July 25, Flexibility is the “hallmark” of any successful education system and it is a salient feature of the National Education Policy 2020, Prof S Sudarshan, Deputy Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, said here on Tuesday.

He was speaking on `Three Years of the National Education Policy 2020′ (NEP-2020) at the Mumbai Press Club.

“Flexibility is the hallmark of any successful education system and it creates a well-grounded individual,” he said.

Flexibility is an essential component of NEP 2020, Sudarshan added.

“Students, therefore, have wide freedom to choose courses across disciplines. Apart from flexibility, new disciplines beyond traditional lines envisaged by the NEP have been encouraged at IIT such as the School of Management, School for Entrepreneurship and others,” he said.

Avinash Mahajan, Dean, Academic Programmes, IIT; Sona Seth, Deputy Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Mumbai Region; and Ketan Patel, Joint Director, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, were also present on the occasion.

Sudarshan further said that IIT Bombay is going to offer an exit option after the third year with the degree of Bachelor of Science in engineering, and last year 15 students opted for it when it was implemented on an experimental basis.

“The IIT council decided to start this facility so the students who are not able to complete the four-year degree offered by the IIT will be able to have an honorable exit with this new degree,” he said.

Sona Seth said the NEP is “an aspirational document which shows us the way forward without leaving behind the traditional Indian knowledge base.”

The effort of Kendriya Vidyalayas is to create a schooling system that nurtures critical and creative thinking, she added.

Seth pointed out that in alignment with the NEP-2020, the age of admission in Class I was revised to 6-plus years from 2022-23 in all Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Ketan Patel said his ministry intends to develop skilled manpower not only for the country but for the whole world.

“NEP recognizes the importance of holistic development to foster the cognitive, socio-emotional and physical skills of students. It promotes a multidisciplinary approach that encourages students to explore various subjects and develop well-rounded skill sets,” Patel said.

Source: PTI

Also Read: NEP 2020 implemented in school foundation stage, phased in higher education