There will be an enhanced focus on literature and scientific vocabulary of Indian languages in Indian schools and colleges, said Amit Khare, Higher Education Secretary while announcing the features of the new National Education policy on Wednesday. He also added that importance will be given to cultural awareness of our Indian Knowledge Systems and in promotion of traditional arts or Lok Vidya. "Teaching and learning of Indian languages need to be integrated with school and higher education at every level," Khare said during the announcement.
The new reforms in the policy also stated the introduction of e-courses in eight major regional languages instead of limiting the e-content to Hindi and English. E-courses will be developed in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia and Bengali. The new policy approved by the union government on Wednesday also proposed the setting up of an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI) while also laying significant emphasis on Sanskrit and other Indian languages. As per the NEP, the institute will be established which will make extensive use of technology to aid in its translation and interpretation efforts.
Other features in the new NEP includes graded academic, administrative and financial autonomy of institutions and a single regulator for all higher education, working under a self-disclosure based transparent system for approvals in place of numerous 'inspections'. It also aims to achieve a 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education by 2035.
Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar, along with Anita Karwal Secretary in the Department of Education and Literacy, MHRD and Khare jointly addressed the media around 4 pm on Wednesday. The committee — which suggested changes in the education system under the NEP — was headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan. "The cabinet under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given approval to new education policy for the 21st century. It is important, as for 34 years there were no changes in the education policy," said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar during the announcement.
