– Gurudev Somani, Co-Founder & CEO, MasterSoft ERP Solutions

Imagine a student who leaves university after her second year because her family needs her income. Two years later, she is ready to return. She has the credits she earned and the determination to finish. What awaits her: a clear path forward, or weeks spent finding old records, seeking approvals and trying to understand which courses still count?

For her, flexibility means knowing whether she can finish her degree. That is the test facing Indian higher education six years after the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The policy opened the door to multidisciplinary study, multiple entry and exit routes, and learning that can continue throughout life. The National Credit Framework (NCrF), National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF), Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) have given institutions important foundations. Now the work has to happen inside universities and colleges, where a student’s choices meet the realities of courses, records, people and processes.

Make flexibility work on an ordinary day

Consider a student who wants to take an elective in another department. She needs to know whether she is eligible, whether the class fits her timetable, how it contributes to her degree and whether a seat is available. Once she completes it, the result and credit must appear correctly in her record. If she later moves to another institution, someone must be able to understand and verify what she has learned.

None of this sounds extraordinary. Yet each step can cross a different office or system. Admissions, academic planning, registration, examinations, student support and fees all shape the same student journey. When these systems do not work together, the burden falls on students and staff. ABC can support the movement of credits, and APAAR provides a persistent academic identity. A university must still decide how a transferred credit fits a programme, keep its records accurate and explain the answer clearly to the student. Reform becomes credible when these everyday decisions are dependable.

Help teachers improve learning

The promise of NEP also depends on what happens in the classroom. Learning outcomes are most valuable when they help a teacher ask: What did my students actually understand? Where did they struggle? What should I change next time?

Institutions often collect information on course outcomes, assessments and student performance. That evidence should help teachers during the course as well as support accreditation. A faculty member should be able to see the connection between an assessment and a programme goal, discuss what the results reveal with colleagues and act on it. That takes time, support and trust. Faculty need room to redesign courses and experiment with new approaches. Technology can reduce repetitive work and make evidence easier to use. The judgement about how to teach, assess and support a learner belongs with educators.

Reach students before they disappear from view

A student rarely moves from doing well to leaving overnight. Attendance, assessment and learning activity may show that something is changing. But a missed class or a falling grade cannot tell us why. There may be a health concern, financial pressure or a personal difficulty that a dashboard will never capture. The purpose of bringing information together is to help an adviser start a conversation sooner. It is to make support more timely and personal. Students deserve to know how their information is used, and the people helping them must remain responsible for decisions that affect their future.

Artificial intelligence can assist by surfacing patterns, answering routine questions and helping staff find the right information quickly. Its value lies in giving people more time and better context to help students, with safeguards for privacy, accuracy and human oversight.

Be ready when learning takes a different route

The student who returns after a break represents the kind of learner NEP asks institutions to welcome. Others will combine subjects, pursue a shorter programme, gain experience through work or come back years after graduation to learn something new. Serving them well requires more than a flexible curriculum. Universities must plan course capacity, faculty workload, timetables, finances and advice around varied pathways. They need records that can show what a learner has completed and what remains, even when that journey is not a straight line.

This calls for shared ownership across academic leaders, registrars, faculty, finance teams and technology teams. It also calls for an honest look at rules that may have made sense when almost every student was expected to follow the same route. The next chapter of NEP will be measured in moments like these: a student choosing a course across disciplines without confusion; a teacher using evidence to make learning better; an adviser reaching someone before a setback becomes a withdrawal; and a returning learner being shown a way forward. India has already set the direction. Now we must build institutions that can keep that promise, one student at a time.

Also Read: Shaping Higher Education for Young India