NEP@5: More learners, more women, more languages - But can it deliver on its full promise?

NEW DELHI: Foundational reading and arithmetic skills among Class III students in govt schools have recorded their strongest gains in nearly two decades, with rural learners outperforming their urban peers - indicating grassroots-level progress. In higher education, enrolment has increased by over 30.5% since 2015, with female PhD enrolment more than doubling and significant gains among SC, ST, minority and Northeast students, as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 begins reshaping India's education system.

However, five years on, the policy continues to face political resistance from some opposition-ruled states, which have raised concerns over centralisation and language. While 35 universities have begun transitioning into multidisciplinary institutions with central support, the uptake of reforms such as multiple entry-exit options remains limited - underlining both early momentum and implementation hurdles.

In schools, the biggest shift has been the integration of pre-school into the '5+3+3+4 structure'. As of 2024, more than 1.1 crore children are enrolled in 'Balvatikas', up from 50 lakh in 2018. Over 4.2 crore students across 8.9 lakh schools have participated in 'Vidya Pravesh', a 12-week play-based module for Grade 1 readiness. With 496 Kendriya Vidyalayas now offering 'Balvatikas' and 121 multilingual primers developed, early education has gained structured support.

The Nipun Bharat Mission, launched in 2021 to improve foundational literacy and numeracy , is beginning to yield outcomes. ASER 2024 showed that 23.4% of Class III students in govt schools can now read a Grade II-level text - the highest since 2005 - up from 16.3% in 2022. Arithmetic scores have also improved - 27.6% of students can now perform basic subtraction, up from 20.2% in 2022. The Parakh national survey found rural students outperforming their urban counterparts in both reading and math.

More than 14 lakh teachers have been trained under the Nishtha foundational programme. The 'Jaadui Pitara' - a multilingual play-based teaching kit - has been distributed in 22 Indian languages. However, just over half of govt and aided schools offer preschool, and aligning curriculum with infrastructure remains a challenge.

In higher education, NEP's emphasis on flexibility is reflected in the rollout of the academic bank of credit (ABC), multiple entry-exit options and biannual admissions. As of July 2025, over 32 crore ABC IDs have been generated and 2,556 institutions onboarded. The new biannual admission cycle is expected to ease transitions and reduce dropouts.

Between 2014-15 and 2022-23, higher education enrolment increased from 3.42 crore to 4.46 crore. Female enrolment increased 38.4%, from 1.57 crore to 2.18 crore. Female PhD enrolment jumped 135.6%, from 48,000 to 1.12 lakh. SC student enrolment rose by 50% and ST enrolment by 75%. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) among SCs increased from 18.9 lakh to 27.3 lakh, and among STs from 13.5 lakh to 23.5 lakh.

Access also improved among minorities. Muslim student enrolment grew by 46.3%, from 15.3 lakh to 22.4 lakh, and other minorities by 61%, from 6.5 lakh to 10.5 lakh. The Northeast saw a 36% increase, with female students now slightly outnumbering males.

Still, the transformation of single-discipline institutions has lagged. Though 35 universities have received Rs 100 crore each under PM-Usha, many engineering and teacher education colleges are yet to realign. Gaps in faculty development, curriculum design and infrastructure persist.

While 153 universities offer multiple entry and 74 allow early exit, only about 31,000 undergraduates and 5,500 postgraduates have used these options so far - suggesting structural reforms are outpacing student uptake.