Earmarking 6% of state’s GDP for education speaks of our intent to develop human resources: Assam CM

Sarma attended a conference on implementation of NEP 2020 in Assam as a follow up of Varanasi Conclave The conference was organized by Raj Bhavan Assam in partnership with Higher Education Department, Government of Assam.

Sarma while thanking Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi for taking the initiative in organizing the conclave on NEP, informed that State government will set up a State Research Foundation in lines with National Research Foundation as envisaged in NEP-2020. Sharing his observation on National Education Policy (NEP) at a conference on implementation of NEP 2020 in Assam as a follow up of Varanasi Conclave at Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati, Sarma said that the proposed Research Foundation is expected to promote innovative research with quantifiable outcome.

Sarma said, “We are committed to implement NEP 2020 for qualitative improvement of education. The fact that we have earmarked 6 per cent of state’s GDP for education speaks volume of our intent to develop our human resources”. Outlining State government’s plan and strategies for implementing NEP 2020, Sarma said that as a part of the NEP 2020, government will take steps for enabling higher educational institutions to focus on experimental learning, integrating cross-curricular pedagogy and holistic education with focus on Indian knowledge system.

He also said that the government is also in the process of establishing a holistic governance framework to cover academic affairs with accountability, research and digitization. He also said that department of higher education will collaborate with other related departments to develop skill and training modules to up-skill the potential workforce for industry as per market requirements to help the students with the scope of startup ecosystem and entrepreneurial ventures.

The Chief Minister also said that his government has decided to establish four nano-incubation centres at Bongaigaon, Silchar, Dibrugarh and Tezpur to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship. To incentivize faculty members to perform better, Annual Performance Appraisal Index will be introduced in the state. He also said that faculty members will be trained for capacity building to help students ‘not just as teachers, but also as mentors and guides’. In addition, the Chief Minister said that Assam has also taken a revolutionary measure of qualitative assessment with regards to elementary and secondary education in the form of Gunotsav.

Sarma also said that the National Education Policy 2020 is a part of the Prime Minister’s plan for a new and resurgent India. Replacing the 34-year-old National Policy on Education of 1986, the NEP 2020 aims to pave way for transformational reforms in the country’s school and higher education systems. He also said that all universities should imbibe NEP 2020 components and create core committees to address varsity specific issues for implementing NEP 2020 in Assam.