Abstract
The Educational Framework for Global Citizenship in higher education published by the University Grant Commission in 2022, also recognized the value of integration in the global education development agenda, as reflected in the goal of SDGs-4. The National Education Policy 2020 released by the Government of India, emphasized the foundational stones for integrating SDGs into teaching, research, and higher educational institutions of India. The suggested pillars of NEP 2020 define access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability in close alignment with the notion of sustainable learning. So, this study will try to identify: how can HEIs adapt to contribute to realizing the concerns of the SDGs? 2. How can higher educational institutions accomplish the SDGs in all key strategies such as policies, curriculum, governance, and administrative aspects that are embedded in NEP 2020.Thus, this chapter can also be considered a policy implementation of NEP 2020 with reference to the goal of sustainable development.
TopIntroduction
The year 2020 is considered an exciting new beginning in the era of Indian Higher Education with the launch of the National Education Policy 2020. The National Education Policy 2020 is one of the remarkable landmarks in the history of the higher education system. It aims to make way for nationwide revolutionary reforms in education sectors. The policy is built on the ground pillars of access, equity, quality, cost-effectiveness, accountability, employment, and entrepreneurship that align with the agenda of 2030 for fulfilling the goals of sustainable development and transferring India into a vibrant knowledge economy globally. The global developmental agenda reflected in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-4) adopted by India in 2015 seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable fruit of quality education and promote continuing educational opportunities for all by 2030. The NEP 2020 committed to achieving the target of a 50% Gross Enrolment ratio in higher education by 2035 (NEP, 2020).
Sustainable Development Goal (4) and Its Relevance With National Education Policy (2020)
Quality education is the backbone for the growth of Society and the nation's development. In India, after three decades, the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) was introduced by the current government to overhaul and transform the education system as per the educational needs of the hour and the future demands of the youth in the country. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (4) highlighted an essential mark on education, stating that equal access to education is the basis of sustainable development growth of any nation. The NEP 2020 is trying to align the SDG target with education by ensuring the success of self-reliance and equal education campaigns focusing on technical skills and knowledge. The last NPE was introduced in 1986 and updated in 1992 (POA). Since then, India's education policy has made no major changes. Keeping in view the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) & (SDGs), the NEP 2020 focuses on the target that India will serve as a “global knowledge superpower” by providing quality education, encouraging innovations, and promoting a sound research environment in educational institutions (Archunan, 2024). The Envisions of SDG 2030 targets which ensure the following agenda are as follows:
- 1.
The SDGs (4)- 2030 goal assures that all children aged 6-14 must access free, equitable, and quality elementary-level education with the desired learning outcomes.
- 2.
The SDGs (4)-2030 ensure that all children have equal access to quality education, from early childhood care to primary education.
- 3.
The SDGs (4)-2030 focus on equal access for all women and men to affordable quality technical, professional, and further levels of higher education by eliminating the gender disparities in education, including the persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children from vulnerable situations.
- 4.
The SDGs (4) -2030 also ensure maximum involvement in technical and vocational skills for better employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship (Neshovski, 2024).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Multidisciplinary Approach: This approach will include the multiple ways of learning to learn the particular subjects. It helps to illustrate the different concept with various example and dimension to develop the critical perspective among students.
Higher Education: It is a layer of formal educational structure that comes after the secondary level of schools. It includes the higher studies in the form of undergraduate, post graduate, doctoral degree and other courses that provide an advanced knowledge and skills.
Pedagogy: It is related with the arts and science of teaching. Generally pedagogy includes the theoretical and practical concepts and tactics of teaching for the comprehensive feedback and evaluation of the students. It also analyse the curriculum as per the related teaching methods and delivery of the contents that must full fill the learning goals.
Learning: Learning is a process of acquiring new knowledge, ideas, skills, values, attitudes that leads to do effective changes in behaviour and personality of a person.
Quality Education: The term quality education defined by the UN which implies the equitable access of education that promotes the life-long opportunities for all and must fulfilling the 21 st century learners’ need.
Policy: It refers to the plan of actions and framework that guide directions to do a task systematically in an effective manner by fulfilling the all set desired objectives.
SDGs: The sustainable development goals are the set of 17 goals that are prescribed by United Nations in the year of 2015 with the aim to work world together equally to protect the planet by 2030.
Development: It is a process that refers to the addition of growth, progress, upliftment, positive kind of changes and a healthy sign of work. Development is a continuous process of entire life to become a better version of ourselves.