Focus on education sector and NEP 2020: India will showcase the strength of its education sector — including infrastructure, innovation, and human resources — and the initiatives being taken as a part of the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, during the first meeting of G20 education working group that is set to be held in Chennai on February 1 and 2, as per officials at the Ministry of Education. 

India assumed the G20 presidency in December and will convene the G20 Leaders’ Summit for the first time in the country in 2023. Education is one of the priority areas in G20.

• NEP reforms in Maharashtra: The Maharashtra government has formed an inter-departmental committee for implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), which will draw up the roadmap for converting the existing structure of school education from 10+2 to 5+3+3+4 under which for the first time, three years of pre-primary will be brought under the formal education system. Representatives from different departments such as school education, women and child development, social welfare, tribal development and skill development, among others, will work together in the inter-departmental committee, as per a government resolution (GR) issued by the Department of School Education. 
• Discussions on NCF: School principals from 25 districts of Uttar Pradesh came together recently for discussions on the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and its recommendations. The framework had been launched by the Ministry of Education for foundational stage education of children in the 3-8 years age group. 

• New ideas for NEP 2020: Sharing how the National Education Policy (NEP) is a lengthy document with many new features for the benefit of students, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated that the Centre was open to new views and approaches regarding it. “The NEP will support learning, reading, and writing in the mother tongue during the foundational years”, he said. He also said that the government had asked the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to start publishing books in all Indian languages as of the current academic year.
• Making schools more accessible for all: Schools in Kerala will soon be made more accessible for the less-abled, Education Minister V Sivankutty said at a recent event in Kochi. “Existing school buildings will be converted to make them accessible for differently-abled students. Autism parks will also be set up", he shared. 
• Upgrading Punjab’s government schools: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab recently launched its first major education project, ‘Schools of Eminence’.  In the first phase, 117 existing government schools in the state will be upgraded with better infrastructure and facilities as Schools of Eminence. The project will also have a special focus on students from classes 9 to 12.
• No barring of children due to non-payment of fees: As per a Delhi High Court ruling, a child cannot be prevented from attending school or from sitting for exams in the middle of an academic term on grounds of unpaid fees. The court’s observation came as a response to a petition filed by a school student.

• Industry expectations from the Union Budget: EdTech players across India look forward to the 2023 Union Budget, as they seek State support on  a number of challenges, including tax exemptions, lower GST, subsidies for students, better digital infrastructure, and more budget allocation for the sector. 

• State support for teachers’ development: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal recently said that the goal of the state government was to provide teachers with a better teaching and learning environment. “I feel that you can construct four bridges less and four roads less, but we should provide the best exposure and training to our teachers. They will groom students who will build roads and bridges in the future," he remarked. 
• Training teachers for better education delivery: Speaking at a recent event in Bengaluru, Infosys chairman and founder Narayana Murthy said that there is a need for greater focus on teachers’ training in the state. He said the most important gift to a child is the gift of education, and it should be ensured through proper training of teachers. 

• Increased enrollment in government schools: According to the 17th Annual Status of Education (ASER) report released by NGO Pratham, enrollment of children in government schools peaked between 2018 and 2022 in rural areas. The overall school enrollment for children in the age group 6 to 14 years, touched a record high of 98.4 percent -- meaning that 98.4 percent of children in this age group are enrolled in some form of formal education. In almost all states, there has been a significant jump in the number of children enrolled in government schools from private schools, after the pandemic-induced shutdown of schools, the report stated.