Authors: Dr. Ranjini Ghosh
Abstract: Education plays a transformative role in nation-building, socio-economic development, cultural integration, and human resource development. Since independence, India has attempted to reform its educational system through various policy frameworks to address emerging national and global needs. The present paper critically analyses the evolution of educational policies in India with special reference to the National Policy on Education (NPE) 1968, National Policy on Education 1986 with Programme of Action (1992), and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The study particularly focuses on higher education reforms, comparing the philosophical foundations, objectives, structural changes, and implementation strategies of these policies. The paper adopts a qualitative and theoretical methodology based on secondary data collected from books, research journals, policy documents, reports, and official government publications. The findings reveal that NPE 1968 emphasized national integration, equal educational opportunity, and scientific development; NPE 1986 focused on universalization, equity, teacher education, and modernization; while NEP 2020 promotes multidisciplinary learning, flexibility, research orientation, digitalization, and global competitiveness. The study concludes that NEP 2020 represents a transformative shift in Indian higher education, though successful implementation requires adequate funding, teacher preparation, infrastructure development, and policy coordination.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20443493
