National curriculum as per NEP: Centre tells Delhi High Court

5NEW DELHI: The Centre has told the Delhi High Court that a National Curricular Framework for School Education (NCFSE) will be developed as per the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) and a comprehensive strategy document has been prepared in this regard by the Ministry of Education and NCERT.

The Central government, in response to a petition seeking a common syllabus and curriculum in schools, said that under the NEP, the national framework will be made available in all regional languages and will be based on principles of the policy, frontline curriculum needs, deliberations with stakeholders including State governments, ministries, and expert bodies and that a National Steering Committee for its development has already been formed.

It further informed that NCFSE shall be revisited and updated once every 5-l0 years taking into account frontline curriculum and SCERT are to undertake the development of State Curriculum Framework by adoption/adaptation of the national framework.

The petitioner, lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhayay, filed a PIL earlier this year seeking a ‘uniform education system’ having a common school syllabus and curriculum in the mother language while claiming that such a framework will not only remove disparity and discriminatory values but also enhance virtues and improve quality of life.

“Chapter 4 ‘Curriculum and Pedagogy in Schools’ of the “National Education Policy, 2020” under Para 4.30 ‘National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE)  mentions that the formulation of a new and comprehensive NCFSE, NCFSE 2020-21, will be undertaken by the NCERT- based on the principles of this National Education Policy 202,” Ministry of Education said.

According to an affidavit filed by the ministry, the NCFSE  will be formulated incorporating frontline curriculum needs, and after discussions with all stakeholders including state governments, ministries, relevant departments of the central government, and other expert bodies, and will be made available in all regional languages. The affidavit was issued on July 14.