SHILLONG, Aug 7: With the controversy surrounding the implementation of the national Education Policy 2020 refusing to die down, NEHU Vice Chancellor Prabha Shankar Shukla on Monday made an earnest appeal to all the stakeholders to work together with the university, colleges, students, and the state government to collaborate closely and ensure a seamless implementation of the NEP from the current academic session (2023-24) with the sole purpose of safeguarding the future of the students.
“The implementation of the NEP in Meghalaya marks a significant step towards transforming the education landscape. This transformative policy aims to revolutionise education in the state by fostering holistic development, critical thinking, and employability among students. By encouraging interdisciplinary learning and providing a flexible curriculum, the NEP promotes creativity and empowers learners to shape their educational journey according to their interests and career aspirations,” the VC said in a statement.
“The policy prioritises skill development through the integration of skill-based courses and internships, ensuring that students are well-equipped for the 21st century job market. Without these reforms, students of the state might face limitations in exploring various disciplines and acquiring relevant skills, leading to a potential gap between their abilities and market demands,” the statement continued.
Admitting that challenges at the beginning were inevitable, he said the University, along with the stakeholders is determined to forge ahead for the benefit of the students.
“Any further delay in implementing the policy could lead to irreparable damage. Students will lag behind a year, and those graduating in 2026 may face ineligibility for admissions to higher studies in other central universities who are now aligned with the NEP. Since NEHU is also a central university bound by the rules and regulations of the central government, it must follow suit, and the non-implementation of NEP 2020 could potentially affect students’ eligibility for admission into NEHU as well,” he continued.
Non-implementation of the NEP may put constraints on the affiliating colleges to mobilise adequate resources from the central pool, he stated.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision to implement the NEP from the current academic year, the VC said, “A task force was formed by the NEHU Academic Council three years ago to work on implementing the policy and an implementation committee was set up to develop the relevant curriculum structures. The standing committee on ordinances & regulations has diligently guided various departments in formulating the ordinances and regulations. Relevant ordinances, regulations, and syllabi undergo a rigorous evaluation process, starting from the Board of Studies (BoS), which serves as the statutory body of each department. Subsequently, they progress through the School Board, the Academic Council, and finally, the Executive Council for approval.”
“The BoS plays a vital role in the academic governance and curriculum development of the university. The BoS is responsible for designing and updating the curriculum for various academic programmes, ensuring they stay current with the latest developments in the respective fields and adhere to the educational standards set by regulatory bodies. This ensures that students receive an up-to-date and valuable education. Once the syllabi are finalised by the BoS, they are forwarded to the School Board,” the statement said.
The VC said the School Board of the specific School reviews and approves these academic documents. “It conducts comprehensive discussions among its members, including all the professors of the School, external experts and teacher representatives from affiliated colleges before forwarding the syllabi and related regulations to the Academic Council which plays a key role in aligning the university’s curriculum with the guidelines laid out in the NEP,” he said.
The VC said that in its 110thAcademic Council meeting, the University passed the ordinances, regulations, and syllabi of the FYUG programme in accordance with the NEP.
“Subsequently, in the 187th meeting of the Executive Council, it was decided to implement the FYUP syllabi from the academic session 2023-24.Following this decision, a joint meeting was held between the Principals of affiliated colleges and NEHU officials on July 21, in which all the principals in attendance expressed their agreement to implement the FYUP syllabi from the current academic session starting from August 1,” the statement added.
Stating that NEHU is fully committed to extending comprehensive academic support to the affiliated colleges, the VC urged the stakeholders to proactively participate and contribute to the successful realization of the NEP’s objectives.
