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@article{204603,
        author = {Smita Srivastava and Dr. Anita Shukla},
        title = {National Education Policy 2020 and Gandhian Educational Philosophy: A Comparative Analysis of Pedagogical Convergences and Ideological Resonances},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {1},
        pages = {3177-3184},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=204603},
        abstract = {India's National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) is the most comprehensive restructuring of the Indian education system since 1986. This article undertakes a systematic comparative analysis of the philosophical underpinnings of NEP 2020 and the educational thought of Mahatma Gandhi, particularly his conception of Nai Talim (Basic Education), to identify points of ideological convergence, structural resonance, and persistent divergence. Employing a historical-analytical methodology grounded in primary and secondary sources, the study examines seven thematic domains: the meaning and purpose of education; curriculum design; medium of instruction; craft and vocational integration; teaching method and pedagogy; the teacher-learner relationship; and women's and mass education. The findings reveal substantial philosophical alignment between Gandhian pedagogy and NEP 2020, notably in advocacy for mother-tongue instruction, activity-based experiential learning, holistic character formation, and integration of vocational and academic streams. However, NEP 2020 departs from the Gandhian framework in its embrace of digital technology, standardised national assessment, and a multidisciplinary liberal-arts model attuned to twenty-first-century labour markets.},
        keywords = {National Education Policy 2020, Gandhian Educational Philosophy, Nai Talim, Basic Education, Holistic Development, Mother Tongue Instruction, Craft-Centred Pedagogy, Character Formation, Indian Education System, Comparative Education.},
        month = {June},
        }