New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday launched several initiatives under the new National Education Policy, including a preschool preparation programme called Vidya Pravesh for young children and SAFAL — an assessment programme for CBSE students.
The schemes were launched during a virtual address delivered by PM Modi marking one year of the policy’s release.
While the policy was announced in July 2020, the implementation of various schemes under it has been slow due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent closure of schools and colleges.
Some of the schemes that were formally launched by the PM during his address have been in the works for many months.
“On this day last year, India took a monumental step ahead in the education sector by introducing the National Education Policy. The aim of this policy was transforming the education sector and placing it at par with world-class systems which bring out the best in our students,” Modi said in his address, lauding the education ministry’s work in the past year.
“We have built an education system that will provide young people with opportunities to do whatever they want to,” he added.
The PM noted that the country’s “growth in the future depends upon the kind of educational opportunities we are giving to our young people”, and that the NEP will go a “long way towards nation-building”.
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New schemes launched by PM Modi
The Vidya Pravesh scheme, launched by the PM, will prepare young students for school and help them learn basics like numbers, colours and alphabets.
Meanwhile, SAFAL, a programme for children in CBSE schools, will be used to assess the progress of foundational skills and basic learning outcomes and competencies among students in classes 3, 5 and 8.
Apart from these two, Modi also launched the Academic Bank of Credit, which was notified by the University Grants Commission Wednesday. The scheme will provide flexibility to students for choosing courses across disciplines.
He also announced that 14 engineering colleges in India will start teaching engineering in five regional languages — Hindi, Bangla, Marathi, Telugu and Tamil — from this year. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had developed the module for regional language education in engineering earlier this year.
“Dalits and Adivasi students and those coming from backward regions were the worst affected by the language divide. Education in regional language will be most beneficial for such students. The government is also working towards providing education in regional languages at the primary level as well,” Modi said in his address.
He also spoke about internationalisation of education and noted that earlier good education meant going abroad for studies but things have now changed as good institutions want to now come to India.
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