Education Minister honors Universities and Colleges for outstanding performance in implementation of National Education Policy (NEP)
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Haryana Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda distributed the "Haryana State National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 Implementation Excellence Awards" during a state-level program held at the Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute of Fiscal Management, Sector 3, Panchkula today.
Speaking on the occasion, Dhanda said that this event is not merely an award ceremony, but a significant milestone in Haryana’s journey toward excellence in higher education. In alignment with its clear and firm resolve, the State Government has taken concrete steps to achieve most of the primary goals of the National Education Policy 2020 by the end of 2025.
He emphasized that due to the continuous, coordinated, and result-oriented efforts of the Haryana State Council for Higher Education and the Department of Education, the effective implementation of NEP 2020 in the state's universities and colleges has moved beyond policy documents and is being realized on the ground. He further noted that the key recommendations of the NEP are being earnestly implemented across all universities and their affiliated colleges in Haryana.
He highlighted that NEP 2020 presents a comprehensive, visionary, and transformative approach to India’s education system. This policy is not limited to curriculum changes; it redefines the entire culture of learning. The core pillars of this policy include multidisciplinary education, skill development, innovation, research, local relevance, and quality aligned with global standards. He explained that these awards were instituted to honour higher education institutions that, despite resource constraints, embraced innovation, introduced flexibility in teaching methodologies, made student-centric decisions, and demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership in making education employment-oriented and socially impactful. The initiative aims to further strengthen the culture of continuous improvement, competitive excellence, and innovation within the state's higher education framework.
The Minister further stated that this ceremony is a public recognition of those institutions that are powerful torchbearers of the spirit of "New Education, New India." He called upon all universities and colleges to take decisive steps toward achieving the goals set out in the Haryana Government’s Vision Document 2047, ensuring that every youth in Haryana acquires the skills necessary for the global market by 2047. To achieve this, he urged all higher education institutions to meet high-quality standards and prepare themselves for NAAC accreditation. While congratulating the winners, he also motivated those who did not receive awards to improve their performance in the future. He stressed the importance of setting timelines to achieve goals and meeting them within the stipulated period.
He expressed confidence that all colleges and universities will continue to play a leading role in strengthening holistic, flexible, high-quality, and result-oriented higher education. On this occasion, he also released the book set titled ‘Bharat Bouddhiks’.
Professor Kailash Chandra Sharma, Chairman of the Higher Education Council, informed that nominations were invited based on the effective implementation of key recommendations of NEP 2020. A total of 36 nominations were received from across the state. These were evaluated transparently according to prescribed criteria and categorise into Platinum, Gold, and Silver categories. He specified that one award was conferred in the Platinum category, ten in the Gold category, and sixteen in the Silver category. He added that the Council has led systematic and coordinated efforts for NEP implementation, resulting in measurable progress across key parameters in Haryana's higher education institutions.