NEP should be thanked for including research as a concern

The recent National Education Policy (NEP) is perhaps first to outline a research Eco system for the country. Never before such a policy on research was enunciated as a part of national education policy. While that is a welcome initiative, there is mix up of the two dimensions of knowledge society as some kind of two sides of same coin that is education and research. The components on research in this policy deserve equally serious consideration on its own as the education policy.

The NEP 2020 has provided for a National Research Foundation (NRF) to consolidate research endeavours in the country and as part of the panacea for revamping the education system in the country. The NRF is expected to build research capabilities across academics and consolidate research needs of the ministries in a pooled way. This initiative is to boost "research culture" in the country. This is indeed a very timely and laudable initiative. in fact, the 2019 union budget had explained the initiative based on the then draft report of national education policy and even provided initial funding for the NRF. That was the enthusiasm of the govt. to push through the proposal.