NEP will change the focus from 'What to Think' to 'How to Think'

     Written by : SMTV24x7 | Sat, Aug 08, 2020, 10:43 AM

NEP will change the focus from What to Think to How to Think

In what could be called as the first and significant reaction on the new National Education Policy (NEP) that was approved by the Union cabinet and made public recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the NEP will usher a 'new world order' and will lay foundation of a 'new India in 21st century'. Though there have been sharp reactions on the policy being not as expected and was trying to drive 'Manuvaad', the PM stressed that bit was the future and recommend that all stakeholders to focus on implementation of reforms laid down in the new policy.


PM Modi said the NEP would usher in a 'new world order' 'It gives me immense pleasure to know that after the National Education Policy was released, there were no major protests from any part of the country, neither were there allegations of it having any bias,' he said, adding that the policy was approved after brainstorming over it for four years.



The PM said that through NEP India will transform its students into global citizens who are rooted in their values. 'In recent years, there have not been major changes in education and thus the values of curiosity and imagination were not given the thrust. Instead, we moved towards a herd community.

The mapping of interest, ability, and demand was needed. We need to develop critical thinking and innovative thinking abilities in our youths. It will be possible if we have purpose, philosophy, and passion of education,' said Modi.

Outlining the major shift in the education policy, Modi said, 'In our education system the focus has been on 'What to Think' while the new Education Policy will emphasise on 'How to Think'.'Modi said in the present world there is no shortage of information and content. The effort now is to emphasise on 'Inquiry, Discovery and Analytics' based methods for children to learn.



Emphasizing the need to teach children in their mother tongue, Prime Minister said there is no dispute that students learn faster in the dialect they speak. 'There is no dispute that children learn faster in the dialect they speak at home. This is a major reason for the NEP to inlcude imparting of education in children's mother tongue at least till class 5,' PM Modi said.

The PM said that NEP will change the focus from 'What to Think' to 'How to Think'. Outlining the major shift in the education policy, Modi said, 'In our education system the focus has been on 'What to Think' while the new Education Policy will emphasise on 'How to Think'.'

'In recent years, there have not been major changes in education and thus the values of curiosity and imagination were not given the thrust. Instead, we moved towards a herd community. The mapping of interest, ability, and demand was needed. We need to develop critical thinking and innovative thinking abilities in our youths. It will be possible if we have purpose, philosophy, and passion of education,' he said.

The NEP allows top ranking institutes of the world to set-up campuses in India. Earlier, the HRD Ministry had introduced several initiatives under the Study in India program. The NEP approved by the Union Cabinet replaces the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower.


Among the reforms outlined in NEP for higher education are: choice between 3 or 4 year undergraduate courses, multiple entry and exit options in degree courses, adding 3.5 crore seats in higher education institutions, which will now have a single regulator, discontinuation of M Phil programmes and fixation of fees.