80% schools, 33% of enrolment: Why Northeast wants hill-specific NEP norms

The issue becomes clearer when looking at Nagaland’s school network. Vanlalthlana said government schools account for around 80 per cent of the total schools in Nagaland but only about 33 per cent of enrolment. This means a large government-school network serves a much smaller share of the state’s students, pointing to the challenge of maintaining and planning schools across a region where settlements and institutions may be spread across difficult terrain.

Why are Northeast states seeking separate NEP norms?

The central argument at the conclave was that a common national framework may need to account for regional differences in how schools are accessed, built and operated.

Vanlalthlana said the Northeast needs a system specifically suited to hilly areas. Along with a separate index, he sought construction norms that take the region’s terrain into account.

The discussion was part of a larger call for a contextual implementation of NEP 2020. Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor Jagadish K Patnaik said educational transformation in the Northeast should focus on accessibility, equity, quality, flexibility, multilingualism and holistic development.

He also stressed the need to turn indigenous knowledge into an academic strength while using technology to improve skills and learning opportunities.

Funding is another issue. Patnaik noted that while NEP 2020 envisages substantially higher investment in education, the mechanism for mobilising the resources required to meet those ambitions remains unclear.

A common approach for eight states

The Northeast consists of eight states, but the conclave focused on areas where their education systems could benefit from greater coordination.

Vanlalthlana proposed that the education ministers of the northeastern states meet twice a year under the North Eastern Council (NEC). He suggested that the states could submit joint proposals for schemes after conducting a common assessment of the region’s requirements.

The proposed regional approach would also involve sharing best practices, institutional resources and capacity-building initiatives.

Nagaland Higher Education and Tourism Minister Temjen Imna Along said the purpose of the conclave was to bring together the experiences and challenges of the states and discuss possible solutions for implementing NEP 2020.

He also questioned whether conventional academic qualifications alone were sufficient to prepare students for employment. Along stressed the need to examine the impact of academic education and encourage critical thinking.

Beyond access: language, culture and skills

The discussion around a regional framework was not limited to school infrastructure.

Tripura Higher Education and Panchayats Minister Kishor Barman said NEP 2020 represented a change in the way education is approached. He said students should remain connected with their language, culture and traditions while also gaining skills in artificial intelligence, digital technology, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The balance between local identity and newer skills was a recurring theme at the conclave. Barman said the region’s roots should remain connected to the Northeast even as students develop global aspirations.

Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu similarly emphasised the need to combine knowledge with skills. He said IT, media and technology literacy have become essential across disciplines, while research and innovation are important to the country’s development goals by 2047.

Along also raised the possibility of incorporating Christian studies into university curricula in states such as Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya, where Christianity has a significant presence. He clarified that the discussion concerned academic and curricular study rather than religious institutions.

What would a Northeast-specific framework change?

The discussions at the conclave point towards adaptation rather than a separate education policy for the region.

The ministers’ proposals include a separate system or index for hilly areas, construction norms suited to hill regions and greater coordination between the eight states. The broader objective is to make the implementation of a national policy responsive to local conditions.

Arunachal Pradesh MLA-cum-Advisor to the HME Mutchu Mithi said decisions taken in education would have consequences for future generations and should be assessed for their long-term impact.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, in a message read out by Along, said the conclave provided a platform for dialogue, exchange of ideas and sharing of experiences on the opportunities and challenges facing education in the region.

The two-day conclave is expected to work towards a collaborative framework among the northeastern states for implementing NEP 2020, including sharing best practices, institutional resources and capacity-building initiatives.

For the Northeast, the debate is therefore about how a national education policy can be implemented in a region with different geographical and social conditions. The 80 per cent share of government schools against 33 per cent of enrolment in Nagaland is one example of the planning challenges discussed at the conclave. The proposed regional framework seeks to address such differences while retaining the broader goals of NEP 2020.

(With PTI inputs)