NEP 2020 Faces Growing Student Resistance

Opposition to NEP 2020 is gathering visible momentum as student groups escalate protests against the National Education Policy 2020. In Hyderabad, the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) has launched a signature campaign targeting the policy, submitting 1.4 lakh signatures to the Telangana principal secretary. The mobilisation reflects widening unease among students and sections of the academic community who argue that NEP 2020 is reshaping public education in ways that could deepen structural inequalities.

Critics contend that the National Education Policy 2020 encourages privatisation and centralisation, potentially weakening the federal character of education governance. They say the policy shifts attention toward structural overhauls and market-linked reforms while failing to address pressing ground realities, such as crumbling infrastructure and acute teacher shortages in government institutions, concerns that continue to affect access and quality in public education.

Student organisers and academics backing the campaign have warned that the Hyderabad submission is only an initial step. With dissatisfaction spreading across campuses, they signal larger protests ahead, positioning NEP 2020 not merely as a policy debate but as a flashpoint in the struggle over the future direction of India’s public education system.