Parliament Question: Progress towards acheiving NEP, 2020 targets

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2112 ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026 Progress towards acheiving NEP, 2020 targets 2112 Shri Mallikarjun Kharge: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) the progress made towards achieving key National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 targets, including, increasing Higher Education GER to 50 per cent by 2035, achieving 100 per cent school GER by 2030, Universal Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) by 2025, 100 per cent ECCE coverage by 2030, and providing vocational exposure to 50 per cent of learners by 2025; (b) whether Government has assessed the reasons for delays in meeting targets, and if so, the details thereof; (c) the steps being taken to accelerate progress on these NEP goals, particularly in States that are lagging behind; and (d) whether Government proposes revising timelines for NEP targets in view of recent data indicating slow progress? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (d): Implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a continuous process. NEP 2020 provides different timelines as well as principles and methodology for its implementation. Accordingly, Ministry of Education, State Governments, education-related Ministries, the regulatory and implementing bodies of school and higher education such as University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education, National Council for Teacher Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Central Board of Secondary Education, Universities/Colleges/Schools etc. have started taking initiatives for implementation of NEP 2020. Further, implementation of NEP 2020 is a continuous process. Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, an overwhelming majority of the schools in the country comes under the administrative control of States/UTs. Central Government assist States and UTs through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha under which financial assistance/grant is provided to the States and UTs for various activities to reduce dropout and increase enrolment in Government schools, which include strengthening of new schools up to Senior Secondary level; strengthening school infrastructure; setting up and up gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) upto class 12; setting up of residential schools/hostels named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas; hostels under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya GramUtkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA); transport/escort facility, undertaking enrolment drives; seasonal hostels/residential camps; provision of vocational education and ICT facilities in schools; providing free text books and free uniform; hot cooked meal from Balvatika to class 8 under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna; financial assistance/grant for aids and appliances for children with special needs etc. According to Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE +) 2024-25, India’s school education system saw measurable improvements across key educational indicators. The academic year 2024–25 has seen a notable reduction in dropout rates across the Preparatory (from 3.7% to 2.3%), Middle (from 5.2% to 3.5%), and Secondary levels (from 10.9% to 8.2%) as compared to 2023-24. Student retention improved across all levels in 2024–25. The foundational level increased from 98.0 percent to 98.9 percent. The preparatory level increased from 85.4 percent to 92.4 percent. The middle level increased from 78.0 percent to 82.8 percent. The secondary level increased from 45.6 percent to 47.2 percent. The academic year 2024–25 recorded an increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio at the middle and secondary levels. The middle level rose from 89.5 percent to 90.3 percent. The secondary level rose from 66.5 percent to 68.5 percent. This growth reflects enhanced access to education and increased student participation in higher grades. The Government has taken various measures to increase the GER in Higher Education, which inter- alia includes, Opening of more HEIs, since 2014, 16 Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT), 8 Central Universities (CU), 8 Indian Institute of Management (IIM), 7 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), 2 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), 1 National Institute of Technology (NIT) and 12 new AIIMS have been established; Implementing various Scholarship and Fellowship schemes for providing financial assistance to students, including for SC/ST/OBC and Minority students and underserved regions; Allowing well performing HEIs (based on NAAC and NIRF ranking) by University Grants Commission (UGC) to offer full Open Distance Learning/Online Programmes based on quality parameters; Providing much-needed flexibility and appropriate Exit as well as entry options in the Higher Education system, to facilitate students to choose their learning trajectory; Allow pursuing two Academic Programmes simultaneously; Permitting HEIs for two admission cycles in an academic year; Providing anytime, anywhere learning opportunities for all learners through Study Webs for Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) platform, which provides high quality structured online courses in multiple disciplines; Permitting up to 40% credits in regular courses using SWAYAM platform; and Conducting JEE, NEET (UG) and Common University Entrance Test (CUET) Exams in 13 languages, and making available Text Books in Indian Languages to facilitate students, particularly from vernacular/rural background. In higher education, an annual web based ‘All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE)’ is a comprehensive data source on higher education. AISHE 2022–23 (provisional) reports that enrolment in higher education has risen from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23, with female enrolment from 1.57 crore to 2.18 crore. Overall GER has improved from 23.7 in 2014-15 to 29.5 in 2022-23. In pursuance of the Budget announcement 2025-26, Government has approved expansion of academic and infrastructure capacity including creation of Research Park of five new IITs which had been established in the State/UT of Andhra Pradesh (IIT Tirupati), Kerala (IIT Palakkad), Chhattisgarh (IIT Bhilai), Jammu & Kashmir (IIT Jammu) and Karnataka (IIT Dharwad) with a total outlay of Rs. 11,828.79 crore, which would facilitate education for additional 6500 students. Besides the above the Government has approved a total of Rs. 1942 crore for expansion of academic & hostel infrastructure,and development of Research Park for IIT Jodhpur, IIT Patna, IIT Indore through Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA). Union Budget 2026-27 has also announced setting up of 5 University Townships in the vicinity of major industrial and logistic corridors and 1 girls’ hostel in every district through Viability Gap Funding /capital support to encourage enrolment of girls in STEM institutes/ courses. For promoting vocational education, the Department of School Education & Literacy is implementing the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, which inter-alia promotes vocational education by supporting States and UTs to introduce skill exposure for students in Grades 6 to 8 and NSQF- aligned skill courses for Grades 9 to 12. At the secondary stage, students take skill modules as an additional subject, while at the senior secondary stage, skill courses function as elective subjects. A total of 138 approved job roles are offered, and each includes an employability skills module covering communication, self-management, ICT, entrepreneurship, and green skills. The Department is also implementing PMKVY 4.0 in schools, with 350 Kendriya Vidyalayas providing skill training. More than 21,700 schools now host School Innovation Councils to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and IP awareness. The NCERT has developed e-learning materials, videos, and virtual skill labs (VSLs) to expand access to skill education, especially where physical resources are limited, ensuring that all students can develop practical, job-ready skills alongside academic learning. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) offers 22 skill subjects in classes 9-10 and 43 in classes 11-12 to upgrade the skills and proficiency of the young generation and explore the various career options available. Under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) by NITI Aayog, Atal Tinkering Labs have been established in schools to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), robotics, electronics, and 3D printing. Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) launched in collaboration with IIT Madras, hosts content curated by premier institutions and is available free of cost with the approach of “Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime” Learning. More than 4400 unique courses have been delivered with cumulative enrolments of more than 5.64 Crores. To support skill development, the SWAYAM Plus portal has also been launched, focusing on upskilling and reskilling the workforce. At present, over 480 Courses across 16 sectors are available on the platform. The Ministry of Education also implements the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) to impart on-the-job training and enhance the employability of youth. *****