National Policy on Education, 1986 (As modified in 1992)

The main objective of the National Policy on Education of 1986 and Programme of Action, 1992 was to establish a national system of education was to ensure that all students irrespective of caste; creed, sex, and religion have access to education of a comparable quality.

Major Features of the Policy

• Elementary Education
  • Universal access to enrolment
  • Universal retention of children up to the age of 14 years
  • A sustainable improvement in the quality education to enable all children to achieve essential levels of learning.

Secondary Education

• Stresses on improvement of the quality of secondary education.
• Ensuring enhanced computer literacy in secondary level institutions to equip necessary computer skills.

Higher Education

• It should provide to the people with an opportunity to reflect on the critical social, economic, cultural, moral and spiritual issues.
• It emphasized that education must play a positive and interventionist role in correcting social and regional imbalance, empowering women, and in securing rightful place for the disadvantaged and the minorities.
• It stressed on promoting the vocalization of education, adult education, education for PwDs (including mentally challenged), enhancing open universities and distance learning, special emphasis on early childhood care and education.

The policy was amended in 1992 and added specific scheme guidelines on above heads like for early child care and education emphasis must be given on schemes like ICDS, Balwadis, Day-care centres, etc.