Policy Update
Vishal Kumar
Background
The higher education system in Jammu and Kashmir has historically struggled under the weight of a rigid, examination-oriented structure that prioritized theoretical memorisation over practical skill acquisition and critical thinking. For decades, the region’s academic landscape was shaped by unique and severe challenges, including geographical isolation, deep-seated socio-political instability, and frequent disruptions to the academic calendar that often crippled the teaching-learning process.
These conditions created a systemic “governance deficit,” where local institutions found it difficult to align with national standards, leaving graduates poorly equipped for a modern, competitive job market. With public sector employment reaching a saturation point and over 3.6 lakh educated youth actively seeking jobs, the lack of local opportunity forced a continuous “brain drain,” as the Union Territory’s most capable talent migrated elsewhere to pursue their ambitions. Traditional sectors like tourism and horticulture, while providing a cultural identity, proved insufficient to absorb the growing pool of graduates without significant technological and entrepreneurial intervention.
Fig.1. Key Principles of National Education Policy, 2020.
Source. Purusharta Policy Paper.
The introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emerged as a transformative “ray of hope,” offering a blueprint to reorient the region from rote learning towards holistic development. Jammu and Kashmir has taken significant steps towards implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aligning its education system with the policy’s emphasis on multidisciplinary learning, foundational literacy and numeracy, vocational education, skill development and equitable access. These reforms seek to strengthen the role of education in improving learning outcomes, expanding opportunities for socio-economic mobility, and addressing inequalities in access to quality education across the Union Territory.
By aligning with the vision of “Viksit Bharat @ 2047,” the administration seeks to transform J&K into a vibrant knowledge society that converts its rich human resources into a global knowledge superpower. The policy explicitly acknowledges the underrepresentation of marginalized groups and seeks to address the growing inequality plaguing the existing system by providing targeted interventions for those in geographically fragile or aspirational districts.
Functioning
The implementation of NEP 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir is driven by a multi-layered functional framework designed to support the full lifecycle of a student’s academic and professional journey. A standout feature of this regional execution is the innovative “Design Your Degree” (in Finnish: Suunnittele tutkintosi) four-year undergraduate programme introduced under the Higher Education Council. Accordingly, 30 students enrolled in the inaugural DYD batch and the current strength stands at 100-130. This model allows students to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, choosing electives based on personal interest ranging from robotics and artificial intelligence to creative writing and entrepreneurship with assessment rooted in project-based experiences. Figure 2 illustrates the essential features of NEP.
Fig. 2. Features of NEP
Source. IITM’s article, Understanding NEP Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide
The operational pillars of this functioning system include:
- The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC): This digital repository stores academic credits earned from various recognized institutions, facilitating seamless mobility and allowing students multiple entry and exit points in their academic journey.
- Student Entrepreneur in Residence (SER): Also known as the “Gap Year” concept, this allows students to pause their formal studies for one year to build a startup or pursue an entrepreneurial venture with a guaranteed path to return and complete their degree.
- Multidisciplinary Approach: Removed rigid boundaries between science, arts, and commerce streams to encourage holistic learning.
- Institutional Development Plans (IDPs): Every higher education institution (HEI) is required to submit a detailed roadmap identifying potential areas for growth and fixing quantifiable targets for institutional excellence over the next decade.
- Multi-Disciplinary Task Force: A high-level committee comprising academicians and administrators monitors real-time progress and identifies specific initiatives required to meet the policy’s goals at the regional level.
- Digital Integration for Continuity: Recognizing the region’s harsh winters, the policy promotes digital and online education as a crucial component to ensure learning continuity when physical campuses in far-flung areas are inaccessible.
- Restructuring of HEIs: Institutions are being transitioned into three broad categories: Research-intensive Universities, Teaching-intensive Universities, and Autonomous degree-granting Colleges to end the fragmentation of the higher education ecosystem.
Performance
The performance of J&K’s higher education and startup ecosystem has witnessed a surge since the policy’s adoption. Registration data reveals that the total number of startups in the region rose from a mere 69 in 2021 to 1,306 by March 2026, representing a 1,793 per cent increase. Institutional activity has also scaled rapidly, with 43 startup boot camps drawing over 5,405 participants across the Union Territory, demonstrating a massive shift in youthful ambition toward self-reliance (Rising Kashmir). Some local ventures have achieved national visibility; for instance, Tramboo Sports and FastBeetle secured funding on national platforms, while the horticulture venture Qul Fruitwall raised ₹60 crore from international investors.
Key performance indicators of the current transition phase include:
- Admission Reforms: For the 2026–27 academic session, admissions to government degree colleges reverted to a non-CUET, Class 12 merit-based system. The move was aimed at reducing logistical difficulties and anxiety among local aspirants while facilitating access to higher education.
- Foundational Learning: The NIPUN Bharat Mission and Vidya Pravesh module have been important components of NEP implementation at the foundational stage. A total of 1,34,249 children benefited in 2022-23, followed by 1,30,640 children in 2023-24, indicating continued implementation of foundational literacy and numeracy initiatives.
| Year | Children benefited |
| 2022–23 | 1,34,249 |
| 2023–24 | 1,30,640 |
Source. Daily Excelsior.
- Shift towards NEP-aligned School Education: Implementation has increasingly focused on foundational literacy and numeracy, early childhood education and competency-based learning, reflecting NEP 2020’s shift away from purely content-oriented instruction towards foundational and experiential learning.
- Institutional Transition: The implementation process remains phased, with reforms being introduced across different levels of education rather than through a single institutional change. This includes changes in admissions, foundational learning programmes and the gradual alignment of school and higher-education practices with NEP 2020.
Impact
The implementation of NEP 2020 in Jammu and Kashmir is gradually influencing the educational system beyond changes in curriculum and classroom practices. Its emphasis on foundational learning, multidisciplinary education, skill development, vocational training and greater flexibility is creating a broader shift in how education is connected with employment and socio-economic opportunities. The emerging impact can therefore be assessed in terms of educational access, learning outcomes, employability, entrepreneurship and the participation of previously underrepresented groups in economic activity.
One important dimension of this transition is the growing emphasis on entrepreneurship and women’s economic participation. In 2024, 333 of the 917 registered startups in Jammu and Kashmir were women-led, while women-led MSME registrations increased from 13,352 in 2021-22 to more than 44,708 in 2023-24 (Kashmir Life).
Scientific institutions like SKUAST-K have demonstrated that research can generate direct economic value, reporting more than 100 funded startups and over 120 granted patents within their innovation ecosystem, raising nearly ₹28 crore for incubated ventures. The policy has also successfully taken the innovation culture to the grassroots through thousands of outreach programmes in rural districts like Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama.
Fig.3. Conceptualised Impact of NEP.
Source. Impact of NEP
Beyond the startup sector, the policy has modernized the region’s economic identity by blending academic learning with the Union Territory’s traditional strengths. A student in Pulwama can now receive fruit processing training while a girl in Baramulla trains in handicrafts under school-based vocational programs, directly linking their education to economic empowerment. This integration of “Lok Vidya”, traditional Indian knowledge, into the mainstream curriculum emphasizes the dignity of labour and preserves regional heritage while preparing students for the global market.
Digital integration has further democratized access, moving over 200 public services to online portals and enabling students in far-flung valleys to access quality resources that were previously unavailable. This holistic shift is producing a generation of students who are not only employable but also active contributors to the regional development of the Chenab Valley and other underserved areas.
Emerging Issues
Despite the narrative of progress, several systemic “alarm bells” have been raised regarding implementation gaps and regional disparities that threaten the sustainability of these reforms. A major issue is the stark divide between academic schedules in summer and winter zone colleges; students in Jammu’s winter zones observe an extended 50-day winter break compared to the 10-day break in summer zones, yet both are subjected to the same examination timelines. This creates an unrealistic expectation for winter zone students to “catch up” in a compressed timeframe, leading to documented cases of stress, anxiety, and demotivation. Other critical emerging issues include:
- The CUET Paradox: Reverting to 10+2 merit for degree colleges creates a pedagogical disconnect, as aggregate secondary marks measure broad retention rather than the specialized conceptual aptitude NEP 2020 aims to nurture.
- Board Discrepancies: Systemic variations and grade inflation between different boards (e.g., JKBOSE vs. CBSE) place students from some boards at a competitive disadvantage when raw percentages are used as a normalised baseline for admission.
- Infrastructure and Staffing Gaps: The shortage of trained teachers in remote hilly areas and the lack of assistive devices for children with disabilities (CWSN) remain significant bottlenecks.
- Information Asymmetry: Students in rural and remote regions remain largely unaware of the NEP framework, particularly regarding complex subject selection and the multidisciplinary approach, due to an absence of structured orientation programmes at the higher secondary level.
Way Forward
To ensure that Jammu and Kashmir’s educational revolution is sustainable and equitable, a “strategic reset” is required. The government should prioritize the implementation of a uniform, synchronised academic calendar that accounts for the region’s climatic and geographical variations, potentially adjusting sessions for winter zone colleges or providing them with additional preparation time. Rationalizing the syllabus for these colleges to align with lost academic days would allow students to focus on essential concepts without the burden of an unrealistic load. To bridge the digital divide, the administration must accelerate the establishment of “mini smart classrooms” and fully serviced training hubs at the district level, ensuring that the benefits of digital pedagogy reach the most remote habitations.
Furthermore, the region should leverage its unique geography to build an innovation hub grounded in “Mountain Science”, specializing in high-altitude agriculture, disaster forecasting, and precision horticulture rather than merely replicating software models from elsewhere. Strengthening university-industry collaborations and securing more institutional capital will be vital to preventing high-potential ventures from dissolving prematurely. Language policy must also be carefully executed, using mapping to identify and teach sub-regional languages like Bhaderwahi, Sarazi, or Kishtwari in early schooling to build stronger basic skills while balancing the need for proficiency in Hindi and English. Finally, the government must speed up the release of sanctioned funds to clear backlogs and maintain investor confidence, shifting from a model of mere registration growth to one of institutional accountability and scientific specialisation.
References
- Bakloo, F. A. (2025, March 9). Unequal Learning: Higher Education Divide in Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir Times. https://kashmirtimes.com/opinion/comment-articles/higher-education-divide-in-jammu-and-kashmir
- Daily Excelsior. (2026, June 15). National Education Policy 2020: A Ray of Hope for Higher Education Institutions of Jammu and Kashmir. https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/national-education-policy-2020-a-ray-of-hope-for-higher-education-institutions-of-jammu-and-kashmir/
- Jayal, N. G. (2020, September 3). NEP 2020 on Higher Education: Wishing Away Structural Problems. The India Forum. https://www.theindiaforum.in/article/nep-2020-higher-education
- KL News Network. (2025, December 8). Under NEP, Jammu Kashmir Receiving Full Support for Mother-tongue Teaching, Govt Says. Kashmir Life. https://kashmirlife.net/under-nep-jammu-kashmir-receiving-full-support-for-mother-tongue-teaching-govt-says-416147/
- Malik, S. A. (2025, November 10). Kashmir: NEP 2020 and the Road Ahead. Daily Excelsior. https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/reimagining-education-in-jammu-kashmir-nep-2020-and-the-road-ahead/
- Ministry of Human Resource Development. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Government of India. https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf
- Rasheed, N. (2026, May 16). J&K’s CUET Exit: NEP Contradiction. The Kashmir Horizon. https://thekashmirhorizon.com/2026/05/16/jks-cuet-exit-nep-contradiction/
- Rather, M. H. (2024, September 17). Can NEP 2020 Address Jammu Kashmir’s Educational Inequality? Kashmir Life. https://kashmirlife.net/can-nep-2020-address-jammu-kashmirs-educational-inequality-366546/
- Singh, D. (2026, January 2). Jammu and Kashmir offers a model for NEP-led success. It’s called ‘Design Your Degree’. The Print. https://theprint.in/opinion/jammu-and-kashmir-offers-a-model-for-nep-led-success-its-called-design-your-degree/2816740/
About the Contributor: Vishal Kumar is a Research & Editorial Intern at IMPRI. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Political Science at the University of Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. His research interests include Political Economy, Public Policy, governance and political Philosophy.
Acknowledgement: The author would like to thank the reviewers and IMPRI team for the guidance throughout the process.
Reviewed by: Prisha Sachdeva and Sruti Halder
Disclaimer: This article is intended for academic purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of IMPRI or any government institution.
