Since its unveiling in July last year, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has seen extensive deliberations both at national and state levels and a vital step towards implementation of the grand plan was taken on Thursday with the release of ‘Students’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement through Quality Education (SARTHAQ), the blueprint meant specifically for school education by the Union Education Minister. With the above release in mind that will be made effective across the country, for a citizen of Arunachal Pradesh it must be a recurring query how much prepared the state is to take the NEP forward in the exact spirit it demands. The document title itself reveals the goal which is to attain holistic advancement of teaching-learning process in schools through quality education. And it’s exactly from here the state is awaiting to face a stumbling block that has continued to remain over decades. It’s actually a combination of many factors- shortage of teachers including in subjects considered as ‘foundational blocks’ in a student’s academic life, qualitative aspect of education and not to forget the bare essential infrastructures. A bird’s eye view of NEP fundamentals will suggest it has been framed based on the assumption that the above ‘minimum’ will be available that would kick-start the revamping actions. But it’s a bitter reality that in a wide number of government-run schools, such fundamentals are still not available. The state will thus have to devote more energy at a backdrop where the inspiring phrase ‘starting from scratch’ is perhaps most appropriate.

SARTHAQ is an important guiding document for bringing path-breaking changes in the country’s overall school education scenario and its final shape has incorporated suggestions from various stakeholders. It’s appreciable that even if by nature it’s a Central plan, there will be space for adapting and modifying it with local contexts as per requirements and in a federal structure this should be the ideal way of attempting changes for the better. In terms of school education and literacy, the total central allocation has also seen an increase in Annual Budget 2021-22 which amply suggests that policy-wise, the arch is on bringing tangible changes. Arunachal, however, is still lagging vis-à-vis the national picture and it’s painful to observe that even at the crucial moment when annual exams are approaching, subject teachers appointed temporarily under CMSSY had to face termination only because their term had ended, as it has happened in Lohit very recently. The missing factors of flexibility and according-to-need adjustment keeping in mind students’ benefits at the forefront is too glaring to avoid detection.  

The state must do more to rectify these ‘faults’ which have an expansive presence. Else, the NEP will see a limited outreach, leading to implementation failure.