Towards a New Research Paradigm in Indian Education: The Transformative Vision of NEP 2020
Sadasiba Patro
https://analista.in/10.71182/aijmr.2606.0401.6006
Abstract
Educational research in India is in the middle of a major shift. New theories, digital tools, and the National
Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) are all pushing things in new directions. In the past, most research here
focused on numbers—quantitative stuff. Now, more work looks at power, capability, and how institutions
really work. This paper places NEP 2020 in a bigger intellectual context, drawing on thinkers like Kuhn,
Bourdieu, Foucault, Bernstein, and Sen. By analyzing policy documents and national data (AISHE, 2022;
Pratham, 2023), the study argues that NEP 2020 is not just another policy update. It’s a deep shift in who
gets to decide what counts as real knowledge in Indian education. But the road isn’t smooth. Old
inequalities, new digital challenges, and big differences between institutions make these changes tough to
implement. If India wants real transformation, research, rules, and fairness all have to work together.
This analysis centers on a few big questions:
1. How does NEP 2020 change the way knowledge, institutions, and capabilities are shaped in Indian
education?
2. How do old power structures and new digital systems shape what happens with NEP 2020 in practice?
3. What do these changes mean for equity, teacher power, and who gets access to knowledge in Indian
schools and colleges?
Keywords: NEP2020,
Educational
Research
Paradigm,
Digital Education,
Educational
Innovation