Role of NEP in reclaiming our educational heritage

The National Education Policy 2020 has brought with it a Tectonic shift in the Education system of our country. Philosophically speaking, post 2020, education can no longer be considered as sets of information compartmentalized into educational brackets, broadly termed as qualifications, mostly viewed as a means to employment. This New Education Policy allows individuals to nurture and harness individual talents and strengths and develop skill sets beyond typical academic requirements. However, the importance of NEP 2020 goes far beyond immediate academic restructuring. The reason why it can be considered a Tectonic Shift is because it has allowed the shackles of the English Education Act of 1835, to be finally weakened. The English Education Act was based on the “Minute on Indian Education”, drafted by British historian and politician Thomas Babington Macaulay. Lord Macaulay, who is considered the founder of the British system of education in India unfortunately perceived India as a culturally and intellectually inferior society that was in need of modernization and westernization. According to his recommendation, the British government was urged to limit promotion of Oriental learning, which he described as having no practical utility. Implementation of Macaulay’s Policy through a Legislative Act in 1935 led to the foundation of an academic mindset that laid emphasis on promoting European literature and science among the Indians. The power of that Act of 1935 has been so pervasive, that it has continued to influence the psyche of the average Indian to this day and age. Was Macaulay right in his assessment of the Ancient Indian Knowledge? Let us assess. The oldest University in the United Kingdom is the University of Oxford which is believed to have been founded in 1096, followed by the University of Cambridge in 1209. The Indian sub-continent had renowned educational institutions much before that. To name just a few, Takshashila (Taxila), an ancient center of learning in present-day Pakistan, was established around 700 BCE, while Nalanda University in Bihar was founded in the 5th century CE. Pushpagiri, located in present-day Odisha, flourished around 4th – 11th century. There were a number of other institutions of higher learning (equivalent to modern day universities) which played pivotal roles in shaping the ancient education system of the country. The curriculum of those institutions is believed to have included a diverse range of subjects such as logic, religious and philosophical studies; political science (Arthashastra by Kautilya); studies of classical texts, poetry and drama; detailed study of Sanskrit grammar and linguistics; advancements in mathematics (including concepts like zero); astronomical knowledge; traditional medicine (Ayurveda); fine arts (training in music, dance and other artistic forms); military science, etc. However, education was not restricted to higher institutions of learning alone. Throughout the length and breadth of the land, education was imparted to the youth in morungs, gurukuls, etc with an aim to provide a holistic understanding of life, incorporating both spiritual and practical knowledge, aligned with the cultural traditions of that society. The English Education Act of 1935 may have become obsolete on paper but it continues to remain embedded in our intellectual psyche to this very day. Most of us find it easier to accept knowledge emanating from the West as profound while our own traditional knowledge is usually accepted with a proverbial ‘pinch of salt’. However, indigenous traditional knowledge is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom, practices, understanding and refinement, which has been passed down through generations. It holds centuries of wisdom, tried and tested by generations, which can offer valuable solutions to various trials and tribulations of a society. While there are obvious logistic challenges and there is still a lot to be done and developed, however, one of the biggest achievements of the National Education Policy- 2020 has been to give legitimacy to our rich traditional knowledge system. We must laud the effort to integrate indigenous traditional knowledge, which forms the core or the soul of a society into the formal learning system. This initiative does pose certain academic challenges, such as unavailability of teaching material, difficulty in developing questions, etc, but it serves a larger purpose. It provides an academic platform, and therefore intellectual credibility, to our centuries old cultures and traditions. Upasana Bora Sinha