Five years ago, the National Education Policy (NEP) promised a new dawn for Indian classrooms. Today, the gap between promise and practice is clear. Recent announcements on skill-based learning and the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) progress reports make this a good time to ask how far the policy has come. The promises included inclusive teaching, critical thinking, stronger links with local language and culture and preparing young people for a changing economy. The vision was bold but ground realities remain unequal.

October 2024 reports indicated ongoing difficulties in rolling out digital education initiatives within the PM SHRI scheme, a key National Education Policy program. Progress has been made but numerous government schools still experience disparities in infrastructure provision, gaps in educator preparation, variable availability of technological resources and unstable internet connectivity.

On-site evaluations showed contrasting conditions. Certain institutions featured modern smart classrooms and innovation centers, whereas others lacked fundamental amenities.

Around the same time, in late September, the Union education ministry revealed plans to mandate skill-based education for students in Classes 11 and 12, reinforcing the objectives outlined in NEP 2020.

Kerala’s government had resisted the NEP reforms for many months. But now, it has agreed to sign an MoU to implement the PM SHRI scheme. This marks a significant shift, putting Kerala apart from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, states that are still refusing to join. The change reflects the way funding pressures and political realities influence decisions about education policy.

Among the biggest changes the NEP introduced is the move from the familiar 10 2 setup to a 5 3 3 4 structure that starts schooling at the age of three. The early years emphasise reading and counting, while higher classes bring more subject options, vocational exposure and digital learning.

Even after half a decade, the distance between policy intent and classroom reality is hard to miss. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 found that many rural girls from marginalised families struggle to stay in school and keep pace with learning. School attendance falls quickly after primary grades and many districts still lack enough teachers and basic facilities. Children from middle-class families usually start school with books and support at home, while girls in remote villages get little help and must overcome daily obstacles just to attend class.

The Right to Education Act covers schooling only up to age 14, after which many children, especially girls, leave due to financial or family pressures, raising the risk of early marriage and child labour. The NEP emphasises equity but these challenges keep true inclusion out of reach.

The NEP’s language proposal shows how difficult change can be. It recommends teaching in the mother tongue or a regional language until Class 5 and research supports learning in a familiar medium. In cities, many parents prefer English-medium schools for upward mobility. Several states worry that Hindi will be favoured over local languages. Teachers trained for multilingual classrooms and local language textbooks are not easily available.

Cultural background also shapes how children begin school. Families with higher education backgrounds often pass on the habits of reading, confidence and language knowledge. The gap grows even wider when caste, gender and location combine. For instance, a girl from a scheduled caste family in a remote village faces several obstacles at the same time. While NEP mentions inclusion, it does not fully account for how such disadvantages can combine into walls of exclusion.

The NEP places strong emphasis on digital learning but the reality in rural India remains difficult. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) estimated that by 2024, 55% of the country’s 488 million internet users were in villages. TV and radio lessons have been introduced but do not replace classroom interaction or reach all students.

Data from Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2024 (Ministry of Education) shows that only 57% of schools have computers and just over half have internet connectivity. In states like Bihar and West Bengal, the figures are lower and few schools have smart classrooms. Private schools proceed with laptops and smartboards while government schools struggle for basic infrastructure, leaving children from low-income families behind.

Politics has been central to policy’s rollout. Punjab and Tamil Nadu resisted from the start arguing it centralised power in Delhi and sidelined regional languages. Without state cooperation national reforms cannot achieve full effect.

The Union government’s linkage of Samagra Shiksha funds to PM SHRI implementation has placed non-implementing states like Tamil Nadu and West Bengal at risk of losing financial support, while Kerala’s reversal unlocks withheld funds meant for millions of students. 

Expensive private schools and universities continue to grow offering premium services to the wealthy. Government schools remain the only option for marginalised families hitherto suffer from shortage of funds and staff. The NEP promises to check profiteering and encourage philanthropy but this is difficult in such a vast uneven education system.

The success of the NEP depends on states’ flexibility, sustained teacher support, public investment in digital equity and empowering local bodies with real authority and resources.

Five years on, the NEP remains both a vision and a trial. It has pushed the country to rethink education but also exposed how strongly inequality decides who gains. Whether it marks a turning point or another missed chance depends on how seriously inequality is addressed and children’s futures are supported.

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