Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam Concluded: The Way Forward For NEP 2020

Organised by The Ministry of Education, the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) was held from 7th to 9th July in Varanasi. The Samagam was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It provided a platform for eminent academicians, policymakers and academic leaders to share their experiences and discuss the roadmap for effective implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The event was attended by more than 300 Academic, Administrative & Institutional Leaders of Universities (Central, State, Deemed, and Private), and Institutes of National Importance (IIT, IIM, NIT, IISER) from across the country.

According to authorities, the agenda of the three-day meeting in Varanasi included a 16-point action plan for implementing the National Education Policy 2020. Higher Education Secretary K Sanjay Murthy said that the 16-point agenda being discussed at the Samagam had been approved by Prime Minister Modi at the chief secretaries' summit held in Shimla in June. He also added that a significant effort has been made since November 2021 to engage with over 300 state universities, as well as 300 central institutions and private universities, on different aspects of the NEP implementation.

Murthy said at the Samagam, “All this consultation is happening [to] allow the universities to take a better plan of action for implementation of NEP for the benefit of students.” Murthy further mentioned that the focus of the policy is on meeting industrial requirements for a brighter future. The aim, he said, was “... to revise their curriculum and pedagogy to see what they teach and deliver to students meet[s] societal requirements. So the focus is on employability and entrepreneurship…a competent and capable faculty to deliver that content… [and] how do you leverage technology to see that you are able to deliver it at the least cost.”

Education leaders present at the three-day Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam made a commitment to work together to turn India into a just and dynamic knowledge society at the event.