Changing Thrust In Education
Two decisive milestones have changed the course of education. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the lockdown of 2020 have caused a clear break from the past. NEP is now in its third year and being implemented on the ground. The lockdown is hopefully behind us though Covid keeps striking back. However, the technological interventions that enabled schools and colleges to run are here to stay. Though with modifications, these will define pedagogy in future. Looking back at 2023, let’s look at some significant milestones and trends of the year gone by.
NEP implementation: Plethora of choices to students
Three years since the NEP 2020 was launched, there is buzz of change at every level of education. From the benefit of credit points and multiple exits and entry options to students in higher education, to focus on skills & vernacular languages at school and higher education level, to recognising learning needs of children at pre-school level, the policy is bringing about massive change in teaching-learning on the ground.
Some of the measures implemented as part of the NEP are:
At school level
- National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat);
- Jadui Pitara for children between the age group of 3 to 8 years;
- New policy on weight of school bags with focus on reducing the weight of school bags
- Four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme has been introduced.
- National Mission for Mentoring (NMM) introduced to create a large pool of outstanding professionals who are willing to provide mentoring to school teachers. NMM is being piloted in 30 central schools.
- A school volunteer management programme - Vidyanjali - has been started to strengthen Government and Government aided schools through community and private sector involvement across the country. So far 6,71,512 government and government-aided schools have onboarded and 4,43,539 volunteers have registered on the Vidyanjali Portal.
At higher education level
- National Credit Framework (NCrF), National Higher Education Qualification Framework, Academic Bank of Credit (ABC), multiple entry/exit etc. have been introduced. So far 1,667 universities/INIs/HEIs are on boarded on ABC portal and 2.75 crore students are registered;
- Courses are being offered in Indian languages; entrance exams such as JEE, NEET, CUET are conducted in 13 Indian languages; 100 books for UG students on various subjects launched in 12 Indian languages and 20 technical books of first year have been translated in Indian languages;
- To promote digital learning by leveraging technology, at present 95 Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are offering 1149 ODL programmes and 66 HEIs are offering 371 online programmes. More than 19 lakh students are availing these facilities;
- To promote multi-disciplinary education and provide flexibility, around 295 universities have adopted SWAYAM regulation permitting learners to avail upto 40 per cent credit courses from SWAYAM platform;
- To promote internationalisation, regulation on setting up and operation of campuses of Foreign Higher Education Institutions in India have been issued. Also, MOUs have been signed for setting up of campus of IIT Madras in Zanzibar-Tanzania and IIT Delhi in Abu Dhabi. Classes have commenced at IIT Madras campus in Zanzibar-Tanzania.
Early in 2023, speaking to BW Education, Najma Akhtar, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia had said, “I'm very impressed by NEP 2020. This is a futuristic policy which understands the problems of today and plans and prepares us for tomorrow. We are ready with implementation plan so that there's no gap between the coming of the policy and actually bringing it to the field.”
She added, “NEP wanted us to introduce a multi entry and multi exit option which is something which has never been in India…. We are now ready to do it after getting it approved at the subject level as well as at the Academy council level. If somebody has to leave in the middle of course, they can take up their credits put them in a digilocker and also go away and do the work they have to do at that time. Maybe somebody's getting married or somebody's going abroad or some any other work and then they can come back and then the credits start from there onwards.”
She praised the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) provision of the policy and informed that Jamia had already created about 3,000 ABC IDs.
Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities, pointed out that NEP is giving a lot of flexibility both to teachers as well as the students. Students have all options to study anytime, anywhere in any university in any programme and any course. “For example, in the scheme of Academic Bank of Credit, the student has the flexibility to do courses from multiple universities and design his or her own degree so they can stitch their degree themselves. Unlike earlier, when you had to do all the courses from the university where you have taken admission, now you can do the courses from multiple universities. It means that you can design your own degree.”
UGC regulations impacting higher education
The year 2023 witnessed some major steps being taken by University Grants Commission (UGC) which is an important pillar of higher education in India. As per its role to supervise the universities and colleges to achieve a better position, UGC declared some significant regulations in the year gone by. Paving the way for foreign universities to establish and operate their campuses in India with full autonomy, grant degrees and to decide their fee structure and admission processes, UGC on 8 November 2023, notified the regulations for establishing campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India.
As per the regulations, “Foreign institutions intending to establish campuses in India should have secured a position within the top 500 in the overall category of global rankings, as decided by the commission from time to time or should have secured a position within the top 500 in the subject-wise category of global rankings and should possess outstanding expertise in a particular area, as decided by the commission from time to time."
The draft of the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023 was issued in the month of January, last year.
“The regulations aim to facilitate the entry of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) into India, in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommendations and to provide an international dimension to higher education in India,” stated M Jagadesh Kumar, Chairperson, UGC.
UGC regulations on minimum criteria for recruitment of assistant professors
UGC has reduced the academic pressure on students who want to be appointed as assistant professors at universities by relaxing the eligibility criteria of having a PhD optional.
To offer this relaxation, UGC had to reverse its draft regulations which called for making PhD compulsory to be appointed an assistant professor which was scheduled for 1 July 2023.
UGC (Minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in universities and colleges and other measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education) Regulations, 2018, have been amended and PhD qualification is now optional for a teaching post.
“Various instances have come to the fore where students are doing PhD in a rush just to become eligible for the post of assistant professor in a university without focussing on its quality. If the students are given adequate time to conduct meaningful research, it would enhance the quality of PhDs and support the research ecosystem in the country,” said Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities.
“The decision taken by UGC will also accelerate the process of filling up the vacant teaching positions in universities,” she added.
IITs' emphasis on AI courses
As artificial intelligence and disruptive technologies impacted every sphere of life, the academia too mulled over how to integrate it into pedagogy and make students and faculty aware about its ethical usage. Recognising the need for Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have a range of AI courses included in their programmes. IIT Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Delhi, Guwahati, Roorkee, Ropar, Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Patna, Indore, Mandi, Varanasi, Palakkad, Tirupati, Dhanbad, Bhilai, Dharwad, Jammu and Goa are the IITs located in India. The institutes' partnerships with leading tech companies and research institutions is an advantage for students. AI programmes, that provide students a complete access to real-world projects, internships and job placement opportunities.
“As AI technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more innovative and effective ways to use AI in education,” underlines Mayank Singh, Co-founder, Campus 365.
“AI can help to free up teachers' time so that they can focus on more complex tasks, such as lesson planning and one-on-one instruction,“ he adds.
All IITs offer courses in AI. The most recommended IITs for AI curriculum is IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur. They offer undergraduate and graduate programmes in AI and related fields, such as computer science and electrical engineering.
"AI tools are not just about automation; it's about empowerment. For instance, AI-driven chatbots like ChatGPT open doors to a new era of personalised and accessible education through instant, on-demand support to students, offering explanations, answering questions and adapting to individual learning styles,” highlights Gaurav Goel, Co-founder and CEO, Toprankers.
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) offers different courses in AI and Machine Learning (ML).
Postgraduate Programme in Artificial Intelligence (PGP-AI), Online Certification Courses, MTech in Data Science and Machine Learning and research programmes, including PhD and MS by Research are the AI programmes offered by IIT Kharagpur.
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) offers a wide range of courses in Artificial Intelligence and related fields.
IIT Bombay offers MTech in Artificial Intelligence, online certification courses, research programmes and short-term workshops and training programmes.
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) offers online AI courses, which include recorded lectures, live interactive sessions and discussion forums.
Doctoral Programmes, Foundations of AI and Machine Learning (Online BSc Programme), Postgraduate Diploma in Data Science and Machine Learning, Advanced Certification in Artificial Intelligence and Customised Corporate Programmes are the AI programmes offered by IIT Madras.
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) also offers courses in AI and related fields.
MTech in Artificial Intelligence, PhD in Artificial Intelligence and short-term courses and workshops are offered by IIT Kanpur.
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) too offers courses in Artificial Intelligence and related fields.
IIT Delhi offers PhD in Computer Science and Engineering, MTech in Artificial Intelligence and short-term courses and workshops.
India’s place in global rankings
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru improved its standing in the Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2024, jumping from 250-300 racket in 2023 rankings to 201-250 bracket.
In the latest rankings, 91 Indian institutions figured, which is in an improvement over 75 institutions in last year’s rankings. Anna University, Chennai; Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi; Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam and Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh, figured in the 501-600 bracket.
The rankings took into consideration following indicators: teaching (the learning environment); research environment (volume, income and reputation); research quality; international outlook (staff, students and research); and industry (knowledge transfer).
In the QS World University Rankings, IIT Bombay was ranked 149th, a jump from 172nd rank in last year’s rankings. IIT Delhi was placed at 197th rank, IISc Bengaluru at 225th rank, IIT Kharagpur at 271th rank, IIT Kanpur at 278th rank,
IIT Madras at 285th rank and IIT Roorkee at 369th rank. The University of Delhi, a new entrant in the list, is at 407th rank. Anna University was ranked at 427th position.
About the parameters, the website of QS states, “For this 20th edition, as planned, we have significantly evolved our methodology. These changes reflect the shifts in higher education that have occurred over the past two decades, such as the growing importance of sustainability, employability and research collaborations…. Sustainability, employability and international research collaboration are the dimensions that are either reinforced or introduced for the first time. We did not make these changes lightly and believe that they reflect the collective intelligence of the sector, and the changing priorities of students. This evolution of our rankings helps students identify institutions that excel in the areas that matter to them.”
While Indian institutions have improved their position, they still do not figure in the top 100. This was subject of discussion at several conferences that BW Education held and interviews of educationists.
Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad, speaking at the recent B-school Summit and Awards of BW Education, said faculty and students at premier Indian institutes are at par with the rest of the world. Where we suffer in global rankings is internationalisation.
Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities (AIU), shed light on this concern in great detail. Speaking to BW Education earlier in 2023, she had said, “It is felt that some of the parameters which are being used by the foreign rankings are not relevant for India. For example, a large portion of their ranking parameter includes reputation of a university or perception. In reputation we are far behind.”
She added, “There is a lot of emphasis on research in international rankings, that too research in Scopus and in English. India is a diverse country with multiple languages and multiple cultures. Our research is also in regional languages. Rather NEP promotes teaching and research in mother tongue. All those researches which are in Indian languages are not counted because they cannot be put in the Scopus index.”
She further said, “A lot of emphasis has been given to international students and international faculty on the campus. In India, the entire country has close to 50,000 international students. And international faculty is even lesser because only the private universities are somehow able to afford international faculty.”
Changing exam patterns
NTA has done a few changes to the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) UG Exam pattern of last year that will be followed for CUET 2024 Exam also. The students who have been preparing for CUET 2024 Exam for admission into different UG programmes must go through the revised CUET Exam pattern and prepare for the entrance test in accordance with it. NTA has now split the CUET Exam into 4 sections where two sections are for language, one for domain subject and one for the general test.
The CUET is conducted each year by National Testing Agency (NTA) to enrol students into different UG programmes offered at all central universities including DU, JNU, JMI, EFLU and the University of Allahabad.
NTA will also hold CUET in 13 languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Odiya, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, English, Hindi and Urdu).
The revised exam pattern for CUET 2024
- CUET 2024 will be held in an online mode as Computer Based Test (CBT).
- CUET (UG) – 2024 will consist of the below-mentioned 4 sections:
1. Section IA – 13 languages (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Odiya, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, English, Hindi and Urdu).
2. Section IB – 20 languages (French, Spanish, German, Nepali, Persian, Italian, Arabic, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Santhali, Tibetan, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Sanskrit).
3. Section II – 27 Domain-specific subjects (listed below).
4. Section III – General Test.
- The question paper will be Multiple Choice Question type only.
- Section IA & IB - A candidate can choose a maximum of any 3 languages from Section IA and Section IB taken together (one of the languages chosen needs to be in lieu of domain-specific subjects).
- Section II offers 27 subjects, out of which a candidate may choose 6 subjects at the maximum.
- Section III comprises General Test.
- For choosing languages (upto 3) from Section IA and IB and a maximum of 6 subjects from Section II and General Test under Section III, the candidate must refer to the requirements of his/her intended university.
NEET Exam 2024: Important updates and changes
Similarly, NEET has also undergone a few changes. NEET is a national-level examination conducted by the NTA for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses. It assesses the knowledge and skills of candidates in subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Biology. It is a pen-and-paper-based test comprising multiple-choice questions.
Exam mode: The NEET Exam 2024 may be held in an online computer-based mode. This transition may aim to enhance efficiency, accuracy and reduce logistical challenges. Students should familiarise themselves with the online format by putting into practice NEET mock test sample papers.
Exam pattern: The exam pattern for NEET 2024 remains similar to previous years. It will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions, with each question carrying four marks. Although, an important change is the introduction of a new section on 'Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude in Medical Practice.' This section will test candidates' understanding of medical ethics, communication skills and professional behaviour.
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