Education System India Explained – New Edu Policy 2025

 

India is among the traditionally rich countries in terms of imparting knowledge and education, with universities like Takshashila and Nalanda, the oldest university system in the world. Since then, the education system has evolved a lot in India. From Gurukuls to modern schools to online colleges, there have been some massive changes in the education system in India. 

In this blog, we will discuss the evolution of the education system in India, from history to the present, and what lies in the future. We will also discuss the changes in the new National Education Policy (NEP) and how it plans to reform the current education system for a brighter future.

Education Policy In India- Facts & Statistics

The education system in India has undergone a significant change, especially with the advent of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The emphasis has been shifted towards holistic, flexible, and multidisciplinary education that is consistent with the 21st-century goals. Check out these newest facts, statistics, and highlights of India’s education policy today in the year 2025.

• NEP 2020 proposes extending free and compulsory education to the age group 3–18, but legally, RTE still applies to ages 6–14
• India's population has crossed 1.43 billion, with over 25% under the age of 15, highlighting the critical need for robust primary and secondary education infrastructure.
• The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education rose to 32.5% in 2024, as per the latest AISHE report, with a goal to hit 50% by 2035.
• Adult literacy rate (15+ years) is now estimated at 77.2%, with male literacy at 84.7% and female literacy improving to 69.4%.
• Kerala continues to lead with a literacy rate exceeding 96%, followed by states like Himachal Pradesh and Mizoram.
• The University of Delhi, IIT Bombay, and IISc Bangalore remain among the top higher education institutions in India.
• India now ranks 27th in the 2024 English Proficiency Index, showcasing steady improvement in global communication skills.

Future Goals of the Indian Education System

India is a growing industry in the educational sector and has set various milestones in the upcoming years. India has been an active participant in the UN’s E9 Initiative, focusing on digital learning and bridging educational inequalities, especially for girls. The Union Budget 2024-25 allocated:

• ₹1.24 lakh crore to education, ₹73,000 crore for school education, and ₹51,000 crore for higher education.
• A significant push has been made for digital infrastructure, teacher training, and research & innovation.
• India is also working towards the ambitious goal of having 25 Indian universities among the global top 200 by 2030, and becoming a top 5 R&D nation, with projected annual R&D spending of $140 billion.

History of the Education System In India

Traditionally, education in the Indian subcontinent was mostly for the upper-caste. But over time, it became a right for all, regardless of caste, class, or other differences.

The ‘Gurukula’ system, dating back to 5000 BC, was India’s first education model. A student (shishya) would approach a teacher (Guru) for admission. If accepted, the student stayed at the Guru’s home, helped with chores, and built an emotional bond.

The Guru taught science and math along with Philosophy and Metaphysics. Sanskrit was the medium. The focus was on practical learning, nature, and real-life situations, aiming for students’ overall development, cognitive, mental, physical, and spiritual.

Rather than rote learning, the focus was on human values, empathy, self-reliance, creativity, morals, and ethics, so students could apply knowledge to real-world problems.

This system was replaced in 1830 by the modern school system introduced by Lord Macaulay. It brought classroom learning, cut emotional teacher-student bonds, and stressed Science and Math while ignoring Philosophy, Ethics, etc. English became the medium.

This system evolved and still exists. But the old 10+2 structure was recently replaced by the 5+3+3+4 system, with changes like equal focus on theory and practice, multidisciplinary choices, and digital learning.

Key Highlights of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020

The school board examinations will encourage knowledge and application-based learning. 

The school curriculum will be focused more on core concepts, and the pedagogy will introduce more practical learning:

• The 10+2 school system will be replaced by the 5+3+3+4 school system.
• Introduction of vocational education from the 6th grade. 
• Except for the medical and law colleges, all the other higher education institutions will be governed by a single umbrella body, and the same set of regulatory norms, academic standards, and accreditations will be set in place for both private and public higher education institutions. 
• Higher education will be multidisciplinary, with the aim for all universities to become multidisciplinary by 2040. 
• There will be multiple exit options in the undergraduate degree, which means that if a student exits the UG course after 1 year, they will get a certificate, if they exit after 2 years, they will get a diploma, and they will get the degree after completion of 3/4 years. 

 Essential Reforms in the New Policy for School Education

The following are some of the important points included in the new policy for school education

• All levels of school education will be singularly regulated 
• There will be a new and revised curriculum for the early childhood care and education
• The school curriculum and the pedagogy of teaching will be reformed towards being more progressive and focused on the overall development of students. 
• Apart from Hindi and English, the medium of instruction will be in regional/local languages up to class 5th or 8th to promote regional languages. 
• The new assessment system will be more competency-based rather than just theory-based. 
• There will be some changes in the recruitment process of teachers as it will become more transparent. The promotions will also be based on merit henceforth.

Online Education System In India

The Government of India, in the new National Education Policy (NEP) 202,0 has laid a lot of emphasis on online education as new circumstances require new and evolved initiatives. The recent pandemic and the rise in epidemics have made the necessity of online education very clear.

The government has directed education institutions to leverage the benefits of technology but acknowledging the potential risks at the same as well. The government has asked the existing digital online platforms along with ICT-based educational initiatives to optimise and expand to meet the present and future challenges in offering quality education. 

The reason why even the government has been focusing on promoting online education is because of the many advantages that accompany it. It is time that we move on from the age-old traditional education system brought by Macaulay. 

Online education sort of breaks stereotypes of the 6 hour long classroom education system. Online education focuses more on the practicality of the learnings received by the students. The emphasis is on acquiring skills rather than just memorising what is written in the books.

The following are the advantages of the online education system in India and how it is important and prevalent in the current times:

• Flexibility
• Affordability
• Diverse Options
• LMS
• Time Management

Some Of The Best Online Universities In India 

Online education in India has touched greater heights in the dynamic realm of education. However, one of the major concerns regarding online education is the validity and worth of online education. Let us tell you that online education and distance education is valid and approved by UGC in India, but one thing that you need to keep in mind is that the university you are applying to has the necessary approvals and accreditations. 

Below are some of the major online institutes in India from where you can pursue quality education while getting the highest return on your investment. However, there are quite more, but for now, check out these best in industry online institutes: 

Some of the Best Online Universities
Amity University Online	LPU Online	SRM University Online
MAHE Manipal Online	Amrita University Online	NMIMS Online