While there seems to be some consensus that India did not have a structured system of formal education in the 19th century, evidence suggests otherwise. The evolution of India’s education policies can be traced from Charter of India Act, 1813, to Wood’s Despatch in 1854, the first Indian Education Commission in 1882, and subsequently the reforms that were introduced through such policies. Prof Sinha traced how the ideas in the NEP 2020 came about, NEP 2020’s similarities and dissimilarities with colonial era education policies, the national concerns with respect to education during the colonial rule, and the administrative measures introduced by colonial rulers to fulfil their goals on education.Īccording to Prof Sinha, while India is now a free and independent country after 200 years of colonial rule, our objectives and ideologies on education are very similar to those of our colonial rulers.

The National Education Policy, 2020 (hereafter NEP 2020) is meant to provide a robust vision and a comprehensive framework for primary, secondary and higher education in India. Prof Sachidanand Sinha, Professor, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, delivered a special lecture to discuss and highlights the evolution of India’s National Education Policies over the last three centuries. The Union Cabinet approved a new National Education Policy on July 29, 2020. On August 4, 2020, Center for ICT Development (CICITD) at Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi organized a special lecture on Evolving Contours of National Education Policies in India – 19th, 20th and 21st Century: Transition, Constructs, Impact and Way Forward by Prof Sachidanand Sinha.

Caste System by Sachchidanand Sinha