NEP 2020 promises ‘groundbreaking’ reforms but the provisions of this policy state otherwise. The whole draft abounds with contradictoriness and paradoxes. The policy is said to improve the quality and standard of education while at the same time relieving the government of its responsibility to provide free education up to second standard. The education policy admits that there is a shortage of 10 lakh teachers at school level, however, it does not provide any concrete plan on how these vacancies will be filled. It also denies the role of teachers for the foundational stage of first five (3+2) years. This task will now be handed over to NGOs and Anganwadi Workers. The policy is quite gung ho about the so-called structural adjustment which is in fact a euphemism for extracting more out of same limited resources, thereby giving an opportunity to the state to shirk its responsibilities.
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