Nagaland University holds programme on NEP 2020 implementation

Kohima, August 28 (MExN): Nagaland University on Thursday organised a one-day online programme on “Sensitization & Implementation of NEP 2020 in HEIs” under the aegis of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India.

The programme was organised by the university team for Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2026 and chaired by Prof P K Pattnaik.

It began with a welcome address by Prof L Tongpang, followed by an address by Prof Bendang Ao, Director, Research and Development Centre, Nagaland University.

Ao outlined the progress made by the university in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, including initiatives related to the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), SWAYAM, MOOCs, Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), AI-related courses and syllabi, and MoUs with international institutions.

The first lecture was delivered by Prof C B Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribag, Jharkhand, on “Implementation of NEP 2020: Role of Regulatory Frameworks for Higher Education”.

Sharma stressed the need for stronger links between higher education, the evolving skills and job market and the needs of society. He said academic knowledge should be connected with contemporary employment requirements and called for greater participation by India in global knowledge sharing.

He emphasised strengthening the relationship between school and higher education and highlighted the importance of the mother tongue in education.

Sharma also said vocational education should be linked with local industries so that students acquire skills relevant to employment opportunities in their communities. He advocated flexibility in curriculum design, allowing learners to pursue areas of interest, along with mentorship policies that give students greater ownership of their academic pathways.

Competency-based certification, multiple entry and exit options, multidisciplinary education and greater institutional autonomy were highlighted as important components of a responsive higher education system.

The second lecture was delivered by Prof K Srinivas, Head, ICT and Project Management Unit, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New Delhi, on “Integrating AI Competencies into Learner-Centric, Experiential and Blended Learning Environments for NEP 2020”.

Srinivas focused on the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming teaching and learning in line with NEP 2020. He said teachers in AI-enabled classrooms would need to develop digital, pedagogical and soft skills to meet the requirements of 21st-century education.

He stressed the need for open educational resources and repositories that promote learner-centric approaches and enable students to independently explore and engage with knowledge.

Srinivas encouraged teachers to use AI tools to strengthen learning strategies while continuously updating their knowledge and professional competencies. He also highlighted the importance of platforms such as Moodle, Canvas and Google Classroom, along with cloud-based and AI-enabled tools, to facilitate flexible and interactive learning. 

He discussed experiential learning as a means of helping students connect classroom concepts with practical situations and, during a hands-on session, provided examples of classroom-based AI prompts for integrating such tools into teaching and learning.

Srinivas also highlighted the potential of AI in higher education research and discussed its responsible use at different stages of the research process.

The organising team comprised Prof P K Pattnaik, Nodal Officer, Kohima Campus; Prof L Tongpang, Nodal Officer, Medziphema Campus; Prof Athungo Ovung, Nodal Officer, Headquarters, Lumami; Peter Ki, Coordinator; Zajamo Yanthan, System Administrator, Headquarters, Lumami; and Bendanginla Jamir, System Administrator, Kohima Campus.