Bhubaneswar: The Central University of Odisha(CUO), Koraput concluded a two-day national seminar on ‘National Education Policy 2020: Challenges and Opportunities’ Thursday. The seminar was organised by the Department of Education, in collaboration with Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, a non-profit organisation. The second day of the seminar commenced with a session aimed at facilitating dialogue and collaboration among the Heads of Departments (HoDs) across all academic departments of CUO.
Chaired by the university vice chancellor Chakradhar Tripathi and graced by the national organizing secretary of Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal BR Shankaranand, the session provided a platform for HoDs to share insights and experiences on implementing NEP 2020 within their respective departments. Key points emphasised during the session included the importance of social responsiveness and organisational unity for national development, cultivating fearlessness in students, and promoting a student-centric education system as envisaged in NEP 2020. Cooperation over competition was advocated, along with the alignment of university policies with the mandates of NEP 2020. Flexibility in academic research and the prioritisation of social relevance in job interviews were also highlighted.
The session underscored the significance of interdisciplinary approaches, mechanisms to increase Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), and the introduction of need-based certificate courses for experiential learning. Furthermore, it stressed the importance of promoting integration between academia and industry and the encouragement of value-based literature and translation studies. The seminar provided an invaluable platform for addressing the challenges and exploring the opportunities presented by NEP 2020. By fostering collaboration and dialogue among academic stakeholders, the event aimed to contribute to advancing education policy and practice in India.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP