Dharmendra Pradhan: Final National Curriculum Framework recommendations for Class 3-12 will be ready in June

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently addressed the controversy surrounding changes in textbook content and various aspects of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Praising the government's reforms over the past nine years, Pradhan emphasized the significance of the NEP, which was introduced in 2014 after a gap of 34 years. According to Pradhan, the education sector was in dire need of change, and the NEP aims to elevate India's education ecosystem to a leadership position in sustainability.

Pradhan discussed three key areas of the NEP, namely the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), new textbooks, and digital universities. He stated that significant progress has been made in all three domains. Textbooks for Classes 1 and 2 have already been printed, and upon the reopening of schools after the summer break, the recommended books based on the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF) will be implemented. Final recommendations for the NCF for Classes 3 to 12 will be ready this month. Pradhan assured that states are aligned, and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has complete control over the development of textbooks, textbook committees, and oversight committees. The aim is to have all NEP-recommended, NCF-envisioned textbooks ready by 2023.

Regarding the digital university plan, Pradhan highlighted the extensive discussions held on the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) and digital university. The government is actively working to present relevant bills in Parliament soon. Additionally, the formulation of new guidelines for deemed-to-be universities and foreign universities, along with the development of a new curriculum for higher education, is currently underway.

Pradhan acknowledged the technical glitches that led to the cancellation of last year's Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET UG) by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at several exam centers. However, he reassured the public that lessons learned from the previous year's challenges have enabled the delivery of a more efficient exam in 2023. Pradhan also commended the NTA team for their successful administration of this year's exam.