NEP 2020: From policy to campus practice

More than five years after the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 was unveiled, India’s higher education system is no longer merely preparing for reform but experiencing it. As universities and colleges actively implement policy directives related to multidisciplinary education, flexible degree structures, digital learning, and outcome-based teaching, it is becoming clear that the success of the policy depends less on the ambition of its ideas and more on the strength of its execution.

The current phase of implementation coincides with a period of heightened higher education expectations — students and parents seek employability, relevance, and global competitiveness. Institutions are under pressure to modernise curricula and adopt digital platforms. Teachers are expected to transform pedagogical approaches while balancing administrative demands. Thus, the NEP 2020 offers a chance to correct long-standing structural rigidities, while exposing institutional gaps, capacity constraints, and uneven preparedness across regions. Understanding this tension between policy vision and practical reality is essential to achieving the transformative promise.

Teacher at the core

At the heart of implementation lies the teacher, the classroom and the educator. Teachers are the primary interpreters of policy, translating abstract reforms into concrete learning experiences. The shift towards multidisciplinary curricula, flexible credit systems, and continuous assessment has altered how teaching is planned and delivered. In many colleges, faculty members are redesigning courses, integrating digital tools, and encouraging experiential learning. These changes are gradually moving education away from rote learning towards critical-thinking and application-oriented outcomes.

However, many educators are navigating reform amid unclear guidelines, compressed timelines, and expanding workloads. The introduction of new academic structures often runs parallel to existing administrative responsibilities, leaving limited space for reflection and innovation. In institutions with inadequate digital infrastructure or limited access to training, teachers are forced to learn through trial and error. While some adapt creatively, others view compliance as an additional burden rather than as a professional opportunity.

In several institutions, educators are responding to constraints with resilience and experimenting with blended learning, collaborative teaching, and alternative assessment methods. This shows that, when teachers perceive reforms as meaningful and achievable, they are willing to invest effort in change. So, educator engagement is not a fixed trait but a response shaped by the conditions under which reform is introduced.

At ground level

If educators are the drivers of reform, institutions are the systems that enable or constrain their actions. Colleges that have invested in faculty development, digital infrastructure, and academic autonomy have experienced smoother transitions. In such places, reforms are planned, contextualised, and sustained. Teachers receive training, are encouraged to experiment, leadership communicates expectations clearly, and experimentation is encouraged rather than penalised.

In contrast, institutions that treat implementation as a compliance exercise struggle to effect meaningful change. Where support systems are weak, reforms tend to be fragmented: new curricula without training, digital platforms without infrastructure, and assessment reforms without workload rationalisation. This has led to uneven outcomes across India’s higher education landscape.

Therefore, the current situation demands recalibration of reform priorities. Policymakers and regulators must recognise that institutional capacity-building is not secondary to reform but central to it. Investment in training, mentoring, and infrastructure is a prerequisite for success. Equally important is granting institutions the flexibility to adapt the frameworks to their local contexts rather than enforcing uniform models across diverse settings.

As NEP 2020 enters its next phase, the emphasis must shift from announcing reforms to deepening their foundations to ensure sustainability. Strengthening institutional ecosystems, supporting educators through transitions, and reducing administrative ambiguity will determine whether the NEP becomes a transformative milestone or a missed opportunity.

Ultimately, education reform succeeds when capacity is matched by capacity and intent is supported by action. The NEP 2020 provided the vision. The task now is to ensure that classrooms are equipped to realise this.

The writer is a Research Consultant, Assistant Professor, and Research Supervisor at St. Thomas College (Autonomous), Thrissur, Kerala.

Published – February 28, 2026 03:30 pm IST