Paper Title

TRADITION, TRANSFORMATION, AND WORKFORCE READINESS: A CRITICAL CURRICULUM AND EMPLOYABILITY ANALYSIS OF INDIA’S NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY (NEP) 2020

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 represents one of the most comprehensive higher education reforms undertaken in India since independence. The policy seeks to transform higher education through multidisciplinary curriculum restructuring, vocational integration, institutional autonomy, research intensification, and strengthened industry linkages to improve workforce readiness and global competitiveness. This study provides a critical analysis of NEP 2020 by integrating human capital theory, critical curriculum theory, Bernstein’s classification and framing theory, capability theory, and postcolonial perspectives. Using qualitative policy analysis supported by secondary data synthesis, comparative international evidence, and conceptual workforce modelling, the study examines curriculum transformation, institutional restructuring, employability outcomes, epistemological implications, and implementation challenges. The findings indicate that NEP 2020 has significant potential to improve workforce readiness by promoting interdisciplinary education, skill integration, and industry collaboration. However, implementation challenges, including institutional inequality, faculty shortages, regulatory centralization, uneven funding distribution, and regional disparities, may constrain its effectiveness.
KEYWORDS : NEP 2020, Workforce Readiness, Curriculum Reform, Employability, Higher Education Policy, Human Capital Theory, Capability Approach, India, Multidisciplinary Education.