NEP 2020 and Research in India
India’s latest education policy (The New Education Policy 2020) marks a paradigm shift in the educational ecosystemic infrastructure in country. The reason why this policy is seen as ‘revolutionary’ as after decades of rigid academic framework, the new education policy proposes to give more freedom to the elements in the system, for rejuvenation of the educational landscape in India with a profound implication for the Ph.D. scholars in the country. For decades, India has been lagging behind in the global benchmarks pertaining to research due to systemic issues such as limited funding and autonomy, publication before research mindset and a narrow pipeline, regarding doctoral scholar training. Also, the country’s investment in research is less than 1% of its GDP, compared to China which has invested 2.68% in research and 3.43% in case of the USA. The new education policy seeks to change the above to improve our position, regarding research. However, this will take time and effort and in case of the Ph.D. scholars, they have reported several lacunae in the system such as poor institutional support, expectation from them to publish rigorously, limited institutional and financial support, etc. which results in delays in receipt of stipends, poor quality mentorship and emphasis on quantity than quality at the end of the day, in reference to publishing. Such challenges are major bottlenecks in the road ahead, but through the enactation of NEP 2020, there is hope for the clearance of such lacunae and obstacles, which could improve the existing research ecosystem in the country, as the policy proposes the removal of the archaic clutter of the past with a bright and clean system which encourages interdisciplinary research, holistic learning along with integration of pedagogic training with the nuances of research along with enhancing the existing systems of research incentives. The creation of the National Research Foundation as an initiative under the policy is a step in the right direction for enhancing the quality of research in the country, through funding and support for researchers, Ph.D. scholars, etc. as such efforts are sure to enhance the country’s standing in terms of quality of research output in the world because if India wishes to turn its dream of transformation into a knowledge economy, empowerment, enhancement and enablement of Ph.D. scholars is an absolute must as the emphasis must be on the research, not the Ph.D. Certificate. The NEP 2020 Policy, if it is implemented in the desired level of effectiveness will achieve this vision into reality.
New developments & changes in Ph.D. @ NEP 2020
One of the major changes brought by the NEP 2020 is the discontinuation of the M.Phil. Degree as a requirement for qualification for Ph.D., making it easier for scholars to pursue their Ph.D. post completion of the 4-year bachelor’s degree with research or an equivalent Masters’ degree as a requirement for qualification for admission for Ph.D. This reform is significant as it makes it easier for students to pursue interdisciplinary topics for their research. In addition, the NEP 2020 has accorded greater importance for the ‘course work’, emphasizing the conduct of the course work in a structured and systematic way, enabling the formation of a strong, foundational bedrock for research. The scholars are encouraged to contribute to the academic bodies of knowledge and to gain hands on experience in a dual role as a teacher and a researcher as through such efforts they can enhance the growth of future researchers in the country. Another change brought by the NEP 2020 is the creation of a multidisciplinary environment for research, with researchers and institutions being encouraged to pursue multidisciplinary topics of their interest, opening up possibilities for research across various domains and topics for the satisfaction of various needs, requirements and wants. In addition, the institutions are also encouraged to transform themselves into multidisciplinary hubs for research, enabling collaboration between various domains, areas and subjects ranging from archaeology to zoology, which can align with the global trends regarding higher education and can significantly enhance the quality, usefulness and the overall impact of the doctoral research. Several institutions, such as the Lucknow University have taken the initiative for enhancing the quality of their doctoral scholars by asking international experts to examine the theses submitted by their Ph.D. Scholars to ensure that the end quality of their research is as per the international standards and norms. Such efforts can add on to the existing efforts for quality enhancement and can help our country in making a name for itself as a quality source of research.
Challenges and opportunities ahead
The true impact of the NEP 2020 will be felt in the way it is implemented in the country, as its introduction has brought both challenges and opportunities in the realm of education in India. With reference to the opportunities, the elimination of the mandatory requirement of peer reviewed publications prior to the submission of the thesis as per the UGC 2022 Guidelines could reduce the risk of publishing in predatory or substandard quality journals. But, this decision can also create concerns about the decline in the quality of the academic rigor in case the universities do not maintain adherence to the high level quality in their internal evaluation mechanisms. Mandatory coursework in the research pedagogy and teaching can be beneficial in the long run, but if the coursework is seen only as something which has to be done (to meet the mandatory credit qualification/attendance percentage requirement as per UGC norms) it might not be beneficial and it could eat into the core research time of the scholars. The NEP 2020 Guidelines seek to make the doctoral candidates more employable by enhancing their skill sets, but there is a need to identify the correct balance which will give them enough time for dedication to their research. Another challenge is the ambiguity regarding the actual university level implementation which is a point of concern. Further, despite UGC guidelines, many universities require publications from their scholars, which is creating confusion due to non-consistencies regarding the above amidst the universities. Funding is another issue with some scholars getting their stipends on time, while the rest face delays which affects their motivation in research. The National Research Foundation is in its infancy and will need some time to mature enough for lending its power and knowledge for solving the various institutional and systemic lacunae. Finding and working with quality and experienced mentors is another challenge as the existing pool of research mentors needs to increase as the existing members are already overburdened with several scholars, because of which they are unable to do true justice to their mentees, regarding their research efforts, requiring the creation of new mentors from the existing faculties in the universities, to increase the output of quality research in the country. These gaps need to be solved with policy reforms as the solution can enhance our position in the world regarding research, enabling us to cultivate a globally competetetive research environment in the country.
Ways in which the scholars can navigate the NEP 2020 landscape
Understanding the NEP 2020 landscape is not difficult as awareness and proactiveness is the keys as understanding the policy document and its institutional interpretation is beneficial for leveraging the opportunities promised by the reforms. Scholars can benefit by engaging with their university’s institutional academic councils or departments for updating themselves regarding the UGC circulars, notices and other communiques along with the state level directives and decisions regarding University and Ph.D. research/education in their respective territories. For example, if a university’s department is insisting on publications from the scholars, despite the UGC’s removal of such a requirement, the scholars can seek clarification or redressal through the academic council regarding the above. Moreover, becoming one with the interdisciplinary ethos of the NEP 2020 can open up new research opportunities and possibilities. For example, participation in multi institutional projects such as those being conducted under the aegis of the PAIR (Promotion of Academic and Industrial Research) initiative could enhance a scholar’s chance in becoming more visible, leading to networking and information exchange opportunities. In addition, there are several avenues and repositories of knowledge such as IndiaRxiv, Shodhganga and other open access international repositories of knowledge such as Inder Science Publishers, etc. which could be utilized by the scholars for sharing their work and for acquisition of data about the current trends and statistics regarding research and about the ways in which the other scholars are navigating through the NEP 2020 landscape. Scholars can benefit from trying to avail funding opportunities through schemes such as the PMRF, the DST-INSPIRE and the DBT Fellowships along with trying for institutional-level research assistanceships as through such efforts they will be able to get exposure to national level academic ecosystems along with the necessary financial security for completion of their research. The NEP 2020 has recognized the importance of building teaching skills, as a central part of the process of completion of Ph.D. The scholars can benefit from seeing this as an investment in gaining academic experience as the process of conducting classes, coursework design and curriculum development can help them in gaining practical experience in academia which could benefit them, in case they decide to join higher educational institutions in teaching positions. Through such efforts, the scholars can increase the value they can gain in the process of their Ph.D. increasing its quality in the long run.
Understanding the NEP 2020’s vision for research in the future
The long term success of the NEP 2020 will be dependent on how effectively, the ethos of the policy permeates in the academic institutions, universities and higher educational institutions in India as the end purpose of the policy is to improve and enhance the end quality of the education being delivered in the institutions and through its vision in shifting the system of education from a ‘rote’ learning to ‘inquiry based exploration’ system, the NEP 2020 has set a bold vision. However, for a true transformative revolution to happen, mere curriculum changes are not enough. The effort requires significant investments in infrastructure, along with the provision of greater accountability and transparency in the system and a paradigm-shifting change in the way the academia views research and scholars. As of now, investment in R&D is not even 1% of our GDP. That has to change in a significant way, to reflect the level of seriousness we are about research so that our ambitious vision of increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education will increase to 50% by the year 2035. Visualising the future and realizing it in the present is not possible without support from the private sector as their resources, knowledge and investment is necessary to fill in the gaps as both the eagle and the hawk, if they help each other, can make success possible and for this, foreign universities need to come to India, so that a global link can be created with our campuses, so that joint research programs can be activated with foreign universities, which could add on to the bodies of knowledge. Bottom line, Ph.D. scholars are central to the success of the NEP 2020 as they are the ones who through their research efforts will identify the lacunae and suggest possible solutions to it, so that we will be in a position to improve our knowledge infrastructure and define our identity on the global stage.
The scholars can catalyse this transformation by making use of the opportunities, ensuring that the system of governance is made clear, accountable and transparent by direct or indirect means, to ensure that they are not met with injustice in the wake of the changes made by the NEP 2020.
In conclusion, we can state that the NEP 2020 is not just a policy. It is a direct call for action for us for securing our academic future and how we make this future happen is dependent on us, so let us utilise our resources in the right way to make our tomorrow, more brighter today.