Vocational Education in the Light of NEP 2020

Education is often regarded as the backbone of a nation, as it plays a fundamental role in shaping the development and progress of a society. Strong, systematic, and well-planned educational policies are essential to raise the standard of education as a whole and in achieving sustainable development goals. The purpose of the first education policy of the twenty-first century, (National Education Policy 2020), is to meet the nation’s numerous and expanding developmental demands. This policy proposes an entire redesign and revision of the educational system, including vocational education. Vocational education plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between education and employment by providing students with practical skills and training for specific careers. India has a severe unemployment issue, and one major contributing factor to this is the absence of an effective system for vocational education. According to the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012–2017), less than 5% of Indian workers in the age group of 19-24 received formal vocational education. In contrast, the percentage is 52% in the USA, 75% in Germany, and 96% in South Korea. These figures only serve to highlight how urgently vocational education needs to extend throughout India. So, in this context, the objective of the present study is to conduct a critical analysis of the various suggestions, innovative methods, and tactics proposed by the National Education Policy, 2020 to enhance vocational education in India.