A vision for capable and skilled young adults ready to contribute to industries as a knowledgeable workforce, this is what the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions with its emphasis on skill-based education.
The word skilled is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as an ability to do an activity or job well, especially because you have practised it.
In the context of business and industry, skill refers to an ability developed through training that is useful in a job.
The execution of this on the ground by educational institutions needs to focus on both ability and training.
The NEP 2020 aims to empower students by offering a variety of subjects and removing barriers between curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular areas, thereby opening multiple future pathways for learners.
It also seeks to eliminate the distinction between academic and vocational streams, reinforcing the importance of skill-based education.
This shift must begin early, from as early as Grade VI, to build a strong foundation.
While there is often a call to invest in skill education separately from academic education, the policy aims to bridge this gap by bringing both under one umbrella.
It seeks to grant equal importance to both streams, acknowledging that pure academics alone cannot guarantee success.
Across the world, numerous examples show that success can arise from practical expertise and applied skills — what education terms as skill development.
The NEP highlights a wide spectrum of skills across subjects and fields, both traditional and contemporary — from mathematics to linguistics, from art and aesthetics to ethics and moral reasoning.
Students develop essential life skills such as reasoning, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity through real-world experiences.
Such holistic learning demands a strong commitment from educational leaders, and NEP 2020 reinforces this through its early focus on skill integration within school curricula.
Several schools have already introduced new-age skill courses such as Financial Markets Management, Design Thinking, and Artificial Intelligence, while others have incorporated hands-on skills like Coding and Pottery at the middle-school level.
Although challenges remain including limited time, the need for trained faculty, and occasional resistance from parents and students who fear an added academic load the policy assures that skill education complements rather than competes with core subjects. Learning skills through practical experiences strengthens critical thinking, problem solving, and presentation abilities all essential 21st-century competencies.
For instance, calculating and measuring ingredients during cooking or preparing a herbal pesticide makes mathematics more tangible and relevant to everyday life.
Similarly, skill subjects introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at the senior secondary level are designed with direct links to industry needs, making students employable immediately after Class XII.
This benefits students who wish to support themselves during higher education and equips others with confidence, practical understanding, and career readiness.
To make this vision sustainable, schools must invest in teacher training, infrastructure, and effective assessment systems. The inclusion of skill subjects as part of the formal curriculum marks a significant step in consolidating NEP 2020’s reforms modernising the Indian education system while honouring its rich legacy.
As India continues to evolve, skill education will play a vital role in preparing students to adapt to an uncertain future.
The ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn will be the defining strength of tomorrow’s workforce and the foundation for building a truly real-world-ready generation.
By Ms. Jyothi Malhotra, Principal, The Somaiya School