Narendra Modi and the new education policy: retrospection, reform and reality

ABSTRACT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of education, articulated primarily through the proposed New Education Policy (NEP) and other social initiatives, is rooted in retrospection and aspires to transform the existing system of education. However, to translate this retrospection into reality and to discard the rhetoric remains a key to bringing in reform. Given the time lapse in bringing NEP in India, the article aims to examine the exclusivity and relevance of NEP under Narendra Modi. Specifically, this article endeavours to (a) evaluate the core of NEP, as a policy up-gradation or merely an idea linked to Modi’s governance acumen; (b) examine the inclusive character of the NEP and its link with Modi’s idea of inclusivity; and (c) examine and compare Modi’s idea of inclusion through different policy initiatives and schemes and the global vision of sustainability, i.e. Sustainable Development Goals. The NEP, along with other interrelated initiatives, is a timely and most appreciated feature of Modi’s overall development agenda. Though the attempts at the outset appear to be half-finished and require deeper articulation and proactive solutions, the inclusive character of NEP is in itself a step forward from previous policies. Moreover, the scheme is partially aligned with the globally accepted development agenda of post-2015. Given the inclusive and global nature of Modi’s education policy embedded in his governance expertise, the policy requires targeted execution to render reform into reality and avoid rhetoric.

KEYWORDS:

• Reform
• reality
• education
• enabling inclusion
• development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

^1. To streamline the efforts by the government for improving the quality of teaching, MHRD launched ‘Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching’ on 25 December 2014, as an umbrella scheme that aims to bring the entire ongoing teacher education and training programmes by various ministries under one roof. See ‘Brief on Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching’ at http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Highlights/PMMNMTT%20English.pdf (Accessed 29 January 2014).

^2. See ‘PM’s remarks at the launch of Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching’PM calls for introspection on ‘Shiksha Ki Sanskriti’ – the culture of education’ at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114093 (Accessed 29 January 2014).

^3. The process of formulating a new education policy started through online discussions and structured multi-staged consultations. It followed a bottom-up approach involving stakeholders from all dimensions starting from gram panchayats and was launched by inviting suggestions and recommendations. See ‘About New Education Policy Consultation’ at http://mhrd.gov.in/nep-new (Accessed 4 February 2015).

^4. This can be substantiated on three grounds. First, unlike other major policy initiatives and schemes, the Minister for Human Resource Development declared the NEP and not the Prime Minister. In addition, the NEP has not figured in any of his major speeches, within India or abroad. Second, Modi’s articulation on education comes in reference with larger social-economic factors such as employment and women empowerment and presents more ambitious and futuristic ideals. Third, the ideas of linking education with skill, employment and empowerment are not seen as innovative or exceptional. See ‘PM’s statement at the United Nations Summit for the adoption of Post-2015 Development Agenda’ at http://www.narendramodi.in/text-of-pm-s-statement-at-the-united-nations-summit-for-the-adoption-of-post-2015-development-agenda-332923; ‘India’s strength lies in simplicity of Indians & their unity: PM Narendra Modi on 69th Independence Day at http://www.narendramodi.in/text-of-prime-minister-shri-narendra-modi-s-address-in-hindi-to-the-nation-from-the-ramparts-of-the-red-fort-on-the-69th-independence-day-211475 (Accessed 6 September 2015).

^5. Hindutva or Hindu-ness is the core philosophy of the BJP that sees Indian culture from the lens of Hindu values where the BJP perceives Hinduism as a nationalist concept and not a religious one. For details, see http://www.bjp.org/en/about-the-party/philosophy (Accessed 30 May 2015).

^6. For full text of the speech, see ‘Full Text: Shri Narendra Modi’s speech at the National Education Summit, Gandhinagar’ at http://www.narendramodi.in/full-text-shri-narendra-modis-speech-at-the-national-education-summit-gandhinagar-2812 (Accessed 10 February 2014).

^7. For details of the themes, see the NEP portal at http://mhrd.gov.in/consultation-theme (Accessed 4 February 2015).

^8. NPE 1968 was the first education policy of India under the leadership of the then PM Indira Gandhi. After two decades the Rajiv Gandhi government brought in new NPE in 1986 followed by the framework for action in 1992. For details, see ‘The New Education Policy, 1986’ at http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/document-reports/NPE86-mod92.pdf (Accessed 24 September 2015).

^9. The Kothari Education Commission, 1964–66, was the third commission in independent India, appointed to streamline the national pattern of education and to guide the national discourse of education and development. The report of the commission was published under the title Education and the National Development and the recommendations later formed the basis of NPE 1968. See ‘Education and National Development Report of the Education Commission 1964–66’ at http://www.teindia.nic.in/files/reports/ccr/KC/KC_V1.pdf (Accessed 25 September 2015).

^10. The 11th Five-Year Plan (2007–12) under the title Inclusive Growth and 12th Five-Year Plan (2012–17) titled Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth aimed at bringing an inclusive growth that involves economic development that goes along with socioeconomic and institutional reforms and that also reduces inequalities that exist in the Indian social structure. See ‘Inclusive Growth’, 11th Five Year Plan 2007–12 and ‘Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth’, 12th Five-Year Plan 2012–17 at http://planningcommission.nic.in/plans/planrel/fiveyr/welcome.html (Accessed 15 June 2015).

^11. ‘Enabling Inclusive Education – education of Girls, SCs, STs, Minorities and children with special needs’ is the 10th theme among 13 themes for consultation on school education. Under the theme, recommendations, suggestions and comments are invited through 10 questions. See the NEP portal at http://mhrd.gov.in/consultation-theme (Accessed 4 February 2015).

^12. The RSS is a non-governmental organization and ideological mentor of the BJP.

^13. The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 that provides for the fundamental right of every child to free and compulsory education till completion of elementary education in a neighbourhood school, is not applicable to aided or unaided minority schools so as to safeguard the right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions given by the Constitution under Article 30(1). Also see ‘The RSS is Right in Asking for a New Definition for ‘Minority’ Institutions’ at http://swarajyamag.com/politics/the-rss-is-right-in-asking-for-new-definition-for-minority-institutions/ (Accessed 6 February 2015).

^14. See ‘State is ‘saffornising‘ school education: Kapil Patel’ at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/State-is-saffornising-school-education-Kapil-Patel/articleshow/48395470.cms (Accessed 10 July 2015).

^15. See ‘HRD minister Smriti Irani meets Sangh leaders for “improving” education’ at http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-10-31/news/55631250_1_rss-leaders-hrd-minister-smriti-irani-sangh-leaders; ‘Sangham: How the RSS is charting out changes in education’ at http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/sunday-story-sangham/ (Accessed 15 March 2015).

^16. See full text of the speech ‘Religion based reservation will ultimately divide the nation … Shri Narendra Modi’ at http://www.narendramodi.in/‘religion-based-reservation-will-ultimately-divide-the-nation …’-shri-narendra-modi-2710 (Accessed 20 March 2015).

^17. See ‘RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat pitches for review of reservation policy’ at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/RSS-chief-Mohan-Bhagwat-pitches-for-review-of-reservation-policy/articleshow/49041309.cms (Accessed 4 February 2015).

^18. Article 16 of the Constitution ensures that there shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State. Further, article 16(4) states that nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward class of citizens, which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State.

^19. See ‘Draft report on edu yanked off website’ at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Draft-report-on-edu-yanked-off-website/articleshow/49837460.cms (Accessed 23 November 2015).

^20. For details, see ‘Indian Budget 2015–16’ available at http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2015-16/eb/stat21.pdf (Accessed 29 July 2015).

^21. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2014 seeks to amend the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. See http://socialjustice.nic.in/poa-act.php; http://socialjustice.nic.in/pdf/poaord2014.pdf (Accessed 5 February 2015).

^22. PM Modi launched the BBBP scheme in January 2015 to address the declining child sex ratio and to empower the girl child in the country. The three main objectives of the scheme are to prevent gender biased sex selective elimination; to ensure survival and protection of the girl child; and to ensure education of the girl child. See ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ at http://wcd.nic.in/BBBPScheme/main.htm (Accessed 20 April 2015).

^23. The SDGs, adopted on 25 September 2015 under the name ‘Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ are a step further from the Millennium Development Goals. These are a set of 17 goals and 169 targets to be achieved in the next 15 years. For details, see https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld (Accessed 15 November 2015).

^24. See ‘PM’s statement at the United Nations Summit for the adoption of Post-2015 Development Agenda’ at http://www.narendramodi.in/text-of-pm-s-statement-at-the-united-nations-summit-for-the-adoption-of-post-2015-development-agenda-332923 (Accessed 1 October 2015).

^25. Swachh Vidhyalaya is the national campaign to ensure that every school in India has a set of functioning and well-maintained water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. Specifically, it aims at providing separate toilets for girls in all government schools within one year of the launch of the programme on 25 September 2015. See ‘Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyyalaya’ at http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/Eng_Swachch-Bharat-Swachch-Vidhalaya.pdf (Accessed 1 October 2015).

^26. The National Skill Development Mission was launched on 15 July 2015 on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day as a part of Skill India Mission. The main objective of the programme is to rapidly scale up skill development efforts in India, to bridge the gap between demands of the employers and aspirations of Indian citizens for sustainable livelihoods. See http://www.skilldevelopment.gov.in/nationalskillmission.html (Accessed 30 September 2015).

^27. See ‘India’s strength lies in simplicity of Indians & their unity: PM Narendra Modi on 69th Independence Day’ at http://www.narendramodi.in/text-of-prime-minister-shri-narendra-modi-s-address-in-hindi-to-the-nation-from-the-ramparts-of-the-red-fort-on-the-69th-independence-day-211475 (Accessed 6 September 2015).

Additional information

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Madhulika Sharma

Madhulika Sharma is a technical expert in education at the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Government of India, New Delhi. Prior to working in NCPCR, Ms. Sharma was working as a senior research associate at the Department of Education of Groups with Special Needs (DEGSN) in National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi. In NCERT, she worked on two national projects on inclusive education: (a) evaluation of an inclusive education scheme in India and (b) developing training material for teachers in an inclusive classroom. Her research interests include education policies in India, governance issues in Indian education, inequality and exclusion in education in India and inclusive education. Her doctoral thesis titled as Educational Development in Northwest India with special reference to Literacy and Elementary Education: A Critical Study, explored different dimensions of inequalities persistent in Indian education.