Five Years of NEP 2020: Major Achievements in Indian Education

Five Years of NEP 2020: Major Achievements in Indian Education

Introduction

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, launched in 2020, marked a transformative shift in India’s education system, emphasizing holistic, inclusive, and future-ready learning. The Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) 2025, held on July 29, 2025, in New Delhi, celebrated five years of NEP 2020 implementation, showcasing significant progress across various educational domains. Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated projects worth over ₹4,000 crore, highlighting the policy’s impact in aligning education with nation-building goals. Below are the major achievements during these five years, organized by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) and the Department of Higher Education (DHE).

Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam 29th July 2025 5th Year of NEP 2020

Five Years of NEP 2020: Transforming Higher and Technical Education in India

Five Years of NEP 2020: Achievements, Missed Opportunities, and the Path to Universal Education in India

 Transforming Indian Education (NEP 2020 to 2025)

Major Achievements by Department

Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL)

1. Infrastructure Development
   • CBSE: Inaugurated a new Regional Office building in Digha, Patna, enhancing administrative reach and efficiency.
   • Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS): Launched permanent campuses and facilities, including dormitories and staff quarters at multiple locations such as Junagadh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Mahisagar, Morbi (Gujarat), Shahdol, Umaria (Madhya Pradesh), Vadodara (Chhattisgarh), Vahal and Saputara (Himachal Pradesh), Shopian (Jammu & Kashmir), Fazilka, and Gurdaspur (Punjab).
   • Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS): Inaugurated new Kendriya Vidyalayas at ITBP Shivgangai (Tamil Nadu), Sandefjord (Himachal Pradesh), Udalguri (Assam), BSF Tekanpur (Madhya Pradesh), Jourian (Jammu & Kashmir), and Bhimtal (Uttarakhand), expanding access to quality education.
   • NCERT: Laid foundation stones for the Regional Institute of Education in Nellore and the Central Administrative Building at NCERT Headquarters, New Delhi, strengthening teacher training and administrative infrastructure.
2. Digital and Career Guidance Initiatives
   • My Career Advisor App: Launched by NCERT’s PSSCIVE, this app provides personalized career guidance to students nationwide, offering access to 1,000 career pathways with details on roles, educational requirements, skills, and prospects. It features an intelligent recommendation engine tailored to students’ interests and values, supporting NEP’s focus on holistic education.
   • Swachh Vidyalaya Hari Rating (SHVR) 2025-26: Introduced a 5-star rating system for schools based on six categories: water, toilets, handwashing, operation & maintenance, behavior change & capacity building, and Mission LIFE activities. Enhanced with improved assessment tools, simplified questionnaires, and a robust IT platform developed with NCERT, NIC, and UNICEF, SHVR promotes environmental responsibility and hygiene.
3. PM JANMAN: Specific initiatives under this scheme were mentioned but not detailed in the document, indicating ongoing efforts to support marginalized communities in alignment with NEP’s inclusivity goals.

Department of Higher Education (DHE)

1. Curriculum and Pedagogical Reforms
   • IIT Delhi Curriculum Revision: After over a decade, IIT Delhi revised its undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD curricula effective from 2025-26, emphasizing flexibility, hands-on learning, environmental sustainability, and emerging technologies like AI and ML. Key features include a common-based undergraduate curriculum, options for minors, specializations, or honors, and a five-year dual degree (B.Tech.-M.Tech.). The M.Tech./MS curriculum includes cornerstone projects, summer internships, and industry-collaborative theses.
   • VIBE by IIT Ropar: Launched an AI-powered continuous active learning platform, VIBE, which segments lessons into engaging chunks, uses adaptive challenges, and provides point-free feedback. It promotes mastery learning, empowers educators by automating routine checks, and aligns with NEP’s goal of innovative pedagogy.
2. Promotion of Indian Languages and Knowledge Systems
   • Bhasha Sagar App: Aligned with NEP 2020 and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, this app facilitates learning Indian languages without requiring English as an intermediary. It offers 18 conversation courses (485 sentences) and 24 vocabulary courses (1,600+ words) in 22 Indian languages, with plans for AI-based conversation facilitators and automated certifications.
   • Centre of Indian Knowledge Systems and Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Sanskrit (IKS-ED): Established at Deccan College, Pune, to document ancient and contemporary Indian knowledge systems. The Encyclopaedic Dictionary traces linguistic and semantic developments of Sanskrit words across 1,500 texts from 62 disciplines, covering over 15 lakh vocables and one crore references.
   • KoshahSHIR Portal: Funded by DST, this portal digitized 35 volumes of the Encyclopaedic Sanskrit Dictionary, offering advanced search and article authoring capabilities. It includes over 15 lakh words and one crore references from 1,990 ancient texts, preserving and promoting Indian knowledge systems.
3. Internationalization of Higher Education
   • Foreign University Campuses in India: Facilitated the establishment of international campuses, including Western Sydney University (GIFT City, Gujarat), Victoria University (Noida), La Trobe University (Bengaluru), and University of Bristol (Mumbai). These campuses offer business, data science, AI, public health programs, and more, fostering global collaboration and reducing the need for Indian students to study abroad.
   • Collaborative Research and Partnerships: Strengthened ties with international institutions, such as WSU’s partnerships with AIHA, ICAR, and IISc; VU’s India-Australia Sports Partnership; La Trobe’s Joint PhD Academy with IIT Kanpur; and Bristol’s MoUs with ATLAS SkillTech and Krea University for joint programs and research in AI, biotech, and smart cities.

Concluding Observations

The five-year journey of NEP 2020 implementation has yielded remarkable achievements, with DoSEL focusing on infrastructure expansion, digital career guidance, school hygiene, DHE driving curriculum innovation, preservation of Indian knowledge systems, and global academic partnerships. These efforts reflect NEP’s vision of transforming India into a knowledge superpower while fostering inclusivity, innovation, and cultural pride.

Suggested Reading

Ministry of Education. (2025). 29th July, 2025 5th Year of NEP, 2025.pdf. Press Information Bureau, Government of India.