in fulfilling the policy’s holistic vision.

This paper explores the implications of these gaps and offers a cluster-based model for institutional collaboration to implement the interdisciplinary mandates of NEP 2020 meaningfully. It also critiques the current practices of multidisciplinary education, suggesting a thematic and integrated framework as an alternative.

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