UGC will select 300 NEP-Saarthis from the nominations received. (Image: News18/File)
As part of the initiative, higher education institutions will nominate three students as ‘NEP-Sarthis’, and the names of the selected candidates will be announced in July.
The University Grants Commission on Thursday launched ‘NEP Sarathi’ – a new scheme to involve students in the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 and bring about reforms in higher education through it, officials said.
SARATHI, which stands for Student Ambassador for Academic Reforms in Transforming Higher Education in India, aims to increase the participation of students and make them aware of the various reforms being introduced in the higher education system. Chairman Professor M Jagadesh Kumar said that as part of the initiative, they have requested Vice-Chancellors, Directors and Principals of higher education institutions to nominate three students from their college/university to be considered as ‘NEP-Sarthi’.
“The nominated students can be enrolled in any of the courses. Along with being a team leader, he is expected to have excellent communication skills, organizational ability to organize outreach programs, creativity, sense of responsibility.
The higher education regulator will select 300 NEP-Saarthis from the nominations received. Apart from raising awareness and promoting various initiatives under the new policy, these students will also help in setting up a feedback mechanism for the UGC to understand the impact of the NEP initiative on students and address their concerns.
While the UGC has called for nominations, institutes can send their replies by June and the names of the selected candidates will be announced in July. The charioteers will get a ‘Recognition Certificate’ by the UGC. In their role as charioteers, these students are required to run campaigns to promote NEP initiatives, including on social media, collect feedback and provide guidance to students as well as stakeholders.
NEP 2020 was launched on July 29, 2020, with an aim to transform the country’s education system by ushering in reforms at all levels, from pre-school, primary, secondary and higher education. The new policy replaced the one in force since 1986.
