NEP 2020 - Opportunities and Challenges

One of the primary human life processes is education. In a biological sense, life depends on these essential important activities. Decent living is dependent on education. Without it, the person would not be able to live a meaningful life and would not be necessary to others. People get respect and acclaim with their educational background. The achievement of one's full potential, the creation of a fair and just society, and the promotion of national growth are all impacted by it, making it crucial for both social and personal lives. Indian leadership on the international arena in terms of social justice economic development, equality, and national cohesion is due to the country's ongoing rise in offering global access to better education quality. The “National Education Policy” (NEP), 2020 is GoI’s first education policy for the 21 st century. It intends to meet the nation’s many, expanding growth imperatives. NEP 2020 is a comprehensive framework in at transforming the education system in India, with the objective of addressing the evolving needs and challenges of the countries educational landscape the policy encompasses various reforms and initiatives that aim to promote holistic development equitable access quality education and a learner centric approach and visions a shift towards a more inclusive and flexible education system that focuses on skill building, critical thinking and creativity also emphasizes the integration of technology the promotion of multi discipline learning and the nursing of an environment that posters innovation and research, following paper is a an small attempt to analyze what National Education Policy 2020 is, from point of view of opportunities and challenges the authorities might face in its implementation.

development, including accelerating the industrialization of the economy by supplying workers with managerial, technical, and professional skills. It establishes attitudes and enables the changes in attitudes required for the socialization of people as well as the modernization and general development of society. Greater education has been proven to have a strong correlation with the Human Development Indicators, since higher levels of education in a society may lead to higher levels of human development via their effect on the HDI's two primary determinants, life expectancy and per capita income.

Historical or views of various national education policies in India
India has always placed a high value on education. The first educational system to emerge was the vedic system, which had as its ultimate goal not only the transmission of knowledge but also the preparation of students for the demands and challenges of society. The Gurukul system of education encouraged a healthy relationship between the Guru and the shishya, and the first university in the world was founded at Takshila in 700 BC.
One of the top institutions in the world, the University of Nalanda was founded in the 4th century BCE. The university's curriculum included numerous subjects, like science, astronomy, medicine, as well as philosophy. Buddhism Sankhya Yoga Shastra, the Vedas, Buddhist texts, and other philosophical traditions (national education policy draught 2016 Page 3).
The Heritage of Indian education system from a long ago has its perspective on holistic education the aim of ancient Indian education was not only for education knowledge acquisition but also for preparation for life and complete realization of the cell the Indian education system has given the world many leaders like chakra Aryabhatta, Chanakya and Panini in the world of knowledge the contributions of this scholars in different disciplines such as mathematics astronomy medical Science architect fine arts etc. are supreme.
Since India's independence, improving education has been a top priority for the nation's development agenda. From 1948 to 1949, the government of India appointed several civil commissions to develop the necessary policies and programs to increase both participation and access to education as well as enhancing the education quality (1952 to 1953); "The Secondary Education Commission the National Commission on Teachers I and II" (1983)(1984)(1985) and the "Education Commission" (1964)(1965)(1966).
The national education policy of 1968 was developed in response to the suggestions/guidelines of the education commission, and it placed a heavy emphasis on requirements of a radical overhaul of educational system to raise the standard of instruction at every level, on developing the field of science and technology, on the promotion of moral and social values, and on a closer connection between education and everyday life. In 1992, we changed our national policy on education and established a national system of education based on the principle that all children, regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, or gender, have the right to an education of comparable quality up to a certain point. The resolution highlights the importance of education in bolstering national integration, supporting national growth, and building a feeling of shared citizenship and culture (national education policy draught 2016 pp 34).

Highlights of New Education policy
The new education policy proposed by the government of India has its vision on the educated encouraging and enlightening our students who are the designers of the future of our country. The policy has been drafted crafted with the vision, that it will touch the life of every child of the country with aspiration goals of 21st century and without losing the beauty of the tradition and the values system of India, one example of such is previous policy was formality just below the internet revolution since in the modern pedagogy we are using the technology based and technology enabled education to enhance the education quality, the governance and its management revision in this regard is mandated the demands of knowledge economy and knowledge society in the global level call for emphasize of developing and acquiring skills for the children and youth of a country, along with attitude and values for enhancing social and economic advancement of the country.
In higher education, 20 themes are proposed by the new education policy they are 1. "Governance reforms for quality education 2. Ranking of institutions and accreditations. 3. Improving the quality of regulation 4. Space setting rules of Central institutions. 5. Improving state public Universities. 6. Integrating skill development in higher education. 7. Promoting open and distance learning and online courses. 8. Opportunities for technology unable learning. 9. Addressing regional disparity. 10. Bridging gender and social gaps 11. Linking higher education to society 12. Developing the best teachers 13. Sustaining student support systems 14. Promoting cultural integration through language 15. Meaningful partnerships with the private sector 16. Financing higher education 17. Internationalization of higher education. 18. Engagement with industry to link education to employability. 19. Promoting Research and innovation. 20. New knowledge" There are 1.3 billion people living in India, and 67 percent of them are rural residents. A noteworthy and ambitious initiative to reform, improve, and equalize India's educational system is the "National Education Policy" 2020. Decision-making procedures must be radically streamlined, and in the months and years to come, financial resources must be reprioritized, in order to properly execute this plan.
Here are the top 6 obstacles to NEP 2020 implementation: Opening new education institutes every week is a difficult task. Over a thousand colleges and universities have mushroomed in India in recent years. If the policy's stated goal of doubling the gross enrollment ratio in higher education by 2035 is to be achieved, it will take 15 years to create a single new school. A new university every week is a massive undertaking.

A cultural shift is required to meet the demands of Inter-disciplinary higher education
The National Education Policy 2020's support for interdisciplinary study at the university level is encouraging. For a long time, especially in India, universities have been largely segregated and isolated. With rare exceptions, this culture of disciplinary anchoring is pervasive among academics and professors. It's asking a lot to expect every college professor to be a "exception" who is really curious in, enthusiastic about, and enthusiastically supportive of fields of study other than their own. For this to happen, the whole higher education system must undergo a paradigm change over the next fifteen to twenty years. To sum up, the National Education Policy 2020 is, in many respects, just what India needs as it evolves into the biggest work force in the world over the next few years. If we are to realize the aspirations it represents, we will need to consistently overcome huge execution challenges over the course of years and decades.
Accessing advanced learning tools -Students attending remote schools either do not have access to or do not have sufficient access to cutting-edge educational resources including nonacademic texts, digital learning, and computer instruction. 55.5 percent of pupils, according to the ASER 2018 survey, have never used a computer.
Financial constraint -Children under the age of 14 are protected by the RTE law, which guarantees them a free public education. There are several causes of financial hardship for rural families. Because they no longer value their children's education highly, they must participate in money-making activities themselves. This is one reason why fewer people enroll in high school and university. The Ministry of Human Resource Development's (MHRD) Glance 2018 report on education statistics shows that just 43.1 percent of pupils in India are enrolled in senior secondary schools and 14.2 percent are engaged in higher education.
Sports equipment and training -It's no secret that physical activity boosts memory and cognition. Unfortunately, rural schools lack access to quality sports coaching and equipment. As a result, there aren't many possibilities for the children to enjoy games and exercise.
After school activities -It's crucial to include pupils in activities that may enhance their learning and quality of life. After school, children participate in music, dance, and foreign language lessons in metropolitan regions, while in rural areas, they just stroll the village and indulge in pointless pastimes. One major issue is the lack of after-school activity facilities in rural regions.

English Communication -
The significance of the English language is growing daily, but the majority of schools in rural regions are taught in the local tongue. Therefore, proficiency in spoken and written English is devalued. This leads to a decline in English proficiency and, therefore, a loss of enthusiasm in studying science at the university level. To escape English, the majority of rural students pick the arts or business instead of science.
Digital Literacy -Students in remote areas often have little or no access to technology, making it challenging to improve their digital literacy.
Long Distance schools -Rural student enrollment in secondary schools is still below expectations as compared to urban student enrollment. Only 1.39 million secondary schools and 1.1 million senior secondary schools in India have received official recognition from the government. The vast majority of them live in taluka location or a hamlet where there is already a sizable population. Because of this, kids have a long way to go just to get to school.
Sanitation -In rural schools, particularly for females, toilets are often always a matter of discussion. A significant issue in schools is general cleanliness, which has an effect on students' health. It is crucial to have accessible, clean restrooms, especially for female students. Only 66.4 percent of schools, according to the ASER 2018 data, have functional restrooms for females.
Personal attention -Classes for more than one std. are often held in the same classroom due to a lack of available classroom space in most schools. Student to teacher ratio is low. Students who are already falling behind in class are given even less focus as a result. With all of these obstacles, rural India is still capable of overcoming them. In order to prepare rural India for 21st-century education, the Indian government has already begun developing a new national education strategy that places greater emphasis on learning outcomes, school facilities, and digital learning. To close these gaps, all parties involved may work together effectively.

Conclusion
The country's development Higher education is important for moving our nation forward in terms of its social, cultural, scientific, economic, and technological development. The role of higher education and its institutions is crucial in the twenty-first century, which calls for college and university students to have a creative, critical, and integrated personality that will show in their personal and social lives (draft national education policy 2019). Another crucial factor is the care and attention we must give to young children. It has long been established that early care and attention have a significant influence on a child's personality and cognitive development. Children who receive this care and attention will grow up to have highly developed interpersonal skills as well as creative and critical minds. After almost 30 years, India now has a new education policy (NEP), and it will be a vital document given that there are presently 350 million Indians in the school-age or college-age groups. The NEP demands a massive implementation on a scale that has never been tried before in the world.