Macaulay's Minutes to NEP 2020: De-colonizing the Indian Mindset for Viksit Bharat 2047

Abstract For nearly two centuries, the Indian education system remained strongly shaped by the colonial framework institutionalized through Macaulay’s Minute (1835), which aimed to produce a class ‘Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste.’ This colonial orientation prioritized administrative utility, foreign epistemologies, and examination-driven learning, often marginalizing indigenous knowledge systems and local languages. In the contemporary context of Viksit Bharat 2047, India’s development agenda increasingly demands not only economic growth but also educational sovereignty and psychological decolonization. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 represents a pivotal shift by advocating mother-tongue instruction in early grades, integrating the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), promoting vocational dignity, and enabling multidisciplinary learning. This paper traces the historical trajectory of reforms from colonial stagnation to post-independence commissions arguing that NEP 2020 is the most comprehensive attempt to reclaim India’s pedagogical identity. It concludes that decolonizing education is essential for building innovation capacity, self-reliance, and a future-ready workforce aligned with the 2047 mission.