Integrating Vocational Education into Mainstream Schooling: Opportunities and Challenges in the Light of National Education Policy 2020, India

Manik Saikia

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.61739

Integrating Vocational Education into Mainstream Schooling: Opportunities and Challenges in the Light of National Education Policy 2020, India

Author(s)	Mr. Manik Saikia
Country	India
Abstract	The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a historic shift in Indian education by placing vocational education at the centre of school and higher education reform. Recognizing that employability is critical for individual dignity and national economic growth, NEP 2020 mandates that by 2025 at least 50 % of learners should have exposure to vocational education. The policy dismantles the artificial divide between academic and vocational streams, promotes flexibility in subject choice, introduces vocational exposure from middle school, and integrates “Lok Vidya” (traditional Indian occupational knowledge). It envisages seamless blending of hands-on training, apprenticeships, industry partnerships, and credit-based frameworks.Despite decades of vocational schemes, India’s vocational education ecosystem has suffered from outdated curricula, poor industry linkage, obsolete equipment, shortage of trained teachers, low social status, and skill–job mismatch. NEP 2020 addresses these systemic weaknesses through the creation of the National Committee for the Integration of Vocational Education (NCIVE), skill-gap mapping, incubation centres, and phased integration across all educational institutions.This study examines the conceptual framework of vocational education, identifies persistent challenges, analyses NEP 2020 provisions, and evaluates implementation feasibility. Using secondary data and policy analysis, it highlights how NEP 2020 can transform vocational education from a peripheral activity into a mainstream, respected pathway that enhances employability, celebrates the dignity of labour, and aligns education with 21st-century economic needs. The study concludes that successful implementation will depend on strong governance, industry collaboration, teacher capacity building, and a cultural shift in societal perception of skilled work.
Keywords	Vocational Education,National, Education Policy2020,Skill Development Employability and Dignity of Labour,Integration of Lok Vidya
Field	Sociology > Education
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-11-29
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.61739
Short DOI	https://doi.org/hbdr7z

View / Download PDF File

E-ISSN 2582-2160

doi

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads

Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 5 Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 4 Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 3

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA

About IJFMR Fees & Payment Current Issue Publication Archive	Submit Research Paper Track Submission Status Publication Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review & Plagiarism	Join as a Reviewer Editors & Reviewers Reviewer Referral Program Get Reviewer Membership Certi.	Website/Journal Policies Usage Policy Content Policies Privacy Policy

Contact Us		+91-9687-828-838	editor@ijfmr.com

International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Integrating Vocational Education into Mainstream Schooling: Opportunities and Challenges in the Light of National Education Policy 2020, India

Share this