<div dir="ltr"><h1 style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.5rem;font-family:"Noto Serif",serif;line-height:1.2;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:42px;letter-spacing:-0.5px;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">3 years of preschool suggested in draft National Education Policy</h1><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;font-family:"Noto Serif",serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)">4-year undergraduate honours courses in draft</p><div class="gmail-author-name" style="box-sizing:border-box;font-size:16px;color:rgb(102,112,32);font-family:Hind,sans-serif;margin-bottom:0px;background-color:rgb(238,238,238)"><span class="gmail-leftSpace" style="box-sizing:border-box">By</span> <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/author/basant-kumar-mohanty/96" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:transparent;text-decoration-line:none;color:inherit">Basant Kumar Mohanty</a> <span class="gmail-location" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(102,85,80);display:inline-block;padding-left:0px">in New Delhi</span></div><div style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(33,37,41);font-family:Hind,sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(238,238,238);margin:5px 0px"><div class="gmail-d-flex gmail-justify-content-between" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:flex"><div class="gmail-published-infor" style="box-sizing:border-box"><ul class="gmail-rowUl" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;list-style-type:none;padding:0px;overflow:hidden"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;list-style:none;font-size:14px;color:rgb(68,68,68);padding-right:26px;float:left">Published <span class="gmail-date" style="box-sizing:border-box"></span>1.06.19, 4:02 AM</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;list-style:none;font-size:14px;color:rgb(68,68,68);padding-right:0px;float:left">Updated <span class="gmail-date" style="box-sizing:border-box"></span>1.06.19, 4:02 AM</li></ul></div><div class="gmail-published-infor" style="box-sizing:border-box"><ul class="gmail-text-right" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;list-style-type:none;padding:0px;overflow:hidden;text-align:right"><li style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;list-style:none;font-size:14px;color:rgb(68,68,68);padding-right:26px;float:left">2 mins read</li><li style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;list-style:none;font-size:14px;color:rgb(68,68,68);padding-right:0px;float:left"><div class="gmail-iconminus" style="box-sizing:border-box;float:left"><i class="gmail-sprite gmail-aplus-icon" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:url("../images/sprite.png") 0px -208px no-repeat;width:26px;height:20px;display:block;margin-right:10px"></i></div><div class="gmail-iconAplus" style="box-sizing:border-box;float:left"><i class="gmail-sprite gmail-amin-icon" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:url("../images/sprite.png") 0px -232px no-repeat;width:26px;height:20px;display:block"></i></div> </li></ul></div></div></div><div class="gmail-col-lg-12 gmail-whiteStorybg" style="box-sizing:border-box;width:705px;min-height:1px;padding-right:15px;padding-left:15px;max-width:100%;border-top:4px solid rgb(123,134,47);padding-top:16px;color:rgb(33,37,41);font-family:Hind,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div class="gmail-row" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:flex"><div class="gmail-col-xl-12 gmail-col-lg-12 gmail-col-md-12" style="box-sizing:border-box;width:705px;min-height:1px;padding-right:15px;padding-left:15px;max-width:100%"><div class="gmail-storyviewContent" style="box-sizing:border-box"><div class="gmail-image-and-copyright-container" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Merriweather,serif;text-align:right;line-height:26px"><div class="gmail-Storyimage" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-align:left;line-height:26px"><img src="https://static.telegraphindia.com/derivative/THE_TELEGRAPH/1691617/16X9/image80d4526a-e26a-4549-a0c3-bfd731678e63.jpg" alt="Among the other key proposals are free and compulsory schooling from preschool till Grade (Class) XII, instead of only from Class I to VIII, and a school breakfast added to the midday meal in preschool and primary school." style="box-sizing: border-box; vertical-align: middle; border-style: none; max-width: 100%; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;"></div><div class="gmail-shareContainer_two" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-align:left;line-height:26px"><div class="gmail-share_two gmail-share_three" style="box-sizing:border-box;border-radius:50%;line-height:26px"><div class="gmail-addthis_inline_share_toolbox" style="box-sizing:border-box;opacity:0;line-height:26px;margin-right:20px;clear:both"><div id="gmail-atstbx" class="gmail-at-resp-share-element gmail-at-style-responsive gmail-addthis-smartlayers gmail-addthis-animated gmail-at4-show" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;margin:0px;line-height:26px;opacity:1"><span id="gmail-at-a2c480e6-703e-4438-8b8a-fe665893bae5" class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;border:0px;overflow:hidden">AddThis Sharing Buttons</span><div class="gmail-at-share-btn-elements" style="box-sizing:border-box;line-height:26px"><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-facebook" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(59,89,152);color:rgb(255,255,255);opacity:0;margin:0px 2px 5px;padding:5px;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;border-radius:26px;line-height:0;border:0px;font-family:"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;width:40px;height:40px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;border:0px;overflow:hidden"></span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;float:left;line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-twitter" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(29,161,242);color:rgb(255,255,255);opacity:0;margin:0px 2px 5px;padding:5px;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;border-radius:26px;line-height:0;border:0px;font-family:"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;width:40px;height:40px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;border:0px;overflow:hidden"></span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;float:left;line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-linkedin" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(0,119,181);color:rgb(255,255,255);opacity:0;margin:0px 2px 5px;padding:5px;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;border-radius:26px;line-height:0;border:0px;font-family:"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;width:40px;height:40px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;border:0px;overflow:hidden"></span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;float:left;line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-whatsapp" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(77,194,71);color:rgb(255,255,255);opacity:0;margin:0px 2px 5px;padding:5px;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;border-radius:26px;line-height:0;border:0px;font-family:"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;width:40px;height:40px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;border:0px;overflow:hidden"></span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;float:left;line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-email" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(132,132,132);color:rgb(255,255,255);opacity:0;margin:0px 2px 5px;padding:5px;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;border-radius:26px;line-height:0;border:0px;font-family:"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;width:40px;height:40px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;border:0px;overflow:hidden"></span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;float:left;line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-compact" style="box-sizing:border-box;background-color:rgb(255,101,80);color:rgb(255,255,255);opacity:0;margin:0px 2px 5px;padding:5px;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;border-radius:26px;line-height:0;border:0px;font-family:"helvetica neue",helvetica,arial,sans-serif;width:40px;height:40px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden" style="box-sizing:border-box;padding:0px;border:0px;overflow:hidden"></span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;float:left;line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span><span class="gmail-at4-share-count-container" style="box-sizing:border-box;float:right;padding-right:15px;font-size:10.5px;line-height:20px">107</span></a></div></div></div></div></div><i class="gmail-sprite gmail-imgView gmail-imagezoom-icon" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:url("../images/sprite.png") -75px -269px no-repeat;width:41px;height:41px;display:block"></i></div><span style="box-sizing:border-box">Among the other key proposals are free and compulsory schooling from preschool till Grade (Class) XII, instead of only from Class I to VIII, and a school breakfast added to the midday meal in preschool and primary school.<span style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block">(Shutterstock)</span></span><div class="gmail-shareContainer" style="box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Merriweather,serif;line-height:26px"><div class="gmail-shar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er-box;padding-left:95px;padding-right:74px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Merriweather,serif;line-height:26px"><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">Three years of preschool and four-year undergraduate honours courses are among features of a draft National Education Policy that the Narendra Modi government received on the first day of its second innings.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">Among the other key proposals are free and compulsory schooling from preschool till Grade (Class) XII, instead of only from Class I to VIII, and a school breakfast added to the midday meal in preschool and primary school. </p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">Human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” received the NEP, prepared by an eight-member expert committee headed by eminent scientist K. Kasturirangan, immediately after taking charge on Friday.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">“Today I received the report. We will consult the states and take it forward,” Nishank said.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">The ministry will seek feedback from the public for about a month, higher education secretary R. Subrahmanyam said.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">After that, the final draft will be taken to the cabinet in the first week of July, Subrahmanyam said.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">India had adopted the existing education policy in 1986 and revised it in 1992. Under that policy, the 12 years of school are preceded by two years of “early childhood care and education”, largely implemented at anganwadi centres.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">The new draft policy recommends that preschool and school education be broken up into a 5+3+3+4 system, beginning with a five-year “foundational stage”, made up of three years of preschool and Grades I and II.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">This stage is to feature play-based, activity-based and discovery-based education, with the learning methods continually being upgraded in the light of the latest research.</p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:10px;line-height:26px">The draft suggests exposure to more than one language at the foundational stage. It says that most of the anganwadi centres, while focusing on play and day care, have neglected education because of poor infrastructure.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies                     <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone:  (215) 898-7475<br>Fax:  (215) 573-2138                                      <br><br>Email:  <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a>    <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>