NEP 2020 and the Infrastructure for ICT-based Teaching Learning

Abstract

The globe now is attempting to recover from the devastating effects of the Novel Coronavirus Disease pandemic (COVID-19). The propagation of this rare disease across the world has altered every aspect of existence. It completely changed the paradigm of education, converting traditional classroom settings to virtual ones. One of the foremost important laws of the twenty-first century is the National Education Policy (NEP), which was written in 2019 and endorsed by the Indian Union Cabinet on the 29th of July in 2020. The policy is ground-breaking and comprehensive in every way, with a focus on several elements of education, including the incorporation of ICT. The NEP 2020 places a lot of emphasis on integrating technology because it can be a key element in fostering all-encompassing development. The creation of virtual labs is also given considerable attention in NEP 2020. It is important to note here that a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) is likewise in the process of being founded. Despite widespread support for using ICT in teaching and learning, there were still some issues with classroom integration. Several crippling problems emerged, among them are inadequate ICT infrastructure, institutional discouragement, slack policies, and—above all—, insufficient technological, pedagogical, and integrative abilities among teachers at all levels. In addition to highlighting NEP 2020's key points and different ICTrelated provisions for teaching and learning, this paper also discusses several implementation issues and infrastructural requirements for ICT. Finally, several recommendations are made for the optimum utilization of ICT. Keywords: National Education Policy (NEP) -2020, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), National Educational Technology Forum (NETF)