NEP rollout: Colleges scramble to hire teachers and upgrade infrastructure

Increase in enrolment and National Education Policy’s focus on multi-disciplinary electives pose a challenge

Degree colleges, which are seeing a rise in admissions for the 2021-2022 academic year, are scrambling to rope in additional guest faculty members and improve infrastructure to meet the demand. The need for more teachers and classrooms is all the more necessary owing to the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 which offers new electives and a multi-disciplinary approach to learning, said college managements.

A principal of a government degree college said that admissions in Humanities have increased by 40% compared to the previous year. “Last year, I needed around 14 guest faculty members but this year, I will need at least 30,” the principal said.

Most colleges are introducing new electives across streams as stipulated by the NEP which has been rolled out for the first time this academic year for undergraduate programmes.