| Why in News? | Supreme Court lawyer petitions to direct Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal to implement NEP. |
| Key Points | |
| Argument for NEP Implementation | Urged States to sign MoU with Centre to implement NEP to protect children's fundamental right to education. |
| Clarification on Hindi in NEP | NEP mentions Hindi once, does not mandate its imposition or compel teaching of Hindi. |
| Constitutional and Legal Considerations | Education falls under Concurrent List; Supreme Court cannot compel States but can intervene if fundamental rights are affected. |
| National Education Policy 2020 | |
| About | Replaces NPE 1986/92, aims to overhaul education system for 21st-century goals, respects India's cultural heritage. |
| Salient Features | |
| Universal Access | Focus on universal access from pre-school to secondary levels. |
| Early Childhood Education | Shift from 10+2 to 5+3+3+4 system, focus on ECCE. |
| Multilingualism | Mother tongue/regional language till Grade 5, standardization of ISL. |
| Inclusive Education | Emphasis on SEDGs, support for children with disabilities, establishment of "Bal Bhavans." |
| Elimination of Barriers | Seamless education system, no rigid distinctions between streams. |
| GER Enhancement | Increase GER from 26.3% to 50% by 2035, add 3.5 crore new seats. |
| Research Focus | National Research Foundation to boost research. |
| Language Preservation | Support for Indian languages, establishment of IITI. |
| Internationalization | Facilitation of international collaborations, entry of top foreign universities. |
| Funding | Increase public investment in education to 6% of GDP. |
| PARAKH Assessment Center | Establish PARAKH for competency-based holistic assessment. |
| Gender Inclusion Fund | Introduces fund to support gender equality initiatives. |
| Special Education Zones | Address specific needs of disadvantaged regions and groups. |
