NEP 5-year review: Central universities' VCs plan for 'Viksit Bharat'

NEW DELHI: The govt's aim is to raise gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by 2035 and universities and colleges must adopt a students-first approach as students are the core of national strength, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said while inaugurating two-day vice-chancellors' conference of central universities in Gujarat's Kevadia on Thursday.

The conference will review five years of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and chalk out a strategy for aligning higher education institutions with the vision of ' Viksit Bharat 2047 '. Organised by the education ministry in collaboration with the Central University of Gujarat, the meeting brought together over 50 vice-chancellors to assess institutional progress and discuss reforms for the next phase.

Pradhan said the 'panch sankalpa (five resolutions)' of the NEP-2020 would serve as the guiding framework for universities in creating an inclusive, and globally competitive higher education ecosystem. The minister urged universities to prepare strategy papers for NEP-2020 implementation, focusing on multidisciplinary curricula, integrating Indian knowledge systems, building digital skilling initiatives, and fostering innovation ecosystems.