Kasturirangan Committee to Develop a New National Curriculum Framework (NCF)

Kasturirangan Committee to Develop a New National Curriculum Framework (NCF)

Part of: Prelims and GS II – Education 

Context The Centre has appointed former ISRO chairman K. Kasturirangan as the head of a 12-member steering committee responsible for developing a new National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

• Dr. Kasturirangan also chaired the drafting committee for the National Education Policy, 2020 which recommended the development of a new NCF. 

Key takeaways 

• The steering committee has been given a tenure of three years to complete its task.
• NCF is meant to be a guiding document for the development of textbooks, syllabi and teaching practices in schools across the country. 
• It will develop four such frameworks, one each to guide the curriculum of school education, teacher education, early childhood education and adult education.

Major features of National Education Policy 2020

• The current 10+2 system will be divided into 5 (3 to 8 years) +3 (8to 11 years) + 3 (11 to 14 years) + 4 (14 to 18 years) format.
• Co-curriculum and vocational subjects like sports, arts, commerce, science will be treated at the same level.
• Wherever possible, the medium of instruction in schools until at least Class 5, but preferably until Class 8 and beyond, will be the home language or mother tongue or regional language
• Multi-disciplinary higher education framework with portable credits, and multiple exits with certificates, diplomas and degrees.
• Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) will be set up as a single umbrella body for the entire higher education, excluding medical and legal education.
• National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), will be created to provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology.