NEP 2.0 Rollout: 5-Year Flexible Degrees, Mandatory Internships and Mother Tongue Until Class 5 From 2026-27
The government has announced full implementation of key National Education Policy 2.0 provisions from the 2026-27 academic session, transforming how India's 26 crore students learn.
Representative image. Photo: Nationalism News
The Union Ministry of Education has officially notified the implementation of all major provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2.0 from the 2026-27 academic session. The sweeping reforms will affect approximately 26 crore students enrolled across 14.8 lakh schools and 1,000+ universities.
Key changes include: a 4-year flexible undergraduate degree with multiple entry-exit points, compulsory 6-month industry internship for all undergraduates, mother tongue or regional language as medium of instruction until Class 5, integration of vocational education from Class 6 and a holistic report card replacing traditional marks-only assessments.
The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), already launched in 2023, will become mandatory for all central universities from 2026-27. Students can earn credits from multiple institutions and pause-resume education without losing their academic record. "This will reduce dropout rates significantly," said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Curriculum reform is also underway: NCERT has completed revised textbooks for all classes from 1 to 8 under the NEP framework. Classes 9-12 textbooks will be revised by 2027. The new curriculum emphasises critical thinking, coding from Class 6, and integration of Indian knowledge systems including Yoga and Vedic mathematics as electives.
States such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat have already begun full NEP implementation. States where education is in regional languages (Tamil Nadu, West Bengal) are being given a two-year transition period for the mother tongue provision.
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