Q. What are the major developments of Indian education after independence?
After India gained independence in 1947, adult
education emerged as a critical policy focus to address the high rates of
illiteracy and promote socio-economic development. The government's initial
efforts were driven by the recognition that an educated population was
essential for democracy, modernization, and national integration. The first
significant policy shift came with the launch of the First Five-Year Plan (1951–1956), which introduced Social Education programs aimed
at adult literacy, civic awareness, and vocational skills. However, progress
was slow due to limited infrastructure and resources. The Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961) expanded on this by linking adult education
with community development initiatives and rural upliftment programs. A major
shift occurred with the introduction of the National Adult Education Programme (NAEP) in 1978, which aimed to provide functional literacy to
100 million illiterate adults between the ages of 15 and 35. The program
emphasized participatory learning and local community involvement but faced
challenges in implementation due to funding constraints and administrative
inefficiencies. The National Policy on Education (NPE) of 1986 marked a turning point by recognizing adult
education as a distinct sector and introducing the concept of a Total
Literacy Campaign (TLC), which sought to involve volunteers, local
governments, and NGOs in large-scale literacy drives. The Saakshar Bharat Programme, launched in 2009, further expanded the focus from basic literacy
to include financial, digital, and legal literacy, targeting women and
marginalized communities. The New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reinforced the importance of lifelong
learning, proposing the integration of adult education with skill development
and digital learning platforms to address the evolving needs of the workforce.
Over the decades, India’s adult education policy has transitioned from a narrow
focus on literacy to a broader agenda encompassing life skills, empowerment,
and social inclusion, reflecting the changing socio-economic landscape and the
increasing role of technology and globalization
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