Educational Reforms in India: A Journey from 1947 to NEP-2020

Since independence, India has repeatedly revised its educational policy to respond to shifting political priorities, social aspirations, and economic demands. This article traces major educational reforms from 1947 to the National Education Policy 2020, focusing on key commissions and policies that reshaped structures, objectives, and governance. Beginning with the Radhakrishnan and Mudaliar Commissions, it examines the Kothari Commission and the National Policies on Education of 1968 and 1986, before turning to the comprehensive reform vision articulated in NEP 2020. The discussion highlights continuities such as concern for access, equity, national integration, and quality as well as shifts, including the move from expansion to outcomes, and from narrowly disciplinary to holistic, multidisciplinary learning. The article argues that while India has achieved remarkable quantitative growth in enrolment and institutions, qualitative challenges in learning outcomes, teacher preparation, and implementation capacity remain central to the current reform agenda.