Should education be treated primarily as a welfare obligation of the state or as a strategic investment for building a globally competitive, knowledge-driven nation ? Critically evaluate.

Advocating forward-thinking and cogent reform, NEP 2020 is an amalgamation of needs-based policy, cutting edge research and best practices paving the way for New India through last mile delivery-embodying Antyodaya.

By convergence of efforts, erasing traditional silos in workflows, dismantling rigid distinctions between curricular, extra-curricular and co-curricular subjects, NEP seeks to revive the glory days of Takshashila and Nalanda-creating a modern yet rooted system.

NEP marks an overhaul of the governance architecture from one based on overregulation and complex and disparate norms to a simplified and cogent structure for efficient resourcing of delivery structures, common standards and norms to boost quality of institutes.

Whereas these objectives are laudable and the policy comprehensive, it faces various challenges - primarily two. One, the implementation at the level of states (given education is a concurrent subject and largely implemented by federal units)

Two, the funding of these programmes. The public expenditure on education is below 5% of GDP

and the infrastructure is already overburned wherever it exist.

Human investments in terms of quality of teachers, upgradation costs to technological infrastructure are also high.

Moving ahead, private investments including involvement of global players is a necessary requirement. eg the policy sets out roadmap for bringing in universities - the likes of Harvard to India. Ed-tech also needs to be promoted.