The realistic, pragmatic, and creative education case

• The NEP 2020 is a long-term structural reform designed for phased implementation.

• It aims to transform India’s education system by fostering innovation, strengthening industry-academia collaboration, and enhancing student employability.

• The policy aims to ensure originality and indigenous-rooted imagination in research, maintain constant competitiveness in the global educational sphere, and prepare students on multiple career paths.

Towards Better Employability

• The NEP proposes a four-year flexible teaching programme that does not push students into low-paying jobs.

• Students earn other credentials during their educational journey and return later to complete their degrees.

• The policy encourages vocationalisation of education and industry internships to enhance students’ employability.

• The NEP pushes for industry-academia linkages, vocational training, and internships to enhance the employability outcome.

Global Competition and Indian Education

• India has the highest representation in the QS Asia Rankings 2025, with 11 Indian universities featured in the QS 500 listing.

• The country’s capacity has been maturing since the NEP reforms, with patents filed by Indian higher education institutions growing from 7,405 in 2021-22 to 19,155 in 2022-23.

• The NEP 2020 has focused on the Indian Knowledge System (vision and pedagogy) and has empowered over 13.9 lakh students.

Sustainable Employment

• The employment rate of educated youth has been growing steadily since 2018-19, with the employment rate of men at 53.4% and women at 22.7%.

• The good job ratio has been growing fast in India, with the proportion of regular workers growing, particularly for men.

• This shift in the employment sector highlights more decent and sustainable employment conditions, contributing positively to economic stability and worker wellbeing.