Independence Day 2022: India's journey in education, from 18.3% literacy rate to 77.7%

India has come a long way since gaining independence 75 years ago on August 15, 1947. Whether its economy, infrastructure, science and technology, or education, the country has progressed in every field. Education has been a vital contributor to the growth of India in the post-Independence era.

Indians, including Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Parag Agarwal, Lena Nair, Shantanu Narayen, Ajaypal Singh Banga, and Indra Nooyi among others being CEOs of top multinationals have also proved that the country's education system has progressed or performed better than most of the countries in the world.

After 200 years of colonial rule, India set up a planning commission in 1950 to prepare a blueprint for the development of education in India. Various plans were drawn after that, and the primary goals of these plans were to eradicate illiteracy, achieve universal elementary education and establish vocational and skill training programs among others.

India got independence in 1947, but it took about 20 years to announce the first education policy, which came in 1968, and the second came after another 20 years, in 1986. The 1986 education policy announced a few cosmetic changes to the 1968 education policy, implying that the current education policy (NEP 2020) comes after 52 years.

India at 75: Key developments in Education

• In 1950-51, there were 0.41 girls for every boy in classes 1 to 8. Now girls outnumber boys in school education with 1.02 girls for every boy.
• The literacy rate in India has jumped from 18.3% in 1951 to 77.7% (2017–18).
• In 1950-51, there were 578 colleges in India, which have now increased to 42,343.
• The tally of medical colleges presently stands at 612 which was 28 in 1951.
• In 1951, India had one IIT and now the count has increased to 23.

At the time of independence, female education was not considered important and people were also reluctant to educational institutions. In 1950-51, there were 0.41 girls for every boy in classes 1 to 8. Now, according to the government, girls outnumber boys in school education with 1.02 girls for every boy.

When India gained independence, four out of five citizens could not read. Due to various initiatives and interventions over the years, most Indians could now read and write. The fast growth in literacy in the recent decades even in the face of huge additions to the population depicts a remarkable positive trend.

The literacy rate in India has jumped from 18.3% in 1951. According to the National Statistical Commission, the literacy rate has increased in the country and stands at 77.7% in 2017–18. 

In 1950-51, there were 578 colleges in India which have now increased to 42,343. The number of universities has also increased from 27 to 1,043. India has also made significant progress in medical education. The tally of medical colleges presently stands at 612 which was 28 in 1951.

The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was set up in Kharagpur, West Bengal in 1951. Presently, India has a total of 23 IITs. They have been declared the institute of National Importance and are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.

As India celebrates 75 years of Independence, it is on the verge to implement National Education Policy 2020 which envisions India's approach to a modern education system. The new policy replaces the previous NEP in 1986. The policy is a comprehensive framework for not only elementary education but also higher education. The policy aims to transform India's education system by 2040. 

The NEP 2020 brings changes such as regional language as a medium of instruction in schools, replacing the 10+2 schooling system in India with a new 5+3+3+4 system, the duration of all graduate courses to be four years and all universities to have same grading pattern among others.