1-Ncf 2023 Hindi Removed Compressed

National Curriculum Framework for School Education
National Curriculum Framework

for School Education
2023
1
2

for School Education
2023
National Steering Committee for National Curriculum Frameworks
3
4
1.1 From the Chair
It is with a great sense of pride and satisfaction that I submit this National Curriculum Framework
for School Education (NCF-SE), on behalf of the National Steering Committee for National
Curriculum Frameworks to Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education,
Government of India.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a transformative initiative to usher India to prepare
itself to meet the challenging demands of a 21st century knowledge society. The NCF-SE is one of
the key components of NEP 2020, that enables and energises this transformation, informed by
its aims, principles, and approach. Its objective is to realise the highest quality education for all
our children, consistent with realising an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as envisaged by
our Constitution.
This is the first ever integrated Curriculum Framework for children between ages 3-18 in India.
It is a direct outcome of the 5+3+3+4 ‘curricular and pedagogical’ structure that NEP 2020 has
come out with for School Education. To ensure appropriate focus and fillip to the Foundational
Stage (ages 3-8), the detailed National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS)
was released on 20 October 2022 by the Hon’ble Minister of Education, which is integrated
within the NCF-SE. The National Curriculum Frameworks for Teacher Education, and for Adult
Education, will follow shortly.
To ensure that this NCF is responsive to the needs and aspirations of our people, and the nation,
and is also informed by the very best experience and knowledge we have conducted widespread
consultations across the country. This process has benefited from the engagement of over 13
lakh interested citizens including students and parents, and over 1.5 lakh Teachers and
educationists from across the country, over 1550 district level consultations from 32 States and
Union Territories, and 35 groups of institutions. These consultations are in addition to over 600
papers on 25 specifically relevant themes written by groups constituted by the States and UTs
which all together had over 4000 experts, and 25 papers on these themes developed by expert
groups with over 175 members, constituted by the National Council for Educational Research
and Training. The pre-draft of the NCF-SE was placed for public comment on 6 April 2023, and
over 100 institutions and educators gave more than 1500 detailed comments.
While the NCF-SE is informed by this collective knowledge and wisdom, the real challenge has
been to analyse these inputs and develop a cogent, pragmatic, and effective synthesis that will
enable changes in practices on the ground. This, in turn, has called for the NCF-SE to be presented
in a language, structure, and with a variety of illustrations, such that practitioners, including
most importantly Curriculum and Syllabus Developers, Teaching-Learning-Material Developers,
and Teachers, should be able to relate it to their current realities. I emphasise this aspect of the
work of this Committee, primarily, to highlight the several challenges arising from the needs of
developing innovative methods and approaches.
We have been able to deal satisfactorily with the extraordinarily challenging task of developing
this NCF-SE because of the vibrant teamwork and dedication of my colleagues in this endeavour.
5
I must express my personal gratitude to all of them — the members of the National Steering
Committee for the National Curriculum Frameworks, the Mandate Group for the National
Curriculum Frameworks, and the Technical Secretariat Group, and equally to the team members
from the National Council of Educational Research and Training, and from the Ministry of
Education.
Together, we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to Indian education and to the country
through the NCF-SE, which will influence not just today but the coming decades.
K. Kasturirangan
Chairperson
National Steering Committee for National Curriculum Frameworks
29 July 2023
Bengaluru
6
1.2 Acronyms
S.No. Acronym Full Form
1 AAC Alternative Academic Calendar
2 AEP Additional Enrichment Period
3 AI Artificial Intelligence
4 AR Augmented Reality
5 BITE Block Institute of Teacher Education
6 BRC Block Resource Centre
7 CCC Control and Command Centre
8 CG Curricular Goals
9 CF Curriculum Framework
10 CLT Communicative Language Teaching
11 CPU Central Processing Unit
12 CRC Cluster Resource Centre
13 CRT Cathode Ray Tube
14 CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
15 DAISY Digitally Accessible Information System
16 DIET District Institute of Education and Training
17 DIKSHA Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing
18 DIY Do It Yourself
19 DNA Deoxyribonucleic Acid
20 ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education
21 EVS Environmental Studies
22 FLN Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
23 FOSS Free and Open Source Software
24 GMO Genetically Modified Organism
25 GRR Gradual Release of Responsibility
26 HIIT High Intensity Interval Training
27 HPC Holistic Progress Card
28 ICDS Integrated Child Development Services
29 ICT Information and Communication Technology
30 IDA Interdisciplinary Areas
31 IEP Individualised Education Plan
7
32 ISL Indian Sign Language

33 IT Information Technology
34 IT Department Income Tax Department
35 ITEP Integrated Teacher Education Programme
Kasturirangan Committee Report 2019
36 KRCR 2019
(or Draft National Education Policy)
37 KTPI Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India
38 LiFE Lifestyle for Environment
39 LMS Learning Management System
40 LS Learning Standards
41 MCQ Multiple Choice Question
42 MeitY Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
43 MIIT Medium Intensity Interval Training
44 MIS Management Information System
45 MoI Medium of Instruction
46 MWCD Ministry of Women and Child Development
47 NAB National Association for the Blind
48 NAS National Achievement Survey
49 NCDRC National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
50 NCERT National Council of Educational Research and Training
51 NCF National Curriculum Framework
52 NCF-TE National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education
53 NCF-FS National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage
54 NCF-SE National Curriculum Framework for School Education
55 NCTE National Council for Teacher Education
56 NDEAR National Digital Education Architecture
57 NEP National Education Policy
National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic
58 NISHTHA
Advancement
National Institute for the Empowerment of the Persons with Visual
59 NIVH
Disabilities (Divyangjan)
60 NSQF National Skills Qualifications Framework
61 NTA National Testing Agency
62 OER Open Educational Resources
Over-The-Top, a consumer-subscribed internet platform for
63 OTT
television and film content
8
64 PBR People’s Biodiversity Register

65 PCK Pedagogical Content Knowledge
66 PE Physical Education
Originally Physics Education Technology , now a STEM-based free online
67 PhET
simulation tool alternative for real-world experiments
68 POCSO Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012
69 POSH Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, 2013
Plan-Review-Arrange-Guide-Yak (talk)-Assign-Track-Appreciate, guidelines
70 PRAGYATA
for digital education in India published by NCERT
71 PTM Parent-Teacher Meeting
72 PTR Pupil-Teacher Ratio
73 QR Code Quick Response Code
74 RERA Real Estate Regulatory Authority
75 RPL Recognition of Prior Learning
76 RPWD Act Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
77 SCERT State Council of Educational Research and Training
78 SCF State Curriculum Framework
79 SDP School Development Plan
80 SEDG Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Group
81 SLAS State Learning Achievement Survey
82 SMC School Management Committee
83 SS Social Science
84 SWAYAM Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds
85 TET Teacher Eligibility Test
86 TLM Teaching-Learning Material
87 TPD Teacher Professional Development
88 TT Table Tennis
89 TWAU The World Around Us
90 UDL Universal Design for Learning
91 UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
92 UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
93 VE Vocational Education
94 VR Virtual Reality
95 YUVAi Youth for Unnati & Vikas with AI
96 ZPD Zone of Proximal Development
9
10
1.3 Table of Contents
From the Chair 5
Acronyms 7
Table of Contents 11
How to Read the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 14
Introduction 15
Summary 20
 PART A: APPROACH 43
1. Aims and Curricular Areas of School Education 45
2. School Stages — Logic and Design 62
3. Approach to Learning Standards, Content, Pedagogy, and Assessment 87
4. Time Allocation 130
 PART B: CROSS-CUTTING THEMES 141

1. Rootedness in India and Indian Knowledge Systems 143
2. Values and Dispositions 158
3. Learning about and Caring for the Environment 170
4. Inclusion in Schools 180
5. Guidance and Counselling in Schools 187
6. Educational Technology in Schools 191
 PART C: SCHOOL SUBJECTS 209

1. Learning in the Foundational Stage 211
2. Language Education 234
3. Mathematics Education 268
4. Science Education 294
5. Social Science Education 320
6. Art Education 353
7. Education in Interdisciplinary Areas 386
8. Physical Education and Well-being 418
9. Vocational Education 443
10. Subjects in Grades 11 and 12 475
 PART D: SCHOOL CULTURE AND PROCESSES 513

1. School Culture 515
2. School Processes 530
11
 PART E: CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ECOSYSTEM 547

1. Capacity Building for Implementation 549
2. Ensuring an Appropriate Environment for Learning 553
3. Enabling and Empowering Teachers 559
4. Community and Family Engagement 566
Glossary 571
Conventions and Styles Used in this NCF 575
References 576
Bibliography 577
Acknowledgements 593
Wide and Inclusive Process for Development of the National

Curriculum Framework 597

12
13
How to Read the

The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) is best read
from the beginning to the end — the entire volume. This is because the NCF-SE is an
integrated framework where each part has implications on the other.
However, if there is a need to be selective, then it is recommended that Part A must

be read along with whatever may be the matter of interest from the subsequent
parts. This is because Part A lays the foundations of the NCF-SE.
For example — if a Science Teacher wants to focus only on her subject, she should
read the entirety of Part A and then the chapter on Science Education in Part C.
Education Administrators may want to focus on School Culture and Practices which
is in Part D and on Creating an Enabling Ecosystem which is in Part E, but these
must be read along with the entirety of Part A.
Curriculum and syllabus developers must read the entire volume, while content
developers may adopt the approach as mentioned for Teachers and
administrators above.
Other interested stakeholders of the education system may read the summary and
then the chapters of their interest; however, even for them, glancing through Part A
would be useful.
It is also important to keep in mind that the NCF-SE has many illustrations. These
have been used to bring to life the principles and approach of the NCF-SE for the
practitioner. The user of this NCF-SE is certainly not bound in any way by these
illustrations. Similarly, the level of detail articulated in this NCF-SE is to bring
clarity to the principles and approach in the reality of practice, and not to be
prescriptive in any manner.
Since the explicit objective of this NCF-SE is to help improve the practice of
education in the reality of our schools, it has attempted to be as relatable as
possible to the practitioner — by the use of illustrations, by going into details, and
other methods. It is this choice that has made this volume fairly lengthy.
An Artificial Intelligence-based virtual assistant has been trained to help users

navigate through the NCF-SE and which surely will continue to improve.
A caution: the one thing that people who work in education, from Teachers to the
highest-level administrators, must not do is to read just the summary and think that
the NCF-SE is read.
14
1.4 Introduction
The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) called for a complete transformation of India’s
schooling system to make it of the highest quality for all students equitably, and to serve the
needs and aspirations of the country and its people, today and for the future. The purpose of this
National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE, in short NCF) is to help to bring
about such changes by effecting corresponding positive transformations in India’s school
curricula.
In this NCF, ‘curriculum’ refers to the overall goals, plans, arrangements, and practices that shape
the experiences of students in schools. Thus ‘curriculum’ does not just refer to the subject content
of textbooks and other teaching-learning materials (TLMs) and their pedagogy, but also includes
aspects such as school environment and culture. It is indeed only through such holistic and
integrated changes across all these key aspects of the curriculum that we will be able to positively
transform the overall learning experiences of our students.
Because it is the Teacher who must be the torchbearer for these changes, this NCF aims to see
and present matters from the perspective of a Teacher’s reality. For that reason, this NCF contains
the kinds of details, suggestions, and illustrations that would clarify its approach and principles
at the level of practice of a Teacher and the school. The Teachers and schools are not bound by
these illustrations, but the level of detail provided would hopefully make this NCF more graspable
and usable.
This approach of detailing should also make this NCF more useful and readable not just to
Teachers but to all the practitioners of education — including school leaders and academic and
administrative functionaries such as cluster and block resource persons, BEOs, teacher educators,
examination boards, and curriculum/ syllabus/ textbook development teams — as well as to
those who have the greatest stake in education, namely, parents, community members and, of
course, the students themselves.
This NCF aims to provide each such interested reader a reasonable understanding of what
education should be like in the vision of this NCF — and why — and what role they could play.
Vision of the National Curriculum Framework

The NEP 2020 called for the development of a new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and
new State Curriculum Frameworks (SCFs) as the bases for transforming school education in the
country. This is in consonance with the empowerment of States in our federal structure, with
education as a concurrent subject. This NCF would aim to help bring consonance and harmony
across the curricula in the country.
In this spirit, it is of the utmost importance — for all our children of today and of tomorrow, and
for the future of India — to develop an educationally robust and aspirational, yet practically
implementable, NCF as well as SCFs, that will ensure that all students — no matter their
circumstances of birth or background — have the best possible education, with complete support
from the system.
15
At the level of the individual, the goal of the new curricula must be to foster a school education
system that builds character and enables learners to be well-rounded, healthy, ethical, creative,
rational, compassionate, and caring individuals, while also preparing them well for higher
education as well as for gainful, fulfilling employment. It must aim not only for all students to
learn, but more importantly to learn how to learn, so that they may become lifelong learners and
also have the ability to constantly adapt to changing times. The new curricula must enable and
inspire students to participate in and contribute to society — culturally, economically, and
democratically.
At the level of society, the goal of the new curriculum must be to transform our society into one
that is more just, equitable, humane, prosperous, sustainable, and rooted in Indian ethos and
culture. It should enable India’s continued ascent and leadership on the global stage in terms of
economic growth, social justice and equality, research and knowledge creation, scientific and
technological advancement, environmental sustainability, and cultural preservation and
vibrancy. The education system must ensure that the actual practice of the curricula, including
content, pedagogy, environment, and culture in schools, clearly promote these individual and
societal goals.
Curriculum Content
The world is undergoing rapid changes in the knowledge landscape. With various dramatic
scientific and technological advances, such as the rise of big data, machine learning, and artificial
intelligence, many jobs worldwide may be fundamentally affected — while the need for a
workforce with deep human capacities, including those involving multidisciplinary capacities
across languages, mathematics, sciences, social sciences, vocational education, and art, and those
that involve empathy, care, communication, and ethical reasoning, will be in increasingly greater
demand.
With climate change, environmental degradation, and depleting natural resources, there will
also be an increasing demand for capacities for environmental sustainability; indeed, mere
environmental sustainability may not be sufficient any longer — environmental restoration and
regeneration will be required to save our planet.
The health and well-being of individuals remains a key aspect for success in all other aspects of
life. Education across all subject areas, as well as in physical education, health, and well-being, is
also critical for the holistic development of the individual.
For these reasons, it is very important for students to receive a multidisciplinary education that
includes art and craft, physical education and well-being practices, vocational education,
languages and literature, as well as mathematics, science, and social science; this will help to
ensure the development of all aspects and capabilities of learners, and help to make education
more well-rounded, useful, engaging, and fulfilling to the learner.
Certain key capacities, values, and dispositions (which include what are sometimes called ‘21st
century skills’) should also be acquired by all students across subject areas to become good,
fulfilled, and productive human beings in today’s rapidly changing world. These capacities,
values, and dispositions include: scientific temper and evidence-based and critical thinking;
creativity and innovativeness; sense of aesthetics and art; oral and written communication;
multilingualism; health and nutrition; mental and physical fitness and well-being; collaboration
16
and teamwork; problem solving and logical reasoning; ethical and moral reasoning; digital
literacy, coding, and computational thinking; knowledge and practice of human and Constitutional
values; empathy, inclusion, and pluralism; Fundamental Duties; citizenship skills and values;
environmental awareness and sensitivity; cleanliness, sanitation, and hygiene; cultural literacy
and identity; rootedness and pride in India while being a productive global citizen; and knowledge
of current affairs and critical issues facing local communities, States, the country, and the world.
To enable the development of the aforementioned Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and

Dispositions, it will be necessary to reduce the content load in each subject to the core essentials
— in order to make time and space for more effective pedagogy, including where relevant more
multi- and inter-disciplinary, experiential, discussion-based, and activity-based learning. All of
this together would result in a deeper disciplinary understanding of the subjects as well as
develop these important capacities, values, and dispositions.
Pedagogy
To enable deeper understanding of concepts across subjects, and their interrelations, and to
enable the acquisition of the various aforementioned values, dispositions, and capacities,
pedagogy in the classroom must become more effective. Depending on the matter of study,
context, and stage of the student, these effective pedagogical approaches would be of a wide
range, including pedagogy that is more experiential, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-
oriented, discussion-based, project-based, arts-based, sports-based, and activity-based. Such
pedagogy will not only be more effective, but also more engaging and enjoyable.
In general, more participation, questioning, discussion, debate, and writing (including creative
writing) by all students in the classroom in all subjects will help ensure the acquisition of
capacities in languages, communication, and logical reasoning that are considered essential for
effective exchanges of ideas across disciplines over a lifetime.
Assessment too will be transformed in parallel to the changes in pedagogy, from primarily testing
facts, to testing core capacities and Competencies. The ‘assessment culture’ must change too, so
that assessment is conducted increasingly as learning and for learning. There must also be
periodic assessment of learning to ensure readiness for the next phase of learning, and to arrange
suitable support for students when this readiness is not achieved.
The Board examinations for Grades 10 and 12 will also be substantially reformed. These will be
made ‘easier’ — the Board examinations will primarily aim to assess understanding and
achievement of Competencies rather than months of coaching and memorisation. To further
eliminate the ‘high stakes’ aspect of Board examinations, all students will be allowed to take
Board examinations on at least two occasions during any given school year, with only the best
score being retained. In the long term, being able to take a subject Board examination immediately
after the ‘school term’ (i.e., ‘semester-wise’ or ‘on-demand’ Board examinations) will be made
available.
Environment, Practices, and Culture

The overall learning experience of students lies not only in the curriculum content and pedagogy,
but is also determined by the school environment, practices, and culture. The culture of schools
will be transformed to maximise the ability of Teachers to perform their roles effectively, and to
17
ensure that all members of the school are part of vibrant, caring, and inclusive communities of
Teachers, students, parents, Principals, and other support staff, all of whom share the clear
common goals — to ensure that our students feel safe and comfortable, are cognitively,
emotionally, and physically healthy, and are enjoying the learning process.
A nurturing school environment and culture of this type can be developed through the leadership
of Teachers, Principals, and other school functionaries who can act as role models to students.
Inclusive, caring, and nurturing practices at the school by Teachers and other staff can help
develop corresponding values and dispositions in students, e.g., not publicly sharing or displaying
student information about their socio-economic backgrounds, not treating students any
differently regardless of caste, gender, religion, disability, etc., fostering a sense of community,
respecting students’ home languages in cases where they are different from the main school
languages, nurturing and valuing the natural environment, reducing and recycling, keeping the
school building and surrounding areas clean and tidy, etc., will help develop corresponding
desirable values and dispositions in students that may not be developed as effectively through
‘curriculum content’ alone.
Effecting these Curricular Changes

In order to enable these transformations of the curriculum in practice, this NCF aims to account
for the reality of the average Teacher and school (such as the widespread existence of multigrade
and multilevel teaching)—and provide a realistic pathway to the ideal from the current reality, in
steps, taking into account the resources available to the Teacher, the capacities of the Teacher
and the surrounding system, and the environment that the Teacher has to operate in, in terms of
school and system culture, school and class size, and the community and socio-economic
backgrounds of the students.
This NCF briefly touches upon the actions and practices of the various actors of the education
system and its stakeholders, to enable its implementation — this includes not only Teachers, but
also educational administrators, academic support institutions, schools and their leadership,
and the families and communities of students.
The NCF aims to be unambiguous and unhesitating in confronting the key problems and realities
facing the schooling system, without which real change in the educational lives of our Teachers
and students would not be possible.
Organisation of this NCF

This NCF is organised into five parts.
• Part A articulates the broad Aims of School Education, and the desirable Values and
Dispositions, Capacities and Skills, and Knowledge that are required for achieving these
aims. It also lays down the principles and approaches for content selection, pedagogy, and
assessment and gives the rationale and design principles for the four stages of schooling.
• Part B focuses on some of the important cross-cutting themes of NCF, viz., rootedness in
India, education for values, learning and caring about the environment, inclusive education,
guidance and counselling, and use of educational technology in schools.
18
• Part C has separate chapters for each school subject. Each of these chapters have Learning
Standards defined for all the relevant stages of schooling along with specific guidelines for
content selection, pedagogy, and assessments appropriate for that subject. The part also has
a chapter on the Foundational Stage and one on design and range of subjects in Grades 11
and 12
• Part D handles school culture and processes that enable a positive learning environment
and inculcate desirable values and dispositions.
• The last part, Part E, outlines the requirements for an overall ecosystem of schooling that
would enable the achievement of the aims of the NCF. This includes aspects of Teacher
capacities and service conditions, physical infrastructure requirements, and the role of the
community and family.
19
1.5
Summary
The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) is an ambitious Policy document aiming to
improve educational outcomes in the country for all children. It has been more than three
decades since the publication of the previous National Policy on Education in 1986. A lot has
transformed in this period — significant changes in demography and in educational access and
attainments; an information revolution; the expansion of knowledge particularly in domains
such as cognitive neuroscience, computer science, deep learning, and artificial intelligence;
global economic and health shocks (2008, 20); and challenges of climate change and
environmental degradation. NEP 2020 aims to respond positively to these changes and makes
clear recommendations for education at all levels, starting with education for children of age 3 to
higher education.
Some of the key highlights of the Policy in the context of school education are:
a. A 5+3+3+4 stage design. Schooling has been divided into four stages based on the styles
of learning best suited for those age groups — Foundational Stage for ages 3-8, Preparatory
Stage for ages 8-11, Middle Stage for ages 11-14, and Secondary Stage for ages 14-18.
b. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). The Policy has laid significant emphasis on
ECCE. It is now well recognised that early educational intervention, along with nutrition, is
foundational for future positive outcomes. A holistic curriculum has been developed
keeping in consideration all the relevant developmental domains of early childhood.
c. Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. The Policy gives the highest priority to achieving
universal Foundational Literacy and Numeracy. The abilities to read and write, and perform
basic operations with numbers, is seen as a necessary foundation and indispensable
prerequisite for all future schooling and lifelong learning.
d. Curricular Aims. Emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and
development of capacities and values, such as critical thinking, decision making, and
creativity, and ethical, human, and constitutional values.
e. Multidisciplinary, Holistic, and Integrated Education. Focus on this across the Sciences,
Social Sciences, Art, Humanities, and Sports for a multidisciplinary world in order to ensure
the unity and integrity of all knowledge.
f. Reduced Curriculum Content. The Policy makes clear recommendations to reduce the
content load in each subject to its core essentials and thereby make space for critical
thinking and holistic learning.
g. Flexibility and Choice in the Secondary Stage. The Policy recommends increased
flexibility and choice of subjects of study, particularly in secondary school — including
subjects in Physical Education, the Art and Crafts, and Vocational Skills — so that students
can design their own paths of study and life plans.
h. Integrating Vocational Education. The Policy aims to overcome the social status
hierarchy associated with Vocational Education and requires integration of Vocational
Education programs into mainstream education.
i. Multilingualism. Given the multilingual heritage of India, and the cognitive benefits of
learning multiple languages, the Policy gives strong emphasis towards learning multiple
languages including languages native to India.
20
j. Rootedness in India. The vision of the Policy is to instil among the learners a deep-rooted
pride in being Indian, not only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds, as well as
to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support responsible
commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being,
thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.
The Policy recommends the formulation of a new and comprehensive National Curriculum
Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) to realise the above vision for school education.
This NCF-SE thus aims to continue the transformative journey initiated by NEP 2020. This
chapter is a summary of the NCF-SE. It outlines the core principles adopted for the
formulation of the NCF-SE and then summarises the key chapters.
1.1 A Few Preliminary Points

To read this NCF-SE or in short, NCF, it is useful to have a common shared understanding of
the most basic terms being used.
1.1.1 Curriculum
Curriculum refers to the entirety of the organised experience of students in any institutional
setting towards educational aims and objectives.
The elements that constitute and bring to life a Curriculum are numerous, and include goals and
objectives, syllabi, content to be taught and learnt, pedagogical practices and assessment,
teaching-learning materials (TLMs), school and classroom practices, learning environment and
culture of the institution, and more.
There are other matters that directly affect a Curriculum and its practice or are integrally related
while not being within the Curriculum. These include the Teachers and their capacities, the
involvement of parents and communities, issues of access to institutions, resources available,
and administrative and support structures.
1.1.2 Curriculum Framework

The Curricula across our country must be informed by and be fully responsive to the glorious
unity in diversity of India. The imagination of NEP 2020, where institutions and educators are
highly empowered (including to develop Curricula), is energised by this unity in diversity and
the nurturing of it.
States have the Constitutional mandate to provide high-quality education to all children, and
their own unique State contexts inform their own approaches to Curricula.
This NCF must aim to support exactly that — it is a framework to help develop all the diverse
Curricula in the country, while enabling consonances and harmony across the country, and
providing a basis for quality and equity.
21
Thus this NCF aims to provide the guiding principles, goals, structure, and elements for the
development of Curricula, informed by which the syllabi, TLMs including play materials,
workbooks, textbooks, and assessment methods will be developed by the relevant functionaries
including Teachers in the States, Boards, and schools.
1.1.3 What does this NCF aim to achieve?

The overarching objective of this NCF is to help in positively transforming the school education
system of India, through positive changes in the curriculum including pedagogy. In particular,
this NCF aims to help change practices in education and not just ideas; indeed, since the word
‘curriculum’ encapsulates the overall experiences that a student has in school, ‘practices’ do not
just refer to curricular content and pedagogy, but also include school environment and culture.
It is this holistic overall transformation of the curriculum that will enable us to positively
transform overall learning experiences for students.
1.2 Core Principles of this NCF Design

This NCF has adopted some core principles in designing the curriculum framework to realise the
vision of NEP 2020.
a. Guide for Practitioners. The intent of this NCF is to be a valuable guide to practitioners of
education, whether they are syllabus or content developers or school Teachers. The
language used and style of articulation is such that it is easily comprehensible and relatable
to practitioners.
b. Specificity. To be relatable to practitioners, this NCF has gone into specific, nonbinding
suggestions and illustrations, wherever they may be useful, and used examples from
ground experiences to illustrate concepts and the principles. There is often concern in the
educational domain that being specific means being prescriptive, thus robbing the
autonomy of the practitioners. However, this NCF is guided by the belief that being specific
is a virtue, helping to provide a good starting point for practitioners. They can still always
innovate, using the specifics provided only as a starting point or as an idea to be modified
or replaced in a manner that is appropriate to their contexts and circumstances. The
ground realities in the country indicate that practitioners are often left confused and
directionless with only generalities and broad visionary statements on education.
c. Pragmatic Considerations. This NCF has considered ground realities, such as time
available during the school day, resources available in most school contexts in India, and
Teacher availability and preparation. While it is true that all educational endeavours are
exercises of hope, this NCF has consciously maintained an appropriate balance between
idealism and pragmatism, providing in many cases both short- and long-term solutions to
problems being faced. Thus, the reforms suggested are expected to be within the Zone of
Proximal Development (ZPD) of the current education system as a whole.
d. Learning Standards. This NCF has set clear and specific Learning Standards (see §1.4) in
order to bring clarity to all stakeholders — policymakers, educational administrators and
functionaries, syllabus and content developers, parents, Teachers, and students — on the
22
intended educational outcomes of the curriculum. Since school education is a public good,
it is hoped that such clarity among all stakeholders will bring more accountability and
effectiveness to the education system as a whole.
1.3 Learning Standards

Education, in a very fundamental sense, can be defined as the attainment of valuable Knowledge,
Capacities, Values, and Dispositions. If that is so, one of the key questions for any curriculum
framework is: which Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and Dispositions are valuable? In other
words, what is worth teaching? This NCF responds to this question very specifically through a
clear and precise set of ‘Learning Standards.’
These ‘Learning Standards’ and the processes associated with them, for example the ‘flow-down’
from ‘Aims of Education’ to ‘Learning Outcomes,’ is central to this NCF — to ensure alignment
and integration of the different components of the design and practice of curricula, such that our
school education achieves what we want for our children.
All stakeholders of school education must give the greatest of attention to the ‘Learning
Standards.’
1.3.1 Broad Aims of School Education

The Learning Standards are guided by certain widely agreed upon broad Aims of School Education
that are articulated in this NCF. These aims have been arrived at from the vision and purpose of
education as envisaged by NEP 2020:
a. Rational Thought and Autonomy. Schools should aim to develop independent thinkers
who make well-informed decisions based on a grounded understanding of the world
around them.
b. Health and Well-being. School education should be a wholesome experience for students.
Students should acquire Knowledge, Capacities, and Dispositions that promote mind-body
wellness.
c. Democratic and Community Participation. Democracy is not just a form of governance;
it is a ‘mode of associated living,’ a sense of collaborative community. School education
should aim to develop such Knowledge, Capacities, and Values and Dispositions that enable
students to participate and contribute to the democratic functioning of India.
d. Economic Participation. School education should aim to develop such Knowledge,
Capacities, Values, and Dispositions that enable students to participate and contribute to
the economy. Effective participation in the economy has a positive impact both for the
individual and for society as a whole.
e. Cultural Participation. Understanding the culture and heritage embedded in the family
and community is at the core of cultural participation. School education should promote
cultural literacy and enable students to acquire knowledge, capacities, and values and
dispositions to participate meaningfully and contribute positively to culture.
23
1.3.2 Values and Dispositions, Capacities, and Knowledge

The broad aims of education are best achieved through:
a. Developing appropriate values including traditional values of Indian heritage — ethical and
moral values, democratic values, and epistemic values.
b. Acquiring positive dispositions — positive work ethic, curiosity and wonder, and pride and
rootedness in India.
c. Developing capacities — for inquiry, effective communication, problem solving and logical
reasoning, creativity and aesthetic expression, maintaining health, productive work, and
effective social engagement.
d. Acquiring knowledge in breadth and depth. The seven Curricular Areas of Languages,
Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being,
and Vocational Education, along with Interdisciplinary Areas, develop multidisciplinary
and interdisciplinary knowledge in students. Such knowledge allows students to develop a
well-grounded understanding of the world.
These values and dispositions, capacities, and knowledge are often developed together, and the
content, pedagogy, and assessments aim to weave them together seamlessly.
1.3.3 Curricular Aims, Goals, Competencies, and

Learning Outcomes
The Learning Standards to achieve the above values and dispositions, capacities, and knowledge
are articulated at four levels:
a. Curricular Aims — Curricular Aims have been articulated within each of the Curricular
Areas. These aims are to be achieved by the ends of each of the four Stages of schooling.
The aims of all the eight Curricular Areas put together should result in the achievement of
the broad Aims of School Education as articulated above.
b. Curricular Goals — Curricular Goals are more specific statements that give direction to
curriculum development and implementation in order to achieve the Curricular Aims. They
are also specific to a School Stage (e.g., the Foundational Stage) and a Curricular Area (e.g.,
Mathematics).
c. Competencies — Competencies are specific learning achievements that are observable
and can be assessed systematically. In this NCF, Competencies (which are only suggestive
and may vary in different contexts) are directly derived from a Curricular Goal and are
expected to be attained by the end of a Stage. Summative assessments at the end of each
Stage of schooling should be based on these Competencies.
d. Learning Outcomes — Learning Outcomes (LOs) are granular milestones of learning and
usually progress in a sequence leading to the attainment of a Competency. These LOs
enable Teachers to plan their content, pedagogy, and assessments towards achieving
specific Competencies. Syllabus and content developers would have to adapt these LOs
based on the contexts in which they are applicable.
24
Thus, in this NCF, there is a clear flow of increasing specificity from the broader Aims of Education
to specific LOs. Through these clear linkages, all stakeholders can observe and evaluate the
educational achievements of students that should lead to meeting the broad Aims of School
Education. An illustration of such a flow, in Language Education, is given below.
Figure 1.3i
Aim of Education
Rational Thought and Independent Thinking/Autonomy: Making choices based on rational
analysis, creativity, and a grounded understanding of the world, and acting on those choices, is an
exercise of autonomy. This indicates that the individual has gained the capacity for rational
reasoning, critical thinking, knowledge with both breadth and depth, and discernment to
understand and improve the world around them. Developing such independent thinkers who are
curious, open to new ideas, think critically and creatively, and thereby form their own opinions
and beliefs is thus a very important aim for school education.
Language Education
Curricular Aim
Effective communication skills: Students should develop their Language capacities to think
critically, identify real-world problems, analyse them, make rational arguments, and work out
solutions. The capacity to use language to think and communicate well in a variety of
situations is critical for effective democratic, social, and cultural participation.
Curricular Goal
Language 1 (R1), Secondary Stage
CG-3: Uses Language to develop reasoning and argumentation skills by engaging with a
variety of audio and written material
Competency
Language 1 (R1), Secondary Stage
C-3.2: Argues with proper rationale by carefully evaluating premises
Learning Outcomes
Language 1 (R1), Secondary Stage (Grades 9 and 10)
Grade 9 Grade 10
Evaluates the premises of an argument for its Lists premises (reasons and evidences) that
clarity, relevance, and reliability (of evidence) are useful for an argument
Recognises own emotional biases while Makes logical connections between premises
reading and listening and conclusion in speech and writing
25
1.4 Stage Design

This NCF has divided the school curriculum into four Stages as per the recommendation of NEP
2020.
1.4.1 Foundational Stage

a. This Stage is for students aged between 3 and 8.
b. The Learning Standards for this Stage have been set based on domains of development
— Physical Development, Socio-emotional and Ethical Development, Cognitive
Development, Aesthetic and Cultural Development, and Language and Literacy
Development. In addition to these domains, it is important to set Learning Standards for
developing Positive Learning Habits that serve as a foundation for all further school
learning.
c. Developing Foundational Literacy and Numeracy finds adequate emphasis in this Stage.
Children learn two languages (R1 and R2) and are expected to achieve Foundational
Literacy in R1 by the end of this Stage.
d. The content to achieve these Learning Standards are predominantly concrete play
materials, such as toys, puzzles, picture books, and manipulatives during the first three
years. Textbooks/ playbooks/ workbooks are recommended only from Grade 1. Children’s
literature is a particularly important source of content for this Stage.
e. The pedagogy is largely play-based and emphasises nurturing, caring relationships
between the Teacher and the children. There should be a balance between self-paced
individual learning and group activities. Systematic guidance is required for developing
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
f. Assessments are conducted largely in the form of qualitative observations by Teachers. In
Grades 1 and 2, worksheets can be a source of information on children’s learning for the
Teacher. Explicit tests and examinations are deemed to be inappropriate for this Stage.
1.4.2 Preparatory Stage

b. The Learning Standards for this Stage have been set for two languages within Language
Education (R1 and R2), Mathematics, Art Education, Physical Education, and The World
Around Us (as an interdisciplinary area of study). Work and pre-vocational skills are
included as part of The World Around Us curriculum.
c. Content can be presented slightly more through textbooks while concrete materials and
experiences still form the core of content presentation. The World Around Us (TWAU), in
particular, should rely more on activities and experiences, rather than presented as inert
facts in textbooks. To take children well beyond Foundational Literacy and develop a
genuine interest in independent reading, children’s literature will need to play a major role
in the content for Language Education in the Preparatory Stage.
26
d. Activity - and discovery-based pedagogy should continue to play a big role in the
Preparatory Stage classroom. But students should be encouraged, gradually, to be active
participants in more formal classroom settings. Practice and other activities to develop
fluency should find a place during school hours and as homework.
e. Short formal written assessments are appropriate for this Stage. Teachers’ observation of
students’ work continues to form an important assessment mechanism. Periodic
summative assessments can be utilised to supplement the more regular formative
assessments. Summative assessments at the end of this Stage should be based on the
Competencies defined in the Learning Standards.
1.4.3 Middle Stage

a. This Stage is for students aged between 11 and 14
b. Students need to learn three languages (R1, R2, and R3) in this Stage. Learning Standards
are set for these languages as well as for Mathematics, Art Education, and Physical
Education. Science Education and Social Science Education have separate sets of Learning
Standards, and Vocational Education finds its own curricular space and Learning
Standards. These areas represent different forms of knowledge and students are expected
to gain a more formal understanding of the nature of as well as of the methods of inquiry in
each form.
c. The content in the Middle Stage needs to reflect the engagement with theoretical concepts
and the introduction of theories and conceptual frameworks specific to each form of
knowledge. There is a shift to more abstract ideas and the students are expected to engage
with unfamiliar contexts and situations. The language used in the content should assist
students in developing academic linguistic proficiency. Such expansion, both in the
different forms as well as abstraction, can pose challenges to students. Well-designed
textbooks that reflect the specific goals of the Learning Standards have a very significant
role to play in presenting content in easy and comprehensible formats in this journey from
concrete to abstract.
d. The pedagogy adopted in this Stage should be a judicious balance of direct instruction as
well as opportunities for exploration and inquiry. Building on prior knowledge and
opportunities to learn from errors become important considerations for instructional
strategies. There should be a constant focus on the methods of inquiry within each
Curricular Area.
e. Assessments can be more formal and explicit. Assessment design has a very important role
to play in shifting the focus from content retention to conceptual understanding and
fluency in the methods of inquiry. Students should be given opportunities to engage with
higher-order capacities of analysis and synthesis through meaningful, yet challenging,
assessments. Summative assessments at the end of this Stage should again be based on the
Competencies defined in the Learning Standards.
27
Figure 1.4i
28
1.4.4 Secondary Stage

b. Phase 1 — Grades 9 and 10:
i. All students would continue to engage with all the Curricular Areas as in the
Middle Stage.
In addition, students would study Environmental Education as an Interdisciplinary Area
of study. They would develop capacities for reasoning and argumentation for issues in
the public sphere along with ethical and moral reasoning. They would use these capaci-
ties in the context of Environment Education.
Learning Standards have been set for these areas of study.
c. Phase 2 — Grades 11 and 12:

i. Choice-based courses are to be offered to enable flexibility and choice for students and
to remove hard separations between disciplines and academic areas.
ii. Students need to study two subjects from Language Education (called Group 1, see
Figure 1.4i), at least one of which must be a language native to India. Literature
subjects are also contained in Language Education at this level.
iii. Students need to choose four subjects (with an optional fifth subject) from at least two
of the following three groups (see Figure 1.4i):
1) Group 2: Art Education, Physical Education, Vocational Education
2) Group 3: Social Science and Humanities, Interdisciplinary Areas
3) Group 4: Science, Mathematics and Computational Thinking
iv. This scheme allows for both breadth of study as well as gaining disciplinary depth. To
allow for interesting combinations, there should be no further restrictions for students
to choose specific streams.
v. An illustrative list of subjects that can be made available within each Group is given
below.
vi. Some illustrative combinations possible with this scheme are given in Figure 1.4ii.
d. Textbooks play a significant role in organising content in Grades 9 and 10. In Grades 11 and
12, students should be encouraged to source content from multiple channels. Course
compendiums can be utilised in Grades 11 and 12 to make the choice of content more
dynamic and flexible.
e. Pedagogy at this Stage should expect more independent learning from the students. More
opportunities for self-study and group work should be encouraged. Classroom interactions
should also be diverse — didactic, Socratic, and inquiry-based methods are all appropriate
for this Stage.
29
Figure 1.4ii
30
f. Assessments and Board Examinations:

i. Students should be given opportunities to engage with higher-order capacities of
analysis and synthesis through meaningful yet challenging assessments.
ii. Board examinations for Grade 10 should be based on the Competencies set for each of
the Curricular Goals in that area. Art Education, Physical Education, and Vocation
Education would have local assessments with Board certification.
iii. To get a Grade 12 certificate, the students should pass the following Board
examinations:
1) 2 examinations in Languages
2) 4 examinations from at least 2 Groups (with one additional optional exam)
3) Subjects in Group 2 (Art Education, Physical Education, and Vocational Education)
would have local assessments with Board certification.
g. Implications for Schools and Boards of Examinations:
i. Schools and Examination Boards should be prepared to offer and assess subjects from
all the ten Curricular Areas for Grade 10 right from the beginning of the
implementation of this NCF.
ii. Schools and Examinations Boards should be prepared to offer a minimum of two
languages for Grades 11-12 from the beginning of the implementation of this NCF.
iii. All Board examinations must move towards becoming ‘easier’ without any compromise
on assessing genuine learning, by testing basic concepts and Competencies across
subjects, rather than rote learning.
iv. Schools should be prepared to offer subjects from at least two Groups amongst Groups
2, 3, and 4 immediately. Within 5 years, schools should be ready to offer subjects from
all four Groups. Within 10 years, schools should offer many more subjects covering all
Curricular Areas, and students should study subjects across all four Groups.
v. The Secondary Stage has been divided into two Phases — Grades 9 and 10, and Grades
11 and 12. In 10 years, all school systems should move to a single Secondary Stage,
where students have choice and flexibility right from Grade 9, following the current
curricular structure of Grades 11 and 12. Thus, realising the NEP vision of the
Secondary Stage as being ‘four years of multidisciplinary study’ across all
Curricular Areas.
vi. The current system of study in annual and two-year patterns should move to a
semester and/or annual design. This would allow for greater flexibility in the design of
courses as well as course options for students.
vii. In ten years, Boards of Examination should be prepared to offer certification through
modular examinations — ‘that each test far less material and are taken immediately
after the course is taken in school.’ [NEP 2020, 4.38]
31
1.5 Few Thrust Areas of this NCF

In this section, highlights of few thrust areas of this NCF have been summarised. It must be noted
that these are not the only ‘thrust areas’ in this NCF; however, these are being highlighted in the
summary because often these are given inadequate importance.
This NCF renews the focus on Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, and Vocational
Education and brings them into the core curriculum. The need for Environmental Education has
been systematically addressed. These focus areas also aim to be rooted in India and in Knowledge
of India (including Indian Knowledge Systems).
1.5.1 Art and Physical Education

Art and Physical Education are given their due emphasis in this NCF. Specific Curricular Aims and
Learning Standards have been set in these Curricular Areas too, so that education in these
domains is carried out with the same rigour and expectations as other school subjects. To give a
holistic education to students, it is important to see these areas as part of the main curriculum
and not just as ‘co-curricular’ or ‘extra-curricular’ activities.
a. The aim of Art Education is to promote joy in exploring and creating artwork; develop
imagination and creativity; and develop empathy and sensitivity and a sense of belonging
to our culture. The processes of creating as well as appreciating art are given equal
emphasis.
b. The aim of Physical Education is to promote a love for physical activity and sports; develop
capacities for skilful engagement in physical activity and sports; and develop resilience,
empathy, and cooperation. India has a wonderful tradition of Yoga which is a wholesome
experience for maintaining mind and body wellness. Physical Education gives Yoga and
overall mind-body wellness its due place.
c. The Learning Standards for Art and Physical Education have been set as ‘Nested Learning
Standards.’ It is recognised that schools and school systems would need time to get
prepared to achieve the complete learning expectations in these domains. The first set of
Learning Standards, called Learning Standards — 1, details the full range of Curricular
Goals and Competencies for this Curricular Area. All schools should accomplish these as
soon as they are able to add the required resources for Art/Physical Education. Nested
within Learning Standards — 1 is a subset called Learning Standards — 2, which can and
should be accomplished by all schools from the very initiation of the implementation
of this NCF.
d. Art Education introduces Visual Arts, Music, Dance and Movement, and Theatre. In the
Foundational Stage, the Arts contribute towards the sensorial, physical, socio-emotional,
aesthetic, and cultural development of young children. In the Preparatory Stage, students
develop the skills for making art and also develop a curiosity towards local art forms and
artists. The objective of Art in the Middle Stage is to help students develop an appreciation
for the artistic and cultural diversity of their region and other parts of India. In the
Secondary Stage, students should develop an awareness of the wide scope of applications
in the Visual and Performing Arts.
32
e. In Physical Education, at the Foundational Stage, the focus is on the development of gross
and fine motor skills through free play. In the Preparatory Stage, local games are
introduced but maintain fluidity and not specific rules of play. The Middle Stage contains
more structured sessions and skill development. The Secondary Stage provides
opportunities and choices for gaining depth in specific sports. Throughout all Stages,
mind-body wellness is promoted through activities and practices such as Yoga as well as
through education in healthy lifestyles and good nutrition.
f. Assessments are more performance-based in these domains. Thus, a wider variety of
assessment tools need to be employed including detailed observation reports and student
portfolios.
g. The last period in the Secondary Stage timetable is recommended to be an optional extra
time for students to engage in their preferred art or sports activities. Local artists, artisans,
and sportspersons can engage with the students in schools to give a wider exposure,
including leading to participation in interschool sports competitions and other clubs or
interschool activities.
1.5.2 Vocational Education

School education should prepare students not just to understand the world around them, but
also to do productive work. These capacities for work would enable students to be productive
members of their households as well as participate in the economy. Thus, this NCF sees Vocational
Education as an integral part of the curriculum.
a. Through the Curricular Area of Vocational Education, students would be exposed to and
develop basic skills in three forms of work — work with life forms, work with machines
and materials, and work in human services.
b. The school curriculum at the Preparatory and Middle Stages would endeavour to build
relevant capacities in the abovementioned three forms of work. As we can easily observe,
these forms of work not only provide the necessary breadth in capacities for productive
work, but they also become the foundation for developing capacities in vocations in
primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the economy, thus meaningfully contributing to
the aim of economic participation.
c. In the Secondary Stage of four years, the first two years would work towards consolidating
these capacities to develop transferable skills that serve students well in any vocation. In
the last two years of schooling in the Secondary Stage, students will be given opportunities
to specialise in specific vocations of their choice.
d. The content of Vocational Education should be locally relevant as far as possible and, at the
same time, respond to the aspirations of students. In the Secondary Stage, the Learning
Standards should align with the National Skills and Qualifications Framework (NSQF)
levels.
e. The content must instil respect for the dignity of labour.
f. The pedagogy should balance ‘making and thinking’ in a manner that is relevant for
vocations. Workshops and projects are effective ways of teaching vocational capacities.
Internships and apprenticeships are encouraged while taking safety considerations into
account.
33
g. Assessments should be based on observations, portfolios, and projects and should not just
focus on capacities and skills, but also values and dispositions.
1.5.3 Environmental Education

One of the biggest challenges in the 21st century is the conservation of the natural environment.
Even when looked at purely from a human point of view, environmental degradation becomes a
justice and equity issue. NEP 2020 recognises this challenge and the need for a meaningful
educational response. This NCF gives the required emphasis to developing Knowledge, Capacities,
Values, and Dispositions that would develop both awareness and abilities to act responsibly in
environmentally sustainable practices.
Students also need to develop capacities for interdisciplinary thinking, since most real-life
problems need interdisciplinary solutions. Understanding and responding to the problem of
environmental degradation and climate change needs interdisciplinary thinking too. Thus, this
NCF focusses on Environmental Education as part of the Education in Interdisciplinary Areas in
Grades 9 and 10.
a. India has had a long tradition of understanding the intimate connection between nature
and human life. However, the pressures of modern life have fractured the bonds between
the natural environment and human beings. Ideally, knowledge from ancient times to the
modern should converge towards sustainable solutions to the growing environmental
challenges. Environmental education constitutes an important step in this direction. By
incorporating topics from various subject areas, students will learn to appreciate the
nuances and complexity of the human-nature equilibrium and the impact and trade-offs of
different decisions taken at a societal or even individual level.
b. The main aims of Environmental Education are to:
i. Create a strong foundation of environmental literacy, which includes understanding
the interlinkages between ecological, social, economic, and political factors.
ii. Develop a more compassionate attitude towards the natural environment, drawing
upon teachings from ancient Indian traditions and practices, the Indian Constitution,
as well as scientific research on the effects of modern human activity on the
environment.
iii. Develop an action-oriented mindset and skillset so as to promote environmental
causes, with a solid understanding of how individual, societal, national, and global
actions can help us restore the balance between humans and nature and thereby save
our planet and ourselves.
c. In the Foundational Stage, spending time in nature is an integral part of pedagogy,
encouraging children to observe and interact sensitively with plants, animals, insects, and
birds. Stories, poems, and songs should have elements of the environment and appreciation
of nature.
d. In the Preparatory Stage, through the study of The World Around Us, students begin to
appreciate the interdependence between human society and the natural environment.
e. In the Middle Stage, concepts related to the environment are integrated into Science and
Social Science. The interactions between the natural world and the human world are
understood through both scientific and social scientific models of inquiry.
34
f. In Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage, Environmental Education is part of

Interdisciplinary Areas. Students will view Environmental Education from a social-
ecological perspective, as opposed to a perspective informed primarily by either Science or
Social Science. They would develop capacities for reasoning and argumentation including
ethical and moral considerations. They would use these capacities in the context of debates
around environmental conservation and protection that integrate understanding from the
sciences on ecological and climate processes and understanding from the social sciences on
ideas of justice, equity, and human well-being.
1.5.4 Rootedness and Pride in India

Our country possesses a rich cultural and civilisational heritage with varied traditions within
and across local communities. Contemporary India is equally vibrant, taking its place in the
modern world. Our country is home to deep knowledge and extensive practice in a variety of
disciplines and fields from Literature to Mathematics, Philosophy to Art, Grammar to Astronomy,
Ecology to Medicine, Architecture to Agriculture, Ethics to Governance, Crafts to Technologies,
Psychology to Politics, Literature to Music, and Economics to Education.
As recommended by NEP 2020, this NCF is strongly rooted in India’s context, Indian thought, and
Indian Knowledge and Knowledge Systems.
This rootedness of this NCF is manifested in the following ways:
a. The holistic vision of education and its aims, from our ancient heritage to our modern
thinkers, informs the overall approach of this NCF.
b. The vibrant epistemic approach of Indian schools of thought towards knowledge and how
we know.
c. The core of the guru-shishya tradition as a base for the centrality of the Teacher-student
relationship for effective learning; correspondingly, the tradition of dialogue and debate as
a tool towards the discovery of the truth.
d. The use of local resources of learning, including language, practices, experts, histories,
environment, and more, as rich sources of illustrations or case studies.
e. The rich history of Indian contributions to various fields not only develops pride and
self-confidence, but also enriches learning in those areas. For example, the approach to
Environmental Education is deeply enriched by the range of nature-conservation traditions
across India, the approach to Values and Ethics is rooted in Indian concepts and practices
of respect and compassion for fellow humans and all creatures.
f. The importance of the involvement of parents and communities in education.
1.6 Other Curricular Areas

While the curriculum is divided into eight Curricular Areas, the approach of this NCF ensures
that there is no hard separation between ‘science’ and ‘art,’ between ‘streams,’ of ‘vocational’ and
‘academic,’ between ‘curricular’ and ‘co-curricular,’ etc. The previous section highlighted the
summary of Art Education, Physical Education, Vocational Education, and Education in
35
Interdisciplinary Areas (including Environmental Education). These have found the necessary
focus as part of the curriculum. In this section, key highlights of the other Curricular Areas are
summarised.
1.6.1 Language Education

a. The rich multilingual heritage of India is given its due place in the Language Education
curriculum. The curriculum aims at developing linguistic proficiency for academic use in
three languages by age 15 (Grade 10). At least two out of these three languages should be
languages native to India. At least one language native to India will be studied at the
‘literature level.’
b. At least one language native to India will be offered as an option for the medium of
instruction to all students up to Grade 12.
c. The language in which literacy is first learnt in school (R1) should be a language that is
most familiar to the student. Usually, this is the mother tongue of the student or the
language that is prevalently used in the neighbourhood.
d. Since it is in R1 that literacy is first attained, it must be used as the Medium of Instruction
(MoI) for other subjects, at least until literacy in another language is attained.
e. In Grades 11 and 12, at least two languages will be studied, at least one of which is a
language native to India.
f. Language Education in all these languages would not just aim for oracy and literacy.
Students should develop effective communication, discussion, and writing skills in these
languages along with capacities for literary appreciation and creative use of language.
g. Learning a language is learning a culture. Language Education aims to enable the student to
immerse and participate in the linguistic heritage and culture of India, including through
participatory engagement with the rich written and oral literature of India such as stories,
poems, songs, epics, plays, films, and more.
h. Developing a lifelong interest in reading is an important Curricular Goal in Language
Education. The use of library resources plays an important role in achieving this goal.
i. The pedagogic strategies pay attention to developing digital reading skills. ‘Deep reading’
instead of ‘shallow reading’ is emphasised in the context of an attention economy where
there are strong incentives for constant shifts in attention.
1.6.2 Mathematics Education

a. Mathematics Education has never been more important globally for students and for
society. The close connection between Mathematics and artificial intelligence, machine
learning, data science, climate modelling, infrastructure development, and the numerous
other related scientific issues faced by India and all nations today makes Mathematics a
particularly crucial area of school education.
b. The Mathematics Education curriculum not just aims for capacities in foundational
numeracy, mathematical thinking, and problem solving in students, but also intends to
nurture joy, wonder, and curiosity and the ability to see patterns and appreciate the
36
elegance and aesthetics of mathematical concepts and ideas, while at the same time
eliminating the fear of Mathematics that is widely prevalent today.
c. In the Foundational Stage, attaining foundational numeracy (i.e., understanding, and
adding and subtracting with Indian numerals, a sense of basic shapes and measurement
using non-standard tools, and early mathematical thinking through play) represents the
key focus of Mathematics Education.
d. In the Preparatory Stage, while the focus is on building a conceptual understanding of
numbers, the four basic operations, shapes and spatial sense, measurement (standard tools
and units), and data handling, the objective is to develop capacities in procedural fluency
and mathematical and computational thinking to solve problems from daily life.
e. In the Middle Stage, the emphasis moves towards abstracting some of the concepts learnt
in the Preparatory Stage in order to make them more widely applicable. Algebra, in
particular, is introduced at this Stage through which students are able to, for example, form
rules to understand, extend, and generalise patterns. More abstract geometric ideas are
also introduced at this Stage and relations with algebra are explored to solve problems and
puzzles.
f. Finally, the Secondary Stage focusses on further developing the ability to justify claims and
arguments through logical reasoning. Students become comfortable in working with
abstractions and other core techniques of Mathematics and Computational Thinking, such
as the mathematical modelling of phenomena and the development of algorithms to solve
problems.
g. Mathematics has an extremely rich history in India, spanning thousands of years from
Vedic times to the modern era. By learning about the development of Mathematics in India
as well as throughout the world, a rootedness in India can be enhanced along with a more
general appreciation of the history of Mathematics and of the remarkable evolution and
development of mathematical concepts through time, and India’s critical role in these
developments.
1.6.3 Science Education

a. Science Education gives equal emphasis to acquiring capacities for scientific inquiry and
conceptual understanding of theories, laws, and principles in science. Through these
capacities and concepts, students are expected to develop a scientific understanding of how
the physical natural world functions.
b. While scientific knowledge has exploded, expecting to include all this knowledge in the
school curriculum, where time and space are limited, results in unnecessary burden on
students. Content for Science Education is chosen to be limited to its essential core to give
adequate space and time for developing important capacities for scientific inquiry, such as
the ability to put forth questions, observations, hypotheses, experiments, arguments,
predictions, and data analysis.
c. In the Foundational Stage, Science Education begins as part of the cognitive development of
the child. Making sense of the world through observation and logical thinking is an
important Curricular Goal at this Stage.
d. In the Preparatory Stage, the understanding of the physical world is acquired in an
interdisciplinary manner through the study of the school subject The World Around Us.
37
Students will be encouraged to ask questions, observe, experiment, make connections,

analyse, and make explanations of phenomena in their immediate environment (both social
and physical) — thereby discovering for themselves the basics of the scientific method.
e. In the Middle Stage, Science Education focusses on the scientific exploration of concrete
experiences of the students. They begin to use mathematical and schematic
representations to model and analyse phenomena. By engaging with the evolution of
scientific theories, students begin to appreciate the nature of scientific knowledge and
methods of scientific inquiry. Students also develop the ability to communicate their
understanding effectively.
f. In Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage, more abstract scientific theories and conceptual
structures are introduced with increasing methodological sophistication in the disciplines
of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science, and their interrelations with each other
and with other subjects.
g. In Grades 11 and 12, students can choose specific disciplines within Science such as
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science. They can thereby delve further into these
disciplines and engage with theories, laws, principles, concepts, and methods of inquiry
specific to these disciplines.
h. In the Middle and Secondary Stages, students also explore the relationship between
Science, technology, and society. They understand and appreciate the history of Science and
the contributions of India to the overall field of Science from ancient to modern times.
1.6.4 Social Science Education

a. Social Science is the systematic and scientific study of human societies that explores the
relationship between the individual and society, social institutions, and organisations. In
this NCF, the term Social Science is also used to include those branches of the Humanities
that involve the more qualitative study of human society, culture, thoughts, creations,
development, and actions in the past and present.
b. The purpose of Social Science Education is to help students learn about the society in
which they live, e.g., how members of their society live, interact, behave, eat, speak (and in
what languages), express themselves through art, the traditions they follow, what they
wear, and their aspirations.
c. Social Science Education also helps students develop pride in their culture and their
country, with a forward-looking spirit to continuously improve — as individuals, as a
society, and as a nation.
d. The approach to the study of Social Science aims to develop an interdisciplinary
perspective rooted in disciplinary knowledge that enhances the students’ capacities to
understand social processes in a holistic manner.
e. In the Preparatory Stage, the students study society as part of their local environment
through the interdisciplinary subject of The World Around Us.
f. In the Middle Stage, Social Science becomes a separate school subject, and the content is
organised in a thematic manner. Each theme would be studied through an integrated view
38
of History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, and other relevant disciplines, such as
Psychology, Philosophy, Anthropology, and Sociology. Additionally, each theme will be
studied at the local, regional, national, and global levels.
g. While students study History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics as separate
subjects in Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage, a complete picture is attempted by
ensuring that the same concept is also considered through the lenses of other disciplines in
an integrated manner. This approach builds disciplinary depth while ensuring a holistic
interdisciplinary perspective.
h. In Grades 11 and 12 of the Secondary Stage, Social Science is a choice-based option for
students where they can choose to do an in-depth study from a range of disciplines that
constitute the Social Sciences, such as History, Geography, Political Science, Philosophy,
Economics, Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology.
i. Social Science Education aims to enable students to:
i. Understand how societies function by developing awareness of how there is continuity
and change in human civilisations; the interaction between nature, natural resources,
and human beings; the commonness and unity in diversity among people and their
practices; and the transformations over time of various social, political, and economic
institutions.
ii. Develop capacities for inquiry in Social Science — sourcing, verifying, and cross-
validating evidence through multiple sources; creative and critical thinking; forming
coherent narratives based on available evidence; forming informed opinions and
demonstrating logical thinking; and proposing meaningful responses to contemporary
concerns of society based on these methods of inquiry.
j. While the entire Social Science curriculum would be strongly rooted in India from the local
to the national level, students would also learn and understand the significant
contributions of India to the concepts and methods in the disciplines within Social Science
from ancient to modern times.
1.7 School Culture and Processes

School Culture and Processes have a direct and significant influence on learning of students.
Thus, these must be nurtured and shaped systematically and carefully to enable achieving the
Aims of Education.
1.7.1 School Culture

School Culture influences learning in two significant ways. First, it enables an effective learning
environment for all students. Second, it has a significant influence on the development of Values
and Dispositions.
a. School Culture has two aspects. The first aspect is values, norms, and beliefs — which form
the school culture; and the second aspect is behaviours, relationships, and practices — in
which the culture is manifested and experienced. The elements that form the culture and
its manifestation are deeply integrated. The students learn from and are influenced by the
manifestations.
39
b. These manifestations can be seen in three categories — relationships amongst the people
in the school, symbols that are displayed and celebrated, and arrangements and practices
of the school.
Systematic and deliberate effort must shape these manifestations to develop an enabling
learning environment and the development of desirable values and dispositions amongst
students.
c. To achieve the Aims of Education, the constituent elements of School Culture must have
certain characteristics.
i. Relationships must have mutual trust and be respectful, with openness,
communication, and collaboration, as well as care and responsibility.
ii. Symbols must thoughtfully highlight and celebrate the desired values and dispositions.
iii. School arrangement and practices must manifest these desired values, including in
classroom practices, school assembly, mealtime arrangements, distribution of work,
sports activities, and in the engagement with parents, family, and the community.
1.7.2 School Processes

School processes must ensure two things — the smooth functioning of day-to-day activities and
enabling progress towards the achievement of the Curricular Goals. School processes can be
broadly divided into the following categories:
a. Curricular processes, which includes school timetable, assembly, library related, student
committees, and forums, events, and celebrations.
b. Curriculum-associated processes, which include those related to Teacher collaboration and
professional development; engaging with parents, families, and communities;. and
mealtime, health, and hygiene.
c. Organisational processes, which includes school development plans, time and resource
allocation, student safety, resolving differences and disciplinary issues, and data
management and reporting.
1.8 Creating a Supportive Ecosystem

This NCF only touches briefly upon the kind of ecosystem required for its implementation; these
matters would be detailed in other relevant documents and forums.
1.8.1 Capacity Building for Implementation

Speedy and systematic capacity development of all stakeholders must occur to enable
implementation of this NCF. This includes Teachers, Head Teachers, Principals, syllabus and TLM
developers, Teacher Educators, and other Functionaries of the Education system. Parents and
community members must also be familiarised with this NCF.
40
Relevant programmes must be designed and implemented by institutions, such as the SCERTs.
Particularly for Teachers, rigorous programmes would be required to help them bring this NCF
to life in the classroom.
1.8.2 Ensuring an Appropriate Environment for Learning

Schools must be welcoming spaces that attract students. These must be safe and secure. They
must also be supportive of and address the needs of the Teachers. Quality, adequacy, and
maintenance of infrastructure are often the differentiators between a good school and a not-so-
good one, especially in the eyes of parents and the community.
a. Outdoor infrastructure must be ensured, which includes boundary/compound wall; basic

school structure; open space for play and assembly; trees and plants; and accessibility for
the inclusion of all.
b. Indoor infrastructure must include clean, spacious, well-ventilated classrooms; libraries
and laboratories; dining area and drinking water facilities; toilets; semi-open and partially
shaded areas; and uninterrupted supply of water and electricity.
c. Infrastructure must ensure safety and inclusion.
1.8.3 Enabling and Empowering Teachers

Teachers must be the torchbearers of all educational improvement. Thus, teachers must be
enabled and motivated in every way possible. Some key points for Teachers’ engagement and
motivation are:
a. Teachers must have autonomy to respond to the reality of the classroom in the best
possible manner to achieve the Aims of Education. For this, they must be enabled with the
right teaching-learning resources, physical environment, and professional development.
Along with this autonomy, Teachers must have accountability, fully recognising that
accountability is a complex matter in education.
b. Appropriate PTR must be maintained to enable student engagement and achievement.
c. TPD is a very important aspect of the education system, ensuring continuous improvement,
and will be important in implementing this NCF.
d. Pre-service Teacher Education will be transformed to achieve the objectives of this NCF, as
mentioned in NEP 2020. The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education
(NCF-TE) associated with this NCF will be released shortly.
e. Head Teachers and School Principals have a central role in ensuring the ethos and
educational practices in their school that can ensure high-quality implementation of this
NCF.
f. Academic and administrative functionaries of the education system would have to fully
own the spirit of this NCF for its implementation.
41
1.9 Community and Family Engagement

For more holistic learning and upbringing of children, parental and community participation is
necessary. Parents and the community must be deliberately and systematically engaged,
including through orientation meetings, regular Parent-Teacher meetings, and continuing
dialogues to build perspective. Parents and members of the community can also act as resource
persons. School Management Committees (SMCs) are formal structures, and these must be
nurtured to play a vibrant role.
42
2. Part A
2. Approach
Part A
43
This Part of the NCF lays down the basic structure of the curriculum.
Any curriculum should be a response to some fundamental Aims of Education. Chapter 1
articulates the Aims of School Education as well the broad curricular design to achieve
these aims. This Curriculum Framework has another unique responsibility. It must respond to
the 5+3+3+4 School Stage design as envisioned by NEP 2020. Chapter 2 gives the logic and
thinking behind this four-stage design and the curricular considerations specific to each
Stage. Chapter 3 gives the overall approach to the curriculum. This includes the approach
to defining Learning Standards, principles for content selection, pedagogy, and assessment.
Any curricular imagination is necessarily constrained by the overall time available for
teaching and learning. The last chapter, Chapter 4, engages with considerations related to
time allocation for different areas of the curriculum.
Part A
44
Chapter 1
Aims and Curricular Areas of
School Education
Education must have clear Aims, and the curriculum and the overall education system must
strive in every way to achieve these Aims. This first chapter of this NCF describes the Aims of
School Education and outlines the elements of the curriculum that enable the achievement of
these Aims. For our country’s education, these Aims are derived from NEP 2020.
This chapter begins by reiterating the vision of Indian education as envisaged by NEP 2020,
including the purposes of education and the characteristics of individuals that such an education
would strive to develop.
The chapter then organises this vision provided in NEP 2020 into specific Aims of School
Education that provides clear direction for the NCF, aligns its curricular elements, and also guides
other elements of the education system. These Aims are to be fulfilled by developing appropriate
Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and Dispositions in the students which this chapter articulates.
School curriculum consists of all the deliberate and organised set of arrangements, mechanisms,
processes, and resources in a school (of any kind) that are intended to help achieve the Aims of
Education. These include the subjects that are taught, the pedagogical and classroom practices,
books and other Teaching-Learning Materials (TLMs), examinations and other forms of
assessment, and school culture and processes. The last section of the chapter gives a brief outline
of these arrangements that are appropriate for achieving these Aims.
There are a range of matters that are not a part of the curriculum, but directly affect the curriculum
in practice and therefore learning, such as the appointment of Teachers and their professional
development, admission of students and the composition of students, engagement with parents
and the community, and physical infrastructure. These aspects are thus touched upon in this NCF
but are not addressed comprehensively.
Section 1.1
Vision of Education Drawn from NEP 2020
Education is, at its core, the achievement of valuable Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and
Dispositions.
Society decides the Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and Dispositions that are ‘valuable’ enough to
be developed through education, and so they are informed by the vision that the society has for
itself. Hence it is through the development of Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and Dispositions in
the individual that education contributes to the realisation of the vision of a society.
Part A
45
The overarching vision of India is articulated in the Constitution of India and is also informed,
therefore, by the civilisational heritage of India. Drawing from this vision of India, the vision of
education in India is enunciated in NEP 2020 as follows:
This National Education Policy envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that
contributes directly to transforming India, that is Bharat, sustainably into an equitable and
vibrant knowledge society, by providing high-quality education to all, and thereby making India
a global knowledge superpower.
[NEP 2020, The Vision of this Policy]
The vision is, thus, of an education system that contributes to the development of an equitable
and vibrant knowledge society. Education can achieve this by developing appropriate desirable
qualities in the individuals who participate in the education system as students.
These qualities of individuals, along with their contribution to society are further enunciated in
NEP 2020:
The purpose of the education system is to develop good human beings capable of rational
thought and action, possessing compassion and empathy, courage and resilience, scientific
temper and creative imagination, with sound ethical moorings and values. It aims at producing
engaged, productive, and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive, and plural
society as envisaged by our Constitution.
[NEP 2020, Principles of this Policy]
The aim of education will not only be cognitive development, but also building character and
creating holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with the key 21st century skills.
[NEP 2020, 4.4]
Thus, the development of well-rounded individuals capable of rational thought and action,
equipped with appropriate knowledge and capacities, and possessing desirable moral and
democratic values, is at the core of the vision of education.
Section 1.2
Aims of School Education
School Education must develop in students appropriate values, dispositions, capacities, and
knowledge required to achieve the above vision of education.
A curriculum, therefore, must systematically articulate what these desirable values, dispositions,
capacities, and knowledge are, and how they are to be achieved through appropriate choice of
content and pedagogy and other relevant elements of the education system, and present
strategies for assessment to verify that they have been achieved.
Part A
46
Box 1.2i
Definitions
Before we elaborate on the Aims of School Education, it is useful to clarify the meanings of
the words — knowledge, capacities, values, and dispositions as used in this document. Here
is a brief explanation of what is meant by these words in this NCF:
a. Knowledge refers to descriptive knowledge, i.e., ‘knowing that’ — for example, knowing
that the earth revolves around the sun or knowing that Mahatma Gandhi played a central
role in India’s independence movement. A very large part of the understanding of the
world is attained through this form of knowledge. This form of knowledge is expressed
through theories, concepts, and principles. In a way, this form of knowledge reveals to us
the truths about the world. While knowledge of this form might appear to be factual, the
focus of acquiring such knowledge is not merely on remembering these facts, but also on
the ability to think about why these facts are true, to inquire further, to connect together
pieces of such knowledge, and to foster the development of new knowledge and insight
and use such knowledge in life. For example, how can we know if the statement ‘Earth and
other planets of our solar system revolve around the Sun’ is true? What are the sources of
evidence? What are the methods of justification? Where can this knowledge be used?
School education must focus on all these aspects of knowledge.
b. Capacities refer to procedural knowledge, i.e., ‘knowing how’ — for example, knowing
how to communicate effectively or think critically or how to play Kho Kho. The abilities
and skills acquired through this form of knowledge enable us to act based on our
understanding. Usually, procedural knowledge is used in the context of embodied abilities,
such as the ability to drive a car; however, problem solving and reasoning, for example,
are procedural knowledge too. We refer to such broad know-how, such as critical
thinking, problem solving, and effective communication as capacities, and these
capacities can be broken down into narrower skills such as addition or decoding. Often,
acquiring descriptive knowledge requires capacities too; for instance, in Science, the
capacities and skills of observation and experimentation are central to building
descriptive scientific knowledge. For example, without the skills of observation, it is
difficult to truly justify that the Earth and other planets revolve around the sun. For a
student to attain a capacity or a skill, the ability needs to be consistent and repeatable,
and it also needs to be adaptable to different situations. For instance, to be skilled in
making pots or performing addition, the student should be able to exercise that ability
successfully not just once, but multiple times consistently and accurately, and should be
able to work with different materials or numbers.
Capacities are broader and deeper than skills. A capacity often consists of multiple skills.
Thus, skills are sub-elements of capacities. In other contexts or documents, ‘skills’ and
‘capacities’ may have been used interchangeably or ‘skills’ would have been used for what
is classified as ‘capacities’ in this NCF. This NCF should be read with these distinctions in
mind.
c. Values and Dispositions. Effective action needs strong motivation in addition to
knowledge and capacities. Our values and dispositions are the sources of that motivation.
Values refer to beliefs about what is right and what is wrong, while dispositions refer to
the attitudes and perceptions that form the basis for behaviour. Thus, in addition to
developing knowledge and capacities, the school curriculum should deliberately choose
values and dispositions that are derived from the Aims of Education and devise learning
opportunities for students to acquire these values and dispositions.
Part A
47
1.2.1 Aims of School Education in this NCF

The Aims of Education in this NCF are derived from the vision and purpose of education described
above and are organised into five Aims.
These five Aims give clear direction to the choice of Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and
Dispositions that need to be included in the curriculum:
a. Rational Thought and Independent Thinking/Autonomy: Making choices based on

rational analysis, creativity, and a grounded understanding of the world, and acting on those
choices, is an exercise of autonomy. This indicates that the individual has gained the capacity
for rational reasoning, critical thinking, knowledge with both breadth and depth, and
discernment to understand and improve the world around them. Developing such
independent thinkers who are curious, open to new ideas, think critically and creatively, and
thereby form their own opinions and beliefs is thus a very important aim for school
education.
b. Health and Well-being: A healthy mind and a healthy body are the foundations for an
individual to pursue a good life and contribute meaningfully to society. School education
should be a wholesome experience for students, and they should acquire knowledge,
capacities, and dispositions that keep their bodies and mind healthy and free from any forms
of abuse. Health and well-being thus also include, in particular, the ability and inclination to
help ensure the health and wellness of others, of one’s surroundings, and of the
environment.
c. Democratic and Community Participation: The Knowledge, Capacities, and Values and
Dispositions developed are to be oriented towards sustaining and improving the democratic
functioning of Indian society. Democracy is not just a form of governance, but it is a ‘mode of
associated living,’ a sense of collaborative community. The goals articulated in NEP 2020
point to the development of an individual who can participate and contribute meaningfully
to sustaining and improving the democratic vision of India and the Indian Constitution.
d. Economic Participation: A robust economy is a critical aspect of a vibrant democracy,
particularly for achieving dignity, justice, and well-being for all. Effective participation in the
economy has positive impacts on the individual and on society. It provides material
sustenance for the individual and generates economic opportunities for others in society,
while also contributing to purpose and meaning for the individual.
e. Cultural Participation: Along with democracy and the economy, culture plays an important,
if not central, role in the lives of all individuals and communities. Cultures maintain
continuity as well as change over time. NEP 2020 expects students to have ‘a rootedness and
pride in India, and its rich, diverse, ancient and modern culture and knowledge systems and
traditions’. Culture is thus not seen as merely an ornament or a pastime, but an enrichment
which equips the student (and Teacher alike) to face the many challenges of life, challenges
which may be personal or collective in nature. Understanding the culture and heritage
embedded in the family and community and relatedness to nature is at the core of cultural
participation. Students should also acquire capacities and a disposition to contribute
meaningfully to culture. In a globalised world, understanding and engaging with other
cultures from a position of being confident and deeply rooted in Indian culture is very
Part A
desirable.
48
A society with individuals who are healthy, knowledgeable, and with capacities, values,
and dispositions to participate effectively and meaningfully in a community, economy,
culture, and democracy would make for a pluralistic, prosperous, just, culturally vibrant,
and democratic knowledge society.
Section 1.3
Knowledge, Capacities, and
Values, and Dispositions
The five Aims of Education as articulated in the previous section would be achieved by schools
by developing relevant and appropriate knowledge, capacities, values, and dispositions in their
students. The Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and Dispositions that are to be developed in
students to achieve the five Aims are described this section.
1.3.1 Values and Dispositions

India has been a significant contributor to the discourse on values and of their practice, from
ancient times to today. The exploration of humanistic and pluralistic values is embedded in our
civilisational and local cultural traditions, and our Constitution is a beacon of democratic values.
NEP 2020 derives its values from our heritage and traditional sources, from broad humanistic
values, and from our Constitution.
Attaining the aims of rational thinking, health and wellbeing, and democratic/economic/cultural
participation require the following broad categories of values in individuals and in society:
a. Ethical and moral values. The ‘values of seva, ahimsa, swacchata, satya, nishkam karma,
tolerance, honest hard work, respect for women, respect for elders, respect for all people and
their inherent capabilities regardless of background, respect for environment, etc. will be
inculcated in students.’ [KRCR 2019, 4.6.8.2] These values are virtues that students need to
develop, and these are beneficial to the individual, in terms of their health and well-being, as
well as to society as a foundation for democratic values.
b. Democratic values. These values include ‘democratic outlook and commitment to liberty
and freedom; equality, justice, and fairness; embracing diversity, plurality, and inclusion;
humaneness and fraternal spirit; social responsibility and the spirit of service; …
commitment to rational and public dialogue; peace; social action through Constitutional
means; unity and integrity of the nation…’ [KRCR 2019, 4.6.8.3]
c. Epistemic values. These are values that we hold about knowledge and truth. Developing a
scientific temper is as much a value orientation towards the use of evidence and justification,
as much as understanding current scientific theories and concepts. ‘Inculcate scientific
temper and encourage evidence-based thinking throughout the curriculum’. [KRCR 2019,
4.6.1.1] Recognising the sources of knowledge and truth in different domains and having the
integrity to adhere to the relevant and acceptable methods of finding the truth is an
important value orientation.
Part A
49
Along with the above values, the NCF would intend to develop the following dispositions in
students:
a. A positive work ethic. Any form of achievement, if it needs to be achieved through just and
equitable means, requires honest, deliberate, and sustained work. This includes learning
achievements too. While hard work and perseverance are important, being responsible and
taking up and completing an honest share of work are equally so, especially in situations
where work is accomplished collectively. Respect towards all modes of work – with hands,
with technology, household work, office work, outdoor work, or factory work – is very
desirable. Developing these dispositions in students becomes a very important goal for
school education.
b. Curiosity and wonder. Curiosity and wonder are at the core of learning, and, with this
disposition, students can become lifelong learners. The very young child comes with natural
curiosity to engage with the social and practical world around them. This needs to be
sustained, extended, and expanded. If knowledge needs to be active and alive and not passive
and inert, students have to approach knowledge with curiosity and wonder. The world
around us is a limitless source for developing this disposition.
c. Pride and rootedness in India. The Aim of cultural participation indicates that students
should develop dispositions that make them rooted in the overall Indian context and in their
local context, while being an engaged citizen of the world. The vision of NEP 2020 states that
The vision of the Policy is to instil among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not
only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills,
values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable
development and lifestyles, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.
The notion of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world as one family, emerges from this
rootedness along with a sense of justice, service, self-discipline and self-fulfilment,
compassion and empathy, and acceptance of unity in diversity. With the vibrancy, range, and
the depth of our culture and heritage, Indians must engage with the rest of world with
assurance and confidence and with empathy and openness.
1.3.2 Capacities
While values and disposition are sources of motivation to act, acting effectively requires students
to have specific capacities. These capacities can be developed through deliberate and conscious
engagement and practice. The Aims of Rational Thought and Independent Thinking, Health and
Well-being, and Democratic/Economic/Cultural Participation necessitates the following broad
set of capacities.
a. Inquiry. To act rationally, we need an understanding of the world around us. This
understanding requires the abilities of observation, collection of evidence, analysis, and
synthesis. Experimentation and innovation are the practical aspects of this capacity. Beyond
these general capacities of inquiry, there are discipline-specific skills, such as laboratory
skills or field techniques, which assist in the process of inquiry. These capacities of inquiry
are fundamental in achieving all five Aims.
Part A
50
b. Communication. The abilities to listen, speak, read, and write in multiple languages are
also indispensable capacities. To be able to express oneself - both orally and in writing – in
a lucid, well-articulated, and coherent manner – is very important throughout life; this also
includes the skilled use of digital media. The ability to use varied forms of communication in
different contexts that are appropriate for the intended audience is very valuable in
achieving all the Aims.
c. Problem Solving and Logical Reasoning. The ability to formulate problems, develop many
alternative solutions, evaluate different solutions to choose the most optimal solution, and
implement the solution is again indispensable in achieving all five Aims. Problems that
require quantitative models require the mastery of various mathematical procedures,
starting from simple arithmetic skills of addition and subtraction to more complex solving of
algebraic equations. The use of computational models for solving problems would require
computational skills. Skills for logical reasoning include constructing and evaluating
arguments, both formally and informally.
d. Aesthetic and Cultural Capacities. The Aims emphasise creativity and aesthetic and
artistic expression. Creating works of art requires skills specific to different forms of art –
visual arts, music, dance/movement, and theatre. Culturally relevant skills in art forms
enable effective cultural participation. Aesthetic and cultural capacities also help strengthen
creativity across domains and thus strengthen the capacities of inquiry and problem solving
and also improve language and communication, and are also, therefore, critical in achieving
all five Aims. Artistic skills further enable students to effectively express emotions and
thoughts through art, thus improving their sense of health and well-being.
e. Capacities for Health, Sustenance, Self-management, and Work. Developing skills and
practices that enable students to lead a healthy life is one of the important Aims. Developing
strength, endurance, and perseverance is not just in terms of physical capacities, but also
related to the capacities of the mind. Capacities of self-management, including emotional
capacities are important. Such capacities are foundational for not just well-being, but also
contribute positively towards autonomy and democratic participation. These capacities,
along with the disposition of a positive work ethic, should enable students to participate in
the economy meaningfully and significantly.
f. Capacities for Social Engagement including Affective Aspects. Empathy and compassion
are not only values or dispositions; these are capacities that are developed through
deliberate practice. Cooperation, teamwork, and leadership are fundamental capacities for
social engagement. Along with the capacities for logical reasoning and problem solving,
these capacities are crucial for democratic participation. And these capacities have an
affective (emotional) aspect – which too needs to be addressed.
Indeed, all capacities enumerated above promote the five Aims - Rational Thought and Inde-
pendent Thinking, Health and Well-being, and Democratic/Economic/Cultural participation.
With the desirable values and dispositions and equipped with appropriate capacities, it is
expected that students will live healthy, independent lives and participate actively in the com-
munity, economy, culture, and democracy. But these values and capacities do not operate in a
vacuum; they must be based on a clear understanding of the world. This understanding is
gained through the achievement of knowledge in breadth and depth.
Part A
51
1.3.3 Knowledge
Education is often thought of and practised only as the acquisition of knowledge. While this is an
inadequate view, without a doubt, knowledge has a central role and place in education.
Knowledge about the self, others, the social world, and the physical and natural world is at the
base of all the five Aims of Education. The achievement and practice of values, dispositions, and
capacities, which are also equally important aims of education, are not primarily about acquisition
of knowledge, but intrinsically depend on knowledge.
The vast and ever-increasing knowledge of humanity is and should be made available to all. All
that humans know has developed over history through specific modes of inquiry — both through
more formalised methods of knowledge development, and also through less formalised and
more experiential, organic approaches. The theories and concepts within a mode of inquiry have
emerged sometimes through incremental explorations of a whole community, and sometimes
through dramatic insights of a few remarkable individuals. Equally, or perhaps even more so,
knowledge has developed through the accumulated experience and wisdom of ordinary people.
There are no neat divisions on how human knowledge develops — formal inquiry and knowledge
through life experience merge and reinforce each other. Our accumulated and expanding
knowledge is a human heritage and it is the responsibility of schools to share this heritage with
every new generation.
Given the centrality of knowledge to education, there are many matters related to knowledge
that have a deep implication on curriculum. Some of these matters are:
• How does something become knowledge? In other words, how do we know that something
is true and valid?
• How do we search for, discover, and build more knowledge?
• What are the interconnections within knowledge? What knowledge becomes the basis for
some other knowledge and why?
• Can there be contradictions in knowledge? Why and how do they arise? How are these
resolved?
• How is knowledge acquisition by humans influenced by context and by values?
• What are the ethical and moral issues associated with the pursuit of knowledge?
These matters may seem esoteric and more suitable for a Philosophy book than for school
education. But the reality is that Teachers, curriculum and syllabus developers, and others
grapple with these very issues in school education every day. The implications of these matters
directly influence many aspects of the curriculum. For example:
• What should be taught? What should be the content of subjects?

¶ What ensures that content is true and valid?
¶ What should be included to give adequate understanding of a subject area?
¶ What should be the sequence of teaching concepts, considering the interconnections?
¶ How should the developmental stage of the students be accounted for?
¶ How should knowledge that is yet uncertain or has many alternative perspectives be
Part A
included?
52
• How should we teach? How should we assess? How can we make TLMs effective?
¶ Which pedagogical approach is best for which kind of knowledge? What are the options?
¶ How should we teach so that the integrated, holistic nature of human knowledge and
experience is developed?
¶ How should we teach so that students form a full picture and are also able to apply their
knowledge?
¶ How do we know that a student has truly ‘learnt’ something?
¶ What TLMs are best suited to what knowledge? How should we develop them?
• What are the ways to ensure that students learn existing knowledge while also discovering
new things?
¶ Since no one can be taught ‘all the knowledge,’ how can students be encouraged to
continue to search for and learn existing knowledge from the wider world, at present
and later in their lives, and also gain the capacity to develop new knowledge?
• What kind of knowledge is required to develop the capacities and values that are aimed for?
¶ How are moral and ethical capacities best developed?
¶ How are cognitive and socio-emotional capacities, such as critical thinking, empathy, and
wonder, best developed?
While this is a long list of direct curricular questions that arise from questions related to the
nature of knowledge, this is not an exhaustive list.
We must also note that many of these matters have subject-specific implications in school
education. For example, the nature of knowledge in Mathematics is such that many topics must
have a certain sequence; the nature of knowledge in Social Sciences is such that it requires many
perspectives; and the nature of knowledge in Science is of a kind where learning by doing
experiments is particularly useful.
Thus, in this NCF, each subject chapter (as in Part C, Chapters 2-9) has a section on the ‘Nature of
Knowledge’ particular to that subject. However, a vast amount of human thought and discourse
related to knowledge has a common base across all spheres, including school education. The
subsection that follows discusses this common base.
1.3.4 Knowledge — the Foundations

India has a vibrant tradition of thought and discourse on the theory and practice of knowledge.
Without doubt, other cultures too have had rich traditions on this matter – both widely recognised,
such as the Greeks and the Japanese, and the less recognised, such as the Native Americans.
However, the richness, nuance, and range of Indian thought on this matter is very special, if not
unique.
If we consider the most current thoughts on knowledge, anywhere in the world, one can often
observe similar ideas in Indian thought from two millennia earlier – in many senses directly
anticipating it and perhaps having deeply influenced it through cultural transmission. Thus, it is
both important and useful to ground our thinking and practice on this Indian heritage.
The nine ‘Schools of Thought’ in Indian philosophy (see Box 1.3i) form an important source of
Part A
views and discourse on the nature of Knowledge.
53
Box 1.3i
Indian Schools of Thought — a Brief Glimpse
There are nine main darsanas or world views (sometimes translated as ‘schools of thought’)
in classical Indian philosophy: 1) Nyaya; 2) Vaisesika; 3) Sankhya 4) Yoga 5) Mimamsa; 6)
Vedanta; 7) Buddhist; 8) Jaina; 9) Lokayata/ Carvaka all of which date back to at least a
few centuries BCE
The Nyaya darsana was founded by the sage Gautama. This darsana was primarily occupied
with formal reasoning, rhetoric, and epistemology, although it also made substantial
contributions to metaphysics. The Vaisesika system was founded by Kanada. This darsana
was known for its efforts to make sense of the material world, the various categories and
components of matter and their properties, behaviour, etc. It has similarities with Nyaya,
but its focus was more on metaphysical questions and less on principles of reasoning. At a
later stage, some Nyaya and Vaisesika authors became increasingly syncretistic and viewed
their two schools as sister darsanas.
Sankhya is the oldest of the systematic schools of Indian philosophy and dates back to the
Vedic period. Its views are heavily based on the Upanisads. Sankhya argues for a dualistic
ontology comprising Prakrti (nature) and Purusa (person). Just as Nyaya and Vaisesika are
sister darsanas, so too are Yoga and Sankhya. Yoga accepts the Sankhya dualism and calls
on the practitioner to disentangle the Purusa from the Prakrti, thus freeing the former to
achieve its full dimension and powers. Their main difference becomes evident in the relative
importance of mind and body, as well as in their accounts of how liberation (moksa) is
attained.
The Mimamsa darsana concerns itself largely with ethical questions and takes as its main
goal the elaboration and defence of the contents of the early, ritually-oriented part of the
Vedas. This school also contributed a great deal to the philosophy of language. Unlike the
four darsanas discussed previously, Mimamsa holds that the Vedas are epistemically
foundational. This founding principle is shared by the Vedanta darsana. The Vedanta
darsana concerns itself, however, with the latter part of the Vedas, where the principal
concern is knowledge and moksa.
The Lokayata were materialists who denied the existence of an atman that persisted
through many lives. The Buddhists denied the existence of such a thing as a coherent self.
The Jainas argued for a variety of jivas, so that even nature and not just humans and Gods
— was seen as ensouled.
Despite this apparent split, all these different darsanas influenced and were influenced by
each other and, for the most part, classical Indian philosophy is best seen as a series of
complex dialogues within and between these darsanas. For example, Jainism was very
influential for the Yoga darsana. Nyaya and Buddhist thinkers were in continual, spirited
dialogue. The Nyayasutra itself is one of our best sources for Lokayata thought and presents
and responds to a series of Lokayata objections.
Beyond these nine schools, many others developed, which is a reflection of the acceptance of
multiple paths and the freedom of thought that prevailed in early India.
Part A
54
The theory of knowledge, or pramana-sashtra, is one of the richest areas of classical Indian
philosophy, spanning several centuries and with the liveliest of debates. Indeed, claims about
‘how we come to know’ is often the principal criterion that distinguishes different schools or
darsanas of Indian philosophy. For example, the Vaisesika philosophers argue that validity arises
from the right source, whereas the Yogacara argue that validity is that which guides successful
action. Furthermore, questions about knowledge are also related to other fundamental questions
about the nature of reality and language. The pramana-sashtras are a key basis for Indian
Knowledge Systems and are described in greater detail below.
1.3.4.1 Pramanas — Vibrant Tradition of Epistemology

While there are many similarities and vibrant dialogues amongst them, these different darsanas
(See Box 1.3i) represent a wide range of views on what constitutes an appropriate pramana
(evidence/proof/justification) or basis for knowledge. The main pramanas used are a) perception;
b) inference; and c) testimony.
A brief description of the range of views on this matter follows, merely to give a flavour of the
vibrant nature of this Indian discourse.
a. The different darsanas are all in agreement about the fact that we attain knowledge through
perception (pratyaksha). However, there are considerable debates about the nature of
perception. According to the Nyaya, all perception requires a sensory connection with an
object that gives the perception its content (nirakara-vada); for instance, in Nyayasutra, it is
stated ‘Perception is an awareness which, when produced from the connection between
sense organ and object, is non-verbal, accurate and reliable, and definite.’
According to early Mimamsa, perception essentially happens through language; there is no
such thing as concept-free perception. Not only do later Mimamsa thinkers, such as Kumarila
Bhatta, disagree with this, the Yogacara do as well.
Many Buddhist thinkers argue that we do not perceive any object at all, but only bundles of
sense data, such as colour, sound, and smell, in opposition to the realist Nyaya doctrine.
b. Different kinds of inferences were considered in pramana-sashtras.
i. Anumana: Using inferences to come to new conclusions from observations is one way of
coming to know.
ii. Upamana: Knowing through analogy and comparison is upamana. Relating to existing
knowledge and identifying the similarities and differences and, thus, coming to know
new things or experiences is another valid way of knowing.
iii. Arthapatti: Knowing through circumstantial implication is arthapatti.
iv. Anupalabdi: Perception of non-existence is considered a valid form of knowledge.
Observing that the well is empty of water is knowing something about the well. People
have come to significant conclusions because ‘the dogs did not bark that night.’
In general, inference is accepted as a secondary knowledge source in cases where what is
known cannot be evident through perception alone. Unlike western philosophy, logic is an
essential part of the theory of knowledge in the Indian tradition and not a separate discipline.
Part A
55
Its value is in its ability to help us arrive at truth. Logic and inference are also understood in
a much broader sense, including not just rules of reasoning, but also as a psychological
process that allows us to know, via hetu (a sign), indirectly.
The Nyaya-sutra has many examples of how we come to know through hypothetical induction.
The Vaisesikasutra spells out how we can infer through extrapolation, e.g., through the
presence of its horns, we can know through inference the presence of an entire cow. It
provides us with a series of rules for when such extrapolation is warranted. On the other
hand, some in the Lokayata tradition deny that we can ever know via inference, because
inference is prone to mistakes.
c. Testimony (sabda) is a highly debated source of knowledge. Not just Lokayata, but also
Vaisesika and Buddhist schools, deny that testimony in general can be an independent
source of knowledge. The Lokayata accept only perception, whereas Buddhism is founded on
the idea of experience and reasoning as the only ways of learning anything, while Nyaya and
Mimamsa thinkers argue for use of testimony under specific conditions and from specific
sources.
This brief glimpse points to the significant contribution of Indian thinkers to the field of
epistemology and the understanding of the nature of knowledge.
1.3.4.2 Implications on Curriculum

The depth and range of thought on the matter of knowledge in India, including contemporary
Indian thought, along with relevant thinking from across the world, must inform our curricula.
This is operationalised by a method of organising knowledge which is on sound foundations and
is useful for curriculum.
Informed by these range of discourses, school knowledge has, for practical purposes, been
organised into different kinds or forms. Each kind has its own conventions on:
a. the scope of inquiry (what questions to explore)
b. specific ways of giving meaning to concepts
c. specific methods of validating the truth of the claims being made (how to answer
those questions)
Each form of knowledge has distinct but related methods of reasoning and justification,
procedures and protocols, and what is to be admitted as evidence. In a way, each form of
knowledge has its own kind of ‘critical thinking’ and its own ways of being ‘creative.’
Mathematics, the Sciences, the Social Sciences, the Arts and Aesthetics, and Ethics are some of
these kinds of knowledge that have their own sets of concepts and theories through which we
make meaning of our experiences. These forms give clear direction as to what knowledge all
students in schools should acquire. They help, in part, determine the different Curricular Areas
of this NCF.
Through engagement with these kinds of knowledge, students develop disciplinary knowledge.
While the capacity for problem solving depends heavily on such disciplinary knowledge, often
real-life situations pose problems whose solutions are informed by many disciplines that need to
Part A
56
be integrated. For instance, the problems of sustainability and climate change are not merely
informed by the Sciences, but also by our understanding of the Social Sciences and Mathematics.
Thus, engagement with interdisciplinary knowledge becomes an important goal for school
education along with disciplinary knowledge.
Section 1.4
Towards a Curriculum
Schools must arrange to develop in students the desirable Values, Dispositions, Capacities, and
Knowledge. As mentioned before, these arrangements range from the selection and appointment
of Teachers to school culture and the actual subjects that are taught in the school.
The curriculum includes all those arrangements that directly impact the engagement and
learning of students. While the curricular imagination for a school is often restricted to the
arrangements of classroom interactions, the school culture, practices, and ethos also play a very
important role, both in enabling a positive learning environment as well as promoting desirable
values and dispositions.
In this section, the specific curricular arrangements that schools must organise — so that
students gain the desired Values, Dispositions, Capacities, and Knowledge — are explored.
1.4.1 School Culture

Schools achieve educational aims not just through teaching within the confines of the classroom,
but also through the inclusion and assimilation of the students into the extant culture and ethos
of the school.
Values and dispositions, in particular, are deeply influenced by immersion in the school ethos
and culture, and so forms an integral part of the curriculum. Thus, to develop specific values and
dispositions, there has to be a deliberate shaping of the school culture and ethos. In the absence
of such deliberate shaping, whatever be the school culture that has emerged will have significant
influence on the students, which may even be at odds with the Aims of Education.
Values and dispositions are also profoundly shaped by the family, community, religion, local and
popular culture, art, literature, media, and other influencers. The school is somewhat different
from many of these influencers because it has clearly articulated goals for the values and
dispositions and presents the opportunity to work towards them systematically and methodically.
Hence, it is equally important for a curriculum framework to explicitly articulate the arrangements
and organisation of the school in terms of its culture and ethos that would promote the desired
values and dispositions. This NCF has made specific recommendations for school culture and
ethos in Part D, Chapter 1.
1.4.2 School Processes

In addition to school culture, more formal and well-defined school processes have a significant
role to play in both ensuring the smooth functioning of the school, as well as enabling the
achievement of Curricular Goals. Processes for maintaining academic accountability towards
Part A
57
achieving the aims, both from the Teachers and students, are important to be articulated,
understood, and followed. Thoughtfully designed school processes are required to address
simpler matters, such as maintaining the cleanliness of the school premises, and more complex
matters such as responding to Learning Outcomes of students. This NCF makes specific
recommendations related to school processes in Part D, Chapter 2.
1.4.3 Curricular Areas

Box 1.4i
எண் ணென்ப ஏனை யெழுத்தென்ப இவ் விரண் டுங்
கண் ணென்ப வாழும் உயிர்க்கு
Ennenpa enai yeluttenpa ivvirantun kannenpa valum uyirkku.

The learning of numbers and letters –
these are the two eyes of the living person..
[Tirukkural 392, Tiruvalluvar. Transliteration and translation by Narayanalakshmi]
Ancient Indians had clear conceptions of what is valuable in education. As the above couplet
from the ancient Tamil poet Tiruvalluvar indicates, Language and Mathematics were seen
as two eyes through which we make sense of the world. It is not surprising then that
Language and Mathematics continue to be two of the most important Ccurricular Areas,
even many centuries since this verse was written!
To achieve the aforementioned Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and Dispositions, the curriculum
also needs to enumerate specific Curricular Areas. This division is not just a pragmatic necessity
for organising classrooms, timetables, and Teachers.
While pragmatic considerations are equally relevant, these distinct Curricular Areas have an
internal logic. The internal logic is determined by the conceptual structures and methods of
inquiry that are specific to that ‘kind of knowledge.’ Each Curricular Area has interconnections
within, arising from specific methods used to arrive at the knowledge, as well as aspects of and
perspectives on the world that they highlight. Pragmatically, each Curricular Area leads to its
own time slot in the timetable, as well as its own textbooks and other TLMs, Teacher allocations,
and so on.
Box 1.4ii
This NCF uses ‘Curricular Area’ as a broader category, to distinguish it from ‘discipline,’
‘field,’ and ‘subject’:
• ‘Discipline’ is a branch of knowledge — for example, sociology, economics, biology,
mathematics.
• ‘Field’ is used with the connotation of being focussed on application and use in the world
and is often informed by multiple disciplines — for example, engineering, public health,
sustainability.
Part A
58
• ‘Subject’ is most often used in the context of schools — and is what students ‘study’ — it
could be a discipline, a field, or a combination or part thereof.
• ‘Curricular Area’ is a group of disciplines and/or fields with an underlying logic for
grouping them together — for example, Science, Social Science.
In this NCF, ‘subject’ will continue to be used for what the students’ study. Subjects
will be grouped within ‘Curricular Areas’ in the NCF for practical purposes.
‘Disciplines,’ ‘fields’ may be used only to refer to the sources of knowledge for the
construction of subjects, where required.
The usage of this terminology (and nested hierarchy) is not a conceptual matter but is
merely for the ease of communication of the design of certain critical aspects of this NCF.
1. Languages: Language is not just a medium of thinking, nor merely a tool for acquiring
different forms of understanding. Language education makes effective communication
possible and equally develops aesthetic expression and appreciation. Analytical reasoning
and critical thinking are very closely linked with language use, and these are valuable
capacities to be developed through the learning of languages. Particularly in the context of
India, multilingualism, sensitivity to and appreciation of a diverse set of languages, and
cultural literacy and expression are desirable outcomes of language learning as articulated
in NEP 2020.
2. Mathematics and Computational Thinking: Mathematics is a form of understanding the
world through patterns, measurements, and quantities. Mathematics education also
develops capacities for problem solving, logical reasoning, and computational thinking.
3. Sciences: Science (also sometimes referred to in this NCF as the Natural Sciences) is a form
of understanding the natural world. It has its own specific methods of inquiry, reasoning,
theories, and concepts. Beyond aiding in gaining an understanding of the natural
phenomena around us, Science Education helps develop rational thought and scientific
temper.
4. Social Sciences: Social Science (which, in this NCF, includes the Humanities) aims to
understand the human world. The methods of inquiry in the Social Sciences are evidence
based and empirical through specific methods of reasoning. Social Science also promotes
rational thought and scientific temper, as well as an understanding of one’s community and
society. Additionally, subjective experiences are analysed through interpretation and
reflection. Social Science helps in promoting students’ effective cultural/economic/
democratic participation.
5. Art Education: Art is a form of understanding through which we make aesthetic sense of
our experiences. Engagement with art also builds our capacities for being creative across
subjects and develops cultural sensibilities. Learning art allows students to engage and
participate meaningfully in our culture and, because art involves the physical, emotional,
aesthetic, and intellectual parts of ourselves, learning it also helps contribute to the
student’s general well-being and integrated development.
Part A
59
Figure 1.4i
Vision
of Society
Constitution of India
Vision and Purposes of Education

National Education Policy 2020
Aims of School Education

Desirable Knowledge, Capacities,

Values, and Dispositions
Curricular Areas
Mathematics & Physical

Languages Interdisciplinary Vocational
Computational Science Social Science Art Education Education &
Areas Education
Thinking Well-being
Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular

Aims Aims Aims Aims Aims Aims Aims Aims
Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular Curricular

Goals Goals Goals Goals Goals Goals Goals Goals
Competencies Competencies Competencies Competencies Competencies Competencies Competencies Competencies
Learning Learning Learning Learning Learning Learning Learning Learning

Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes
School Culture and Processes

Part A
60
6. Interdisciplinary Areas: While forms of understanding give disciplinary knowledge and

depth, interdisciplinary knowledge and thinking is also an important goal as discussed
earlier. Engagement in interdisciplinary areas develops capacities for interdisciplinary
thinking and problem solving. This Curricular Area therefore complements the disciplinary
thinking of the aforementioned five disciplinary Curricular Areas.
Beyond these forms of understanding, Physical Education and Vocational Education are
important Curricular Areas. These areas become important due to the specific Curricular Aims
of health and well-being and economic participation. NEP 2020 has given specific directions for
Physical and Vocational Education.
7. Physical Education and Well-being: Physical Education and Well-being focusses on

developing capacities for maintaining health, well-being, and emotional balance. Through
engagement in sports, games, yoga, and other techniques, important ethical, moral,
Constitutional, and democratic values are also developed.
8. Vocational Education: Vocational Education intends to develop capacities for sustenance,
work, and economic participation. It also develops values and sensibilities towards physical
work and an appreciation of the dignity of all labour. NEP 2020 has given a strong emphasis
to giving vocational exposure and developing vocational skills from the very early stages of
school through higher education.
These eight Curricular Areas have their own specific Learning Standards, and have specific
recommendations for content selection, pedagogical approaches, and methods of assessment.
These details have been outlined in Part C, Chapters 2 to 9.
Figure 1.4i depicts how the NCF — which includes the Curricular Areas (its goals, pedagogy,
books, assessment etc.), school culture, and school processes necessary to achieve Aims of School
Education — flow from the vision of society that is envisaged in our Constitution.
Part A
61
Chapter 2
School Stages — Logic and
Design
The previous chapter articulated the Aims of School Education for this NCF, and the corresponding
set of desirable Values, Dispositions, Capacities, and Knowledge required to achieve these aims.
The chapter also touched upon the curricular arrangements required to achieve these Aims,
including the different Curricular Areas that are part of this NCF.
Figure 2i
Part A
62
NEP 2020 recommends that schooling will now be imagined in four Stages in a new 5+3+3+4
design covering ages 3-18, which is based on the Stages of physical, cognitive, and socio-
emotional-ethical development of children/students. The Policy states:
The curricular and pedagogical structure and the curriculum framework for school education
will therefore be guided by a 5+3+3+4 design, consisting of the Foundational Stage (in two parts,
that is, 3 years of Anganwadi/pre-school + 2 years in primary school in Grades 1-2; both together
covering ages 3-8), Preparatory Stage (Grades 3-5, covering ages 8-11), Middle Stage (Grades
6-8, covering ages 11-14), and Secondary Stage (Grades 9-12 in two phases, i.e., 9 and 10 in the
first and 11 and 12 in the second, covering ages 14-18).
[NEP 2020, 4.1]
Thus, the aims of education are to be achieved in a 5+3+3+4 structure in schools, covering ages
3-18. This chapter outlines the logic of these four Stages of schooling, the specific considerations
for curricular structure, content, pedagogy, and assessments for each of these Stages, and their
relevance for achieving the Aims of School Education.
The central logic of dividing schooling into the four Stages is based on our current understanding
of child (human) development and the increasing complexity of concepts and requirements of
capacities in different curricular areas. The first two sections of this chapter describe the process
and Stages of child development and development of complexity in concepts and requirements
of capacities in the different Curricular Areas. The last section elaborates on the four-stage design
of this NCF.
Section 2.1
Child Development
Around the world, the experiences of children growing up are different, depending on various
circumstances — social, cultural, and economic. But there are some common processes and
Stages in the maturation and growth of the child. It is critically important to understand the
development of a child to have appropriate educational expectations at a particular age.
Understanding the trajectory of child development helps in developing a quality curriculum with
developmentally-appropriate pedagogy and assessment.
Child development is influenced by the interplay of three different processes, namely, biological
processes, cognitive processes, and socio-emotional processes. These processes are intricately
interwoven with each other. Each of these processes plays a role in the physical, cognitive,
linguistic, socio-emotional, and moral development of a child.
Part A
63
Figure 2.1i
Genetic and epigenetic factors and material conditions have an impact on a

child’s body, such as height, weight, and development of the brain.
Biological
processes
Cognitive Socioemotional
processes processes
Socio-emotional experiences and stimulation affect a

Cognitive experiences and stimulation affect a child’s
child’s relationships with adults and peers, emotional
thought processes, intelligence, and use of language.
regulation, and personality.
A child’s development is usually described in terms of periods corresponding to approximate age

ranges.
a. Infancy: This period ranges from birth to 3 years. A child in this period is highly dependent
on adults. Children are beginning to learn about the things around them and to focus their
vision and explore.
b. Early childhood: This period begins around age 3 and usually extends up to 6-7 years of
age. Children begin to become more self-sufficient and spend more time with peers. This is
also a period of intense exploration through play.
c. Middle to late childhood: This developmental period is roughly from 8 years to 11-12
years of age before they hit puberty. During this period, children master the fundamental
capacities and understanding for survival and growth. They grow physically, emotionally,
and cognitively through exposure to the wider world around them and their culture.
d. Adolescence: This period is the transition period from childhood to early adulthood. A child
enters adolescence at approximately the age of 12. Adolescence begins with rapid physical
changes — gains in height and weight, changes in body contour, and development of
secondary sex characteristics. At this Stage, the development of identity and the quest for
independence is the central theme in children.
Part A
64
2.1.1 Development across Domains

2.1.1.1 Physical Development
Height and weight increase rapidly during infancy. By their first birthday, infants nearly triple
their weight. As the child reaches early childhood, the percentage growth of height and weight
decreases with each additional year. Growth patterns vary individually, while some variation is
due to hereditary factors, certain environmental factors have significant influence as well, such
as nutrition and stress. Middle and late childhood is the calm before the rapid growth spurt in
adolescence. It involves slow and consistent growth in height and weight. There is improved
muscle tone, and the strength capacity also doubles during these years. Adolescents experience
a growth surge during puberty. Puberty occurs approximately two years earlier for girls than
boys. The features and proportions of the body change as the individual becomes capable of
reproduction. Among the most important factors that influence the onset and sequence of
puberty are heredity, hormones, weight, and body fat.
Sensory and motor development: Infants and children begin rolling, sitting, standing, and
develop other motor skills in a particular sequence and within specific time frames. Infants are
also born with certain reflexes, which are built-in reactions to stimuli. Reflexes govern the
newborn’s movements, which are automatic and beyond their control. Reflexes are genetically
carried survival mechanisms. They allow infants to respond adaptively to their environment
before they have had an opportunity to learn. They include sucking, rooting, and moro reflexes
(when the baby gets startled by an unexpected sound, light, or movement), all of which typically
disappear after three to four months. Some reflexes, such as blinking and yawning, persist
throughout life. Components of other reflexes are incorporated into voluntary actions.
Gross motor skills involve large-muscle activities. Key skills developed during infancy include
control of posture and walking. Mastering a motor skill requires the infant’s active efforts to
coordinate several components of the skill. Infants explore and select possible solutions to the
demands of a new task; they assemble adaptive patterns by modifying their current movement
patterns. Gross motor skills improve dramatically during the childhood years. Boys usually
outperform girls in gross motor skills involving large-muscle activity.
Fine motor skills involve finely tuned movements. The onset of reaching and grasping is a
significant accomplishment. Fine motor skills continue to develop throughout the childhood
years and, by 4 years of age, are much more precise. Children can use their hands as tools by
middle childhood and start to show fine motor skills similar to those of adults at 10 to 12 years
of age.
2.1.1.2 Cognitive Development

Children construct their own cognitive worlds, building mental structures to adapt to the world.
They actively construct their meaning and understanding. The progression of cognitive
development from infancy to adolescence can be seen as described below.
Infancy: The infant organises and coordinates sensory experiences (such as seeing and hearing)
with physical movements. They quickly learn and are able to understand that things they see
continue to exist even though these things are no longer around them. They can scan patterns
Part A
actively and display a growing capacity for remembering in ways that current neuroscience is
still exploring.
65
Early Childhood: The child’s mental life is becoming more expansive with experiences. They
have pictures in their minds about various things in the world. Their capacity for new vocabulary
and making mental pictures allows for more learning about the world and other people. They
begin to make sense of others, getting a sense of how people and things work. Their memories
can hold much more than adults sometimes give them credit for.
Middle Childhood: By now, the child can think through reasons using language and ideas,
understand well how people and things work around them, and give order to these things in
terms of value and size. Their capacity to remember and use what they remember to engage in
activities grows in leaps and bounds. They even devise ways to remember better and are able to
analyse, problem solve, and imagine alternatives.
Adolescence: The adolescent individual thinks in diverse and complex ways with a growing
capacity for working with ideas and logical analysis. This enables them to plan, solve problems,
and systematically test solutions. They are able to mentally look back at their own actions and
evaluate, form a sense of themselves as different and similar to others, and are able to engage
with ideas of right and wrong. They can be focussed and flexible in their thinking and make
decisions with reasoning.
2.1.1.3 Language Development

The development of language is a significant aspect of a child’s development. The trajectory of
this development across the age ranges is described below.
Infancy: Among the milestones in infant language development are crying (birth), cooing (1 to 2
months), babbling (6 months), using gestures (8 to 12 months), recognition of their name (as
early as 5 months), first word spoken (10 to 15 months), vocabulary spurt (18 months), rapid
expansion of understanding words (18 to 24 months), and two-word utterances (18 to 24
months).
Early Childhood: Young children increase their grasp of language’s rule systems. In terms of
phonology, most young children become more sensitive to the sounds of spoken language.
Children learn and apply rules of syntax and of how words should be ordered. Vocabulary
development increases dramatically during early childhood, and their conversational skills
improve. They increase their sensitivity to the needs of others in conversation, and they learn to
change their speech style to suit the situation.
Middle Childhood: Children gradually become more analytical and logical in their approach to
words and grammar. They become increasingly able to use complex grammar and produce
narratives that make sense. Improvements in metalinguistic awareness — knowledge about
language — become evident as children start defining words, expand their knowledge of syntax,
and understand better how to use language in culturally appropriate ways.
Adolescence: In adolescence, language changes include more effective use of words;

improvements in the ability to understand metaphor, satire, and adult literary works; and
improvements in writing. Young adolescents often speak a dialect with their peers, using jargon
and slang.
Part A
66
2.1.1.4 Socio-emotional Development

A child’s socio-emotional development impacts the other domains of development. Physical,
cognitive, and language development is highly influenced by how children feel about themselves
and how they are able to express their ideas and emotions.
a. Emotional and Personality Development

Infancy: Emotions are the first language with which parents and infants communicate and
emotions play a key role in parent-child relationships. Infants display a number of emotions
early in their development. Crying is the most important mechanism newborns have for
communicating with the people in their world.
Early Childhood: Advances in young children’s emotional development involve expressing,

understanding, and regulating emotions. Young children’s range of emotions expands during
early childhood as they increasingly experience self-conscious emotions such as pride, shame,
and guilt. They also show a growing awareness of the need to manage emotions to meet social
standards.
Middle Childhood: Self-understanding increasingly involves social and psychological

characteristics, including social comparison. The development of self-regulation is an
important aspect of this Stage. Developmental changes in emotion include increased
understanding of complex emotions, such as pride and shame, improvements in the ability to
suppress and conceal negative emotions, and the use of strategies to redirect feelings. Children
use a greater variety of coping strategies.
Adolescence: Identity development is complex and takes place in bits and pieces. Some
researchers have found that self-esteem declines in early adolescence for both boys and girls,
but the drop for girls is often greater perhaps due to unfortunate and asymmetric societal
expectations that need to be broken. Self-esteem reflects perceptions that do not always
match reality.
b. Role of Families
Infancy: In infancy, contact comfort and trust are important in the development of attachment.
Infants show a strong interest in their social world and are motivated to understand it. Infants
orient to the social world early in their development.
Early Childhood: Families play a significant role in the socio-emotional development of the
child. The child takes emotional cues from the family and the socio-emotional state of family
interactions. The sense of emotional security and comfort in interactions largely depends on
the family environment.
Middle Childhood: Children begin to form strong bonds with peers, while families continue
to play a significant role in their emotional development. The socio-emotional state of peer
groups and social groups also has a strong influence on the child’s socio-emotional dispositions.
Adolescence: There is a significant shift in the influence of peers. Identity formation, rebelling
against authority, conflict, and aggression are sometimes markers of this age. Families’
influence is often significantly lower on socio-emotional development, but the way conflicts
are handled within the family has a significant impact.
Part A
67
c. Role of Peers
Early Childhood: Peers are powerful socialisation agents. Peers provide a source of
information and comparison about the world outside the family. In early childhood, children
distinguish between friends and non-friends, with a friend often described as someone to
play with. Rough-and-tumble play is more likely to occur in peer relations, whereas, in times
of stress, children often turn to parents rather than peers for support.
Middle Childhood: Children form stronger bonds with peers that go beyond play. Friendships
are formed and friend groups become an important source for emotional development.
Children continue to seek confirmation from adults at home and in school.
Adolescence: There is a significant shift in the influence of peers. Identity formation, rebelling
against authority, conflict, and aggression are sometimes markers. Fitting in and receiving
confirmation from peer groups often becomes a priority at this age.
2.1.1.5 Moral Development

Infancy: The sense of right and wrong in infants depends on their feelings and desires. Their
sense of rightness depends on whether their needs are met or not.
Early Childhood: Children think of justice and rules as unchangeable properties of the world
and beyond the control of people. They judge the rightness of behaviour by considering the
consequences and not the intentions of the individual.
Middle Childhood: Children begin to express objective ideas on fairness. They believe that
equity can mean that people with disabilities or merit need special treatment.
Adolescence: Closer to adulthood, children begin to develop their own moral values while
questioning and analysing the ones set by their parents or society. They value rules, but also
negotiate. As they develop abstract reasoning abilities, they display interest in the larger good
for society.
2.1.2 Panchakosha Vikas (Five-fold Development)

A Keystone in Indian Tradition
Figure 2.1ii
Annamaya Kosha
Pranamaya Kosha
Manomaya Kosha
Vijnanmaya Kosha
Anandamaya Kosha
Part A
Panchakosha Vikas
68
Panchakosha Vikas (Five-fold Development) is a keystone in the Indian tradition of the imagination
of the development of human beings. The child is a whole being with panchakoshas or five
sheaths. The layers are annamaya kosha (physical layer), pranamaya kosha (life force energy
layer), manomaya kosha (mind layer), vijnanamaya kosha (intellectual layer), and anandamaya
kosha (inner self). Each layer exhibits certain distinct characteristics. The holistic development
of a child takes into account the nurturing and nourishment of these five layers.
Specific types of practices are designed to enable the development of each of these koshas.
However, the practices are designed keeping in mind that the koshas are interconnected and so
activities that focus primarily on one would also contribute to the development of the others.
For example, the physical dimensions are developed through a focus on a balanced diet, traditional
games, and adequate exercise, as well as yoga asanas (at the appropriate ages), which build both
gross and fine motor skills. Learning to breathe in a way that provides necessary oxygen for the
entire body is important; it trains the voice and provides direction for increased self-awareness.
A wide variety of stories, songs, lullabies, poems, and prayers enable children to not only develop
a love for their cultural context, but also provide value-based insights. This contributes to
language development beginning with listening or shravana, as well as the ability to focus and
concentrate. The senses, indriyas, are to be sharpened to be able to experience the world around
in all its beauty and wonder. Seva integrated into everyday life enables the experience of joy of
relationships along with being a part of and doing good for one’s community.
The Panchakosha concept and imagination also maps into the different Curricular Areas as
envisaged in the NCF.
a. Physical Development (Sharirik Vikas) and Development of Life Energy (Pranik Vikas):
Age-specific balanced physical development, physical fitness, flexibility, strength, and
endurance; development of senses; nutrition, hygiene, personal health, expansion of physical
abilities; building body and habits keeping in mind one hundred years of healthy living in a
human being. Balance and retention of energy, positive energy and enthusiasm, smooth
functioning of all major systems (digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and nervous systems) by
activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Physical Education and
Well-being as a Curricular Area plays a vital role in this development.
b. Emotional/Mental Development (Manasik Vikas): Concentration, peace, will and will
power, courage, handling negative emotions, developing virtues (maulyavardhan), the will to
attach and detach from work, people, and situations, happiness, visual and performing arts,
culture, and literature. This aspect of socio-emotional development needs to be addressed in
almost all Curricular Areas, particularly in Art and Vocational Education.
c. Intellectual Development (Bauddhik Vikas): Observation, experimentation, analytical
ability, abstract and divergent thinking, synthesis, logical reasoning, linguistic skills,
imagination, creativity, power of discrimination, generalisation, and abstraction. The
knowledge and capacities developed in all the Curricular Areas lead to intellectual
development in breadth and depth.
d. Spiritual Development (Chaitsik Vikas): Happiness, love and compassion, spontaneity,
freedom, aesthetic sense, the journey of ‘turning the awareness inwards’. A healthy body,
with appropriate emotional balance and knowledge in depth, allows human beings to
Part A
69
explore the wonders of this Universe. This exploration in its ultimate form, done with
appropriate humility and curiosity, often reveals the true nature of the individual and the
Universe, which indeed is a spiritual experience.
Panchakosha is an ancient explication of the importance of the body-mind complex in human
experience and understanding. This non-dichotomous approach to human development gives
clear pathways and direction for meaningful education. The NCF, through the eight Curricular
Areas outlined, inspired by the concept of Panchakosha, aspires towards a more holistic education.
Section 2.2
Development of Concepts in a Curricular
Area and Requirements of Capacities
Child development describes the process of growth and maturation of children in different
domains and associated faculties, which have a direct implication on what can be learnt by
children in each Stage and how they can learn it, thus informing the 5+3+3+4 structure. The
other matter that directly informs this curricular structure is the nature of the ‘what’, its
complexity, its demands on faculties, and its other characteristics. The nature of knowledge and
capacities to be learnt have implications on the sequence in which such learning and development
of concepts and skills can occur. This section explores some of these sequences and their
implications for the four Stages of schooling.
2.2.1 Reading Development

Reading has become central to education and schooling. Most learning materials, whether in the
form of textbooks or worksheets, have printed text in them and students are expected to read
and comprehend them. So it is important to consider the stages of reading development in the
design of the School Stages. Reading develops in the following stages [Chall. J.S, 1983]:
a. Stage 1: Pre-reading: Children develop oral language capacities and begin to recognise
individual sounds in parts of speech. Exposure to rich language use, specifically directed at
children, is critical for developing oral language and vocabulary that are necessary for initial
reading. Exposure to the use of printed texts by adults helps develop the concept of print.
b. Stage 2: Initial Reading: Children start making connections between oral sounds and the
visual symbolic form of the written system. This aspect of reading is termed as ‘decoding’,
where the effort is focussed on establishing letter-sound relationships and using this
understanding to read familiar and unfamiliar words.
c. Stage 3: Fluency and Ungluing from Print: Their decoding abilities become fluent and,
thus, place low cognitive demand on the process of converting the textual symbols to
sounds. With the release of this burden, their focus shifts to grasping the meaning in the text.
d. Stage 4: Reading for Learning the New: In this stage, children are not just reading familiar
texts and engaging with familiar ideas in a textual form. They are able to learn new ideas and
concepts through the process of reading. They are not relying only on their concrete physical
experience, but are able to imagine possibilities based on what they read. Reaching this
Part A
stage is especially important for students to become independent learners.
70
e. Stage 5: Multiple Viewpoints: In this stage, a more critical understanding of the text being
read becomes possible. The students can understand that the author of the text has a
specific viewpoint and that there are possible other viewpoints. They can bring in their own
understanding and critically evaluate the piece of text.
f. Stage 6: Construction and Reconstruction: The reader forms a worldview based on what
they are reading. They consciously choose books to further deepen their worldview or
challenge the worldview that they hold. They are able to identify the core thesis of the
author(s), identify their agreements and disagreements with that thesis, and are able to
synthesise and construct a new thesis through this process.
In this approach to stages of reading, by the end of the Preparatory Stage students should be
reaching stage 3, and by end of the Middle Stage they should be at stage 4. In the Secondary
Stage, they should achieve stage 5 and begin stage 6.
2.2.2 Perceptual, Practical, and Theoretical Concepts

Concept formation is at the core of the cognitive development of the child. A concept is a mental
model that we make to understand the world. These models are created by a process of abstraction
and categorisation. Understanding different kinds of concepts is very relevant for curricular
planning.
Perceptual concepts are concepts formed through our perception or senses. Very young
children can start differentiating objects based on their colour, shape, texture, and perhaps even
taste and smell. More complex concepts, such as birds having feathers and dogs having legs and
bark, are perceptual concepts too. They are formed through careful observation and the use of
the senses. Children almost automatically form these concepts through their experiences. By
giving names to objects and experiences, language plays an important role in developing and
expressing these concepts.
Practical concepts are concepts formed not just by perception, but the practical use that is
embedded. For example, a table or a chair is not a mere perception of the colour or shape of the
object, but the practical use of the object. While the chair is an object on which people sit, a table
is not usually used for sitting but to put objects on it or use for work. To form practical concepts,
children need to have some understanding of social life. To understand a practical concept, one
must grasp what people do with an object and what they use it for [Dearden. R.F., 1968]. Again,
through engagement and exposure to exercises in practical life, children develop practical
concepts.
Language development plays a very important role in the development of perceptual and
practical concepts. Language enables us to check our experiences with others and ensure we
have a shared meaning emerging from these experiences. This ensures that we grasp the socially
accepted use of the practical concept or the socially accepted vocabulary that represents the
perceptual concept.
Theoretical concepts, on the other hand, explore in highly systematic ways our ordinary
‘common sense’ experience. These concepts make sense only within a form of understanding.
While a spherical or rectangular shape can be perceived, the mathematical understanding of a
sphere or a rectangle has a very precise meaning. A rupee coin might perceptually mean a shiny,
Part A
71
round object. The practical use of it can also be grasped. But to understand money as an economic
concept, children need an introduction to a whole lot of theories and conceptual structures in
economics.
While perceptual and practical concepts require not much more than a normal intuitive mind,
theoretical concepts often are counterintuitive. To grasp that the earth is rotating around the sun
at 30 kilometres per second and we are standing on a spinning orb rotating at the speed of 460
meters per second, we cannot rely on our perceptions, nor can ordinary practical experience be
of any assistance. We need an understanding of physics and mathematics. There is often a
discontinuity between our intuitions and ordinary practices and the nature of reality.
Thus theoretical concepts cannot be acquired merely through experiences or learning by doing.
They need a more deliberate attempt of the Teacher and the student to grasp the meaning behind
the experience by connecting it to various conceptual structures and the methods of inquiry
specific to a form of understanding.
This indicates that very young children can grasp and develop perceptual and practical concepts
through experience and human interaction along with effective use of language. Theoretical
concepts, on the other hand, make sense only through the introduction of a form of understanding
and perhaps can wait till the Middle Stage. In the Secondary Stage, students gain deeper
disciplinary knowledge and methods. This enables them to grasp the deeper meanings of
theoretical concepts by placing the concepts within the overall framework of the disciplines,
explaining them using the current valid theories of the discipline, and also by linking these
concepts to theoretical concepts in other disciplines.
2.2.3 Modes of Inquiry

The modes of inquiry used by children to develop conceptual understanding play a very important
role in the selection of content, pedagogy, and assessment. The progression of these modes of
inquiry also has implications for the Stages of schooling.
2.2.3.1 Play and Exploration

Young children learn various concepts, particularly perceptual and practical concepts, largely
through play and open exploration. Their incredibly curious and absorbent minds are constantly
exploring the natural and social world around them. They are intuitive problem solvers and
grasp conventions of language use and social behaviour through observation and imitation. At
this Stage, a stimulating environment and the freedom to explore and play are the biggest and
most effective sources of learning. The stimulation does not come only from the material
environment, but also from an attentive and active adult and peer group.
2.2.3.2 Capacities for Inquiry

From a broad and free exploration, children need to acquire more specific capacities that have an
important role in further inquiry. In addition to the foundational capacities of literacy and
numeracy, they acquire skills of observation, data collection, analysis, and more. Gross motor
and fine motor skills relevant to Physical Education, Art Education, and Vocational Education are
developed. Further, capacities for attention, perseverance, and memory are also developed.
Part A
These capacities are utilised in informal methods of inquiry to make sense of the world around
them and to respond to the practical necessities of life. These capacities can be developed by
72
giving learning experiences that are practical and within the social context of the student. The
opportunities for learning can be guided explorations with the specific intent to develop these
capacities.
2.2.3.3 Methods of Inquiry

To gain a deeper understanding, particularly of theoretical concepts, students need to gain
knowledge and capacities for specific methods of inquiry. These methods are particular to
different types of knowledge. Mathematics, Science, and Social Science have their own methods
of inquiry and logic of reasoning. They have specific theories and a web of concepts, the
understanding of which gives insight into a new way of thinking about the world. These methods,
theories, and concepts increase the depth of inquiry within a specific convention or tradition.
Similarly, Art has its specific forms and traditions in, e.g., visual art, music, dance, and theatre.
Understanding these forms and acquiring the relevant practices enables the students for a
deeper exploration of aesthetic experiences. Specific forms of sports and practices such as yoga
have their own methods.
By getting introduced to these methods, students gain capacities for systematic and rigorous
methods of inquiry in specific forms of understanding.
Teaching, in this Stage, is more formal and the emphasis is on understanding the conventions
and the ‘rules of the game’ of each form of understanding, and the necessary capacity to ’play’
within these ’rules’.
2.2.3.4 Disciplinary Exploration

In this Stage, students gain disciplinary depth within each type of knowledge. The mode of
inquiry becomes exploratory again like in the first Stage, but within a framework of a discipline
or a form. For example, a student with sufficient capacities/skills for dancing and a grounded
knowledge of Bharatanatyam as a form of dance can now use these capacities and knowledge for
creative expressions through dance. Similarly, after gaining sufficient capacities for scientific
inquiry through experimentation and instrumentation in Biology, students can pursue interesting
and challenging questions about life forms and attempt to answer these questions within the
discipline of Biology. A more sophisticated form of exploration would be to utilise their knowledge
in multiple disciplines and approach problems with interdisciplinary solutions.
Part A
73
Section 2.3
Stage Design
The curriculum for the four Stages of schooling has been designed based on the vision of NEP
and on the considerations of child development, conceptual nature (complexity, abstraction) of
subjects, and the appropriate modes of inquiry at each age range.

The Foundation Stage is for children of ages between 3 and 8. Children start schooling in the
Foundational Stage. The design is based on the principles of Early Childhood Care and Education
(ECCE). NEP 2020 states:
ECCE ideally consists of flexible, multi-faceted, multi-level, play-based, activity-based, and

inquiry-based learning, comprising of alphabets, languages, numbers, counting, colours, shapes,
indoor and outdoor play, puzzles, and logical thinking, problem-solving, drawing, painting and
other visual art, craft, drama and puppetry, music and movement. It also includes a focus on
developing social capacities, sensitivity, good behaviour, courtesy, ethics, personal and public
cleanliness, teamwork, and cooperation. The overall aim of ECCE will be to attain optimal
outcomes in the domains of: physical and motor development, cognitive development, socio-
emotional-ethical development, cultural/artistic development, and the development of
communication and early language, literacy, and numeracy.
[NEP 2020, 1.2]
a. Curricular Structure: The Foundational Stage curriculum of the NCF is divided into
domains that are closely linked to the developmental domains of the child — Physical
Development, Socio-emotional-ethical Development, Cognitive Development, Language and
Literacy Development, and Aesthetic and Cultural Development. The mother tongue is
emphasised for language and literacy development and to ease, and make more effective,
learning in other domains as well. The five domains of development are also informed by the
Panchakosha imagination.
b. Content: Textbooks are used only from Grade 1 and most of the content consists of concrete
materials — toys, puzzles, and manipulatives. Along with these materials, learning
experiences organised through physical exploration of the classroom and outdoor space
becomes the most appropriate content. In later years of this Stage, worksheets can start
playing a bigger role. Children’s literature is a very important source of content for language
and literacy development.
c. Pedagogy: The pedagogical approach suggested is play based and emphasises the nurturing,
caring relationships between the Teacher and the children. The pedagogical design should
allow for a balance between self-paced individual learning to a more social group-based
learning. Development of foundational capacities in literacy and numeracy would require
systematic guidance from the Teacher as well as adequate time for the child to practise and
repeat on their own. Whole class instruction should be balanced with time for children to
work on their own, either with materials or with worksheets.
Part A
74
d. Assessments: Most assessments are observations made by Teachers and not explicit testing
of abilities of students. Worksheets used by children can give information to Teachers about
progress in learning.
e. Classroom Arrangement: Children of this age group need to move freely and have adequate
opportunities for engaging their natural curiosity and exploration. Classroom arrangements
should reflect this need of the children and should not restrict their movement, e.g., through
the placement of play/activity/learning corners that keep the centre of the room free and
open.
f. Teachers: Since the relationship between children and the Teacher is critical for this Stage,
the same Teacher would engage in all the domains and there would not be any subject/
domain-specific Teacher. The Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) is also expected to be lower since
individual attention and assessment through observation are necessary.
The Foundational Stage bridges the divide between the home environment of the child and the
formal school environment. It develops capacities in Foundational Literacy and Numeracy that
enable the student to learn all other subject areas. In addition to these capacities, it develops
valuable dispositions for active learning and enables students to become engaged learners in
formal school environments. Play and exploration are the natural modes through which children
learn and the Foundational Stage utilises these modes to promote valuable capacities
and dispositions.

The duration of the Preparatory Stage is three years and includes Grades 3, 4, and 5.
The Preparatory Stage will comprise three years of education, building on the play-, discovery-,
and activity-based pedagogical and curricular style of the Foundational Stage, but also
gradually beginning to incorporate textbooks as well as aspects of more formal classroom
learning. There would mostly be generalist teachers during this stage, with the possible
exception of some specialist language and art teachers (who may be shared across the school or
school complex). The aim of this stage will be to lay the general groundwork across subjects,
including reading, writing, speaking, physical education, art, languages, science, and
mathematics, so that students are prepared to delve deeper into learning areas through
specialised subjects and subject teachers in the stages that follow.
[KRCR 2019, 4.1.1]
a. Curricular Structure: The Preparatory Stage curriculum of the NCF is divided into the
following Curricular Areas — at least two Languages, Mathematics, Art Education, Physical
Education and Well-being, and The World Around Us. The World Around Us is an
interdisciplinary area that encourages exploration and understanding of both the natural
world and the social world. Aspects of work in Vocational Education are also incorporated
into this Curricular Area. The preparation is largely focussed on capacities and dispositions
at this Stage.
b. Content: Textbooks start playing a bigger role in the areas of Language and Mathematics. A
variety of children’s literature should complement the Language textbook to consolidate
Part A
students’ literacy capacities. Materials and manipulatives continue to play a role in
75
Mathematics, though emphasis shifts to symbolic representation in correspondence with

concrete materials. The World Around Us should rely less on the textbook and more on
experiential learning with physical exploration as the main source of content. The content
needs to be within the familiar contexts of the student.
c. Pedagogy: Activity- and discovery-based pedagogy continues in this Stage, gradually
encouraging students to be active within a formal classroom arrangement. The ability to
concentrate and pay continuous attention to classroom lectures and discussions needs to be
encouraged. Some proportion of the self-paced individual work should be part of the
classroom activity, while some amount of homework can be included.
d. Assessments: Assessments in this Stage are a combination of observation of students’
activity, correcting their worksheets, and short, formal written evaluations. Periodic
summative assessments should supplement the more frequent formative assessments.
e. Classroom Arrangement: The classroom setting is a balance between a formal
environment and an arrangement that encourages movement and exploration. Students
sitting and working in groups should be encouraged.
f. Teachers: Teachers continue to be generalists and teach across Curricular Areas. For Art
and Physical Education and Well-being, specialists from the school complexes can be invited
for the development of specific capacities and skills, but the Class Teacher should continue
to be present and mediate these interactions with the students.
The Preparatory Stage consolidates the capacities and dispositions that begin to develop in the
Foundational Stage. Students are expected to develop fluency in literacy and numeracy and
develop further capacities that are helpful in a systematic exploration of the natural and social
worlds around them.
2.3.3 Middle Stage

The duration of the Middle Stage is also three years and includes Grades 6, 7, and 8.
The Middle Stage will comprise three years of education, building on the pedagogical and
curricular style of the Preparatory Stage, but with the introduction of subject teachers for
learning and discussion of the more abstract concepts in each subject that students will be ready
for at this stage across the sciences, mathematics, arts, social sciences, and humanities.
Experiential learning within each subject, and explorations of relations among different subjects,
will be encouraged and emphasized despite the introduction of more specialised subjects and
subject teachers.
[NEP 2020, 4.2]
a. Curricular Structure: The Middle Stage expands the Curricular Areas to include Science
(i.e., the study of the physical and natural world) and Social Science (i.e., the study of the
human world), and students also get exposure to Vocational Education. Based on the
capacities and dispositions in the Preparatory Stage, students engage more formally with
knowledge and values in the Middle Stage. Curricular Areas are dealt with as ‘forms of
understanding’ with explicit engagement with paradigmatic theories and conceptual
structures that frame each area. The more generic capacities (such as observation and data
Part A
collection) developed in the Preparatory Stage are now specialised into specific methods of
76
inquiry that are appropriate for each form of understanding. For example, students gain an
understanding of the methods of inquiry in Science and also contrast them with the methods
of inquiry in History or in the Arts. The conventions and protocols of each form of
understanding are also introduced in the Middle Stage.
b. Content: The content in the Middle Stage needs to reflect the engagement with theoretical
concepts and the introduction of theories and conceptual frameworks specific to each form
of understanding. There is a shift to more abstract ideas and the students are expected to
engage with unfamiliar contexts and situations. The textbooks begin to play a central role in
mediating the content in the Middle Stage. Both the expansion of Curricular Areas and the
engagement with abstract ideas and unfamiliar contexts could be challenging for students.
Well-designed textbooks with clear expectations and specific learning goals would support
students in entering these forms of understanding in a structured and systematic manner.
c. Pedagogy: Pedagogy is a judicious balance of direct instruction and opportunities for
exploration and inquiry. As mentioned before, the expansion of content areas and the
abstract nature of theories place a heavier cognitive demand on students. The focus on
concept development indicates that the Teacher must pay attention to the prior concepts
that students might already have and how to use those concepts to bring about active
learning. The emphasis is not on accumulating facts, but on becoming fluent in the methods
of inquiry within each form of understanding.
d. Assessments: Assessments can become more formal and explicit. The focus of assessments
should be on the specific ways of reasoning within each form of understanding and not
primarily on the recall of facts. Formal tests and examinations play a role with the
expectation that students can process larger chunks of information together for analysis and
synthesis. Periodic summative assessments should again supplement the more frequent
formative assessments.
e. Classroom Arrangement: The classroom is increasingly a formal space allowing for group
work and peer interactions. Subject-specific classrooms become effective when equipped
with appropriate TLMs and other resources.
f. Teachers: Subject-specific Teachers handle different Curricular Areas in this Stage. Teachers
need a profound understanding of the Curricular Area in terms of vertical connections of
concepts within the subject and horizontal connections with concepts in other areas.
Students of this age benefit from engaging with a diverse set of adults who have their own
personalities and interests. Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, and
Vocational Education can have visiting faculty who have specialised knowledge and skills.
The Middle Stage utilises the capacities and dispositions developed during the Preparatory Stage
and introduces the students to different forms of understanding. Students gain systematic
knowledge through rational thought and enquiry. The capacities for critical thinking and problem
solving are consolidated in this Stage and they acquire the desirable values and dispositions for
democratic/economic/cultural participation.
Part A
77

2.3.4.1 NEP 2020 — Considerations
a. No Hard Separation. NEP 2020 gives clear mandate to move away from the current practice
of streaming into Science, Arts/Humanities, and Commerce. Instead, students can choose
subjects across Curricular Areas. Thus, the Secondary Stage design should enable both
breadth through engagement with a variety of subjects across streams — including Art
Education, Physical Education and Well-being, and Vocational Education — as well as depth
in areas chosen by students.
b. Breadth and Depth. Students should have breadth and depth across multiple disciplines
and depth in chosen subjects.
c. Choice and Flexibility. Students should have flexibility and choice across subjects and
Curricular Areas.
d. Reduced Content Load. ‘Curriculum content will be reduced in each subject to its core
essentials, to make space for critical thinking and more holistic, inquiry-based, discovery-
based, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning.’ [NEP 2020, 4.5]
e. Reduced Exam Pressures. ‘Board exams will also be made ‘easier’, in the sense that they
will test primarily core capacities/competencies rather than months of coaching and
memorization.’ [NEP 2020, 4.37]
2.3.4.2 Curricular Structure

a. To enable the vision of NEP 2020, the Secondary Stage will be designed in two phases —
Grades 9 and 10, and Grades 11 and 12. In Grades 9 and 10, students engage with a breadth
of curriculum across Curricular Areas. In Grades 11 and 12, more specialisations and
choices are available to students while still maintaining significant breadth.
b. Grades 9 and 10 will ensure breadth, building on the learning achieved in the Middle Stage
with clear continuity between the two stages.
i. Study 3 Languages — R1, R2, R3 — at least two of which are native to India
Study 7 subjects — Mathematics and Computational Thinking, Social Science, Science,
Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, Vocational Education, and
Interdisciplinary Areas. Each of these subjects will be a well-integrated and coherent
study of multiple disciplines; for example, in Science — Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and
Earth Science. Again, the emphasis would be on learning core concepts/competencies
rather than the memorisation of facts.(See Figure 2.3i)
ii. Learning Standards for these subjects are articulated in the corresponding Curricular
Areas for this phase in this NCF, and it is expected that all students attain these
Learning Standards. (See Part C, Chapters 2-9)
iii. All Secondary Schools will need to offer 3 Languages as well as all the 7 subjects, so that
all students are able to complete Grade 10. Out of these, Art, Physical Education and
Well-being, and Vocational Education would be examined locally. (See §2.3.4.7 on
Assessment)
Part A
78
Figure 2.3i
Part A
79
c. Grades 11 and 12 will enable depth of study based on choices that students make.
i. To ensure that students have a depth of learning across a range of human knowledge,
students will have to:
1) Choose two Languages from Group 1, at least one of which is native to India.
2) Choose four subjects (with an optional fifth subject) from at least two of the
following groups:
• Group 2: Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, Vocational
Education
• Group 3: Social Science and Humanities, Interdisciplinary Areas
• Group 4: Science, Mathematics & Computational Thinking
(See Figure 2.3ii)
These Groups have been created to address the requirement of breadth of study in
NEP 2020, which is why there is a requirement to choose subjects from at least two
groups. In the longer term, as schools develop the requisite capacity, it will be
desirable for students to have to take subjects from all three Groups above to develop
well-rounded thinking. (For more details on Groups, Curricular Areas, and Subjects
see Figure 2.3ii)
The following are some of the key considerations for designing the subject courses in Grades 11
and 12.
1) In the case of subjects based on academic disciplines, the intent would be to give
adequate exposure to the key conceptual structures and theories of the discipline
and develop capacities of inquiry in that discipline. The students would develop an
understanding of how this discipline behind the subject fits within the Curricular
Area and the open questions that the discipline is currently engaging with. This
would enable students to make informed decisions about the pursuit of this
discipline in higher education or to study it on their own.
2) In case of Interdisciplinary Areas, a very wide range of subjects can be offered. Art
Education can offer specific forms of art as subjects, while Physical Education and
Well-being can offer specialisations based on practices such as Yoga. In the case of
vocational areas, the subject should equip students to enter the world of work in a
particular vocation. Contemporary subjects, such as Artificial Intelligence, Design
Thinking, Holistic Health, Organic Living, and Global Citizenship Education, as
recommended by NEP 2020 can be offered as courses in appropriate Groups. An
illustrative list of subjects is given in Figure 2.3ii.
3) This NCF states the broad aims for the Curricular Areas and does not specify the
Learning Standards for Grades 11 and 12 that must be achieved in each subject.
These have to be articulated specifically in terms of Competencies and Learning
Outcomes for each subject by syllabus developers. However, this NCF has specific
illustrations of a few disciplines (See Part C, Chapter 10).
4) Since students would have a wide choice, syllabus/course designers of subjects
should not assume that students would choose a ‘complementing’ subject. For
Part A
example, the Biology courses in Grade 11 and 12 cannot be designed on the

assumption that students are enrolled in Chemistry in their Grade 11 and 12.
80
Figure 2.3ii
Part A
81
5) Subjects can be offered at different levels. For example, there can be a Basic
Mathematics subject as well as Advanced Mathematics. Students will be given the
choice of opting for different levels.
ii. Students are expected to make their choices on the basis of their passions and interests,
and their future plans either in the world of work or in higher education after their
school completion. See Figure 2.3iv for some illustrative combinations that students
may choose.
2.3.4.3 Implications for Schools and Boards of Examination

a. For Phase 1: Grades 9 and 10
i. Schools should offer all the ten subjects required for 10th grade certification (see Figure
2.3i)
b. For Phase 2: Grades 11 and 12
i. Schools should offer a minimum of 2 Languages.
ii. Schools should, at a minimum, offer subjects from at least two Groups amongst Groups 2,
3 and 4.
iii. In 5 years, schools should offer subjects from all four Groups.
iv. Within 10 years, many more subjects should be offered within Groups to give more
choice and flexibility to students and all Curricular Areas should be covered.
c. Boards of examination
i. Boards of examination should offer all subjects for Grade 10.
ii. For Grade 12, Boards should not restrict students to choose subjects within streams
(such as Science or Commerce), and instead allow flexibility to choose from different
Groups.
iii. A wide range of examinations for different subjects within Groups should be designed
to increase choice and flexibility for students and schools.
iv. Subject examinations at different levels (e.g., basic and advanced) should be offered.
v. Processes for empanelling external examiners for Art Education, Physical Education
and Well-being, and Vocational Education should be defined.
vi. Board examinations should be made ‘easier’, in the sense that they test primarily core
capacities/competencies rather than months of coaching and memorisation.
2.3.4.4 Implementation in Phases

The NCF 2023 aims to respond meaningfully to the recommendations of NEP 2020 in giving
more flexibility and choice to students and not creating hard separations between disciplines.
Along with these responses, the Curricular Areas of Art Education, Physical Education and Well-
being, Vocational Education, and Interdisciplinary Areas have received additional attention. In
order to fully realise the vision of NEP 2020 in a practical manner, the NCF 2023 recommends a
phased approach towards implementing the curriculum.
Part A
82
Figure 2.3iii
Figure 2.3iv
Part A
83
a. Schools and Examination Boards should be prepared to offer and assess all the ten
Curricular Areas for Grade 10 right from the beginning of the implementation of this NCF.
b. Schools and Examinations Boards should be prepared to offer a minimum of two Languages
for Grade 12 from the beginning of the implementation of this NCF.
c. Schools should be prepared to offer subjects from at least two Groups amongst Groups 2, 3,
and 4, immediately. Within 5 years, schools should be ready to offer subjects from all the
four Groups. Within 10 years, schools should offer many more subjects covering all
Curricular Areas.
d. The Secondary Stage has been divided into two phases — Grades 9 and 10, and Grades 11
and 12. In 10 years, all school systems should move to a single unified stage for secondary,
where students have choice and flexibility with breadth right from Grade 9 through 12 —
thus realising the NEP vision of the Secondary Stage as being ‘four years of multidisciplinary
study’.
e. The current system of study in annual patterns should move to a semester design. This
would allow for greater flexibility in design of courses.
f. In ten years, Boards of Examination should be prepared to offer certification through ‘easier’
modular examinations — ‘that each test far less material and are taken immediately after
the course is taken in school’ [NEP 2020, 4.38] — in order to eliminate the need for studying
large amounts of material at once and to thereby further reduce coaching culture and the
need for coaching.
2.3.4.5 Content
For Grades 9 and 10, textbooks can continue to be an important source of content. For Grades 11
and 12, each semester-long course can have its own specific course compendium. At this Stage,
a variety of content addressing specific concepts and methods of inquiry should be made available
to Teachers and the Teachers should choose appropriate content packages to meet the Learning
Objectives of the courses.
2.3.4.6 Pedagogy
Pedagogy, at this Stage, should take into consideration the knowledge and capacities that students
will bring from the previous stages of schooling. The pedagogy should encourage more self-study
and exploration, with a focus on becoming fluent in the methods of inquiry specific to the
Curricular Area. At this stage, students can be reasonably expected to become independent
learners and the pedagogy in the classroom should reflect this expectation. Classroom interactions
should be a judicious mix of more direct instruction from the Teacher with discussion, seminars
for discussion, exploration and discovery, and opportunities for students to prepare individual
and group projects and present key concepts of the discipline.
2.3.4.7 Assessment
a. Grades 9 and 10
i. Students must successfully ‘pass’ Board examinations at the end of Grade 10. These
examinations are conducted by the respective Boards of examinations with central
evaluation. These examinations should assess the Competencies defined in the
Part A
Learning Standards for each Curricular Area:
84
1) The Languages Curricular Area would have 3 examinations — for R1, R2, and R3.
2) The Curricular Areas of Mathematics and Computational Thinking, Science, Social
Science, and Interdisciplinary Areas would have one examination each adding to 4
examinations.
ii. Assessment schemes (question papers) for Art, Physical Education and Well-being, and
Vocational Education can be prepared by the appropriate Board of examinations, and
both the assessment and evaluation can be done locally at the school level with external
examiners.
iii. Boards must offer these examinations multiple times (each being a ‘cycle’) in the same
academic year — and students’ final certification must be on the basis of their best
performance across these cycles, including taking the best performance from different
Curricular Areas from different cycles within three academic years.
b. Grades 11 and 12
i. To complete Grade 12, students should ‘pass’ the following Board examinations:
1) 2 examinations in Languages, at least one of which is native to India. These
Languages may or may not be continuations of R1, R2, or R3 — for example, they
may be a specialised literature class in R1, R2, or R3, or a new Indian Language
(such as Sanskrit or classical Tamil) and/or a foreign language.
2) 4 examinations from at least 2 Groups (plus an optional 5th exam):
• Group 2: Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, Vocational
Education
• Group 3: Social Science, Interdisciplinary Areas
• Group 4: Science, Mathematics & Computational Thinking
ii. The mode of conducting examinations should be liberalised in due course from the
rigid annual examinations. Modular Examinations can be offered by Boards as opposed
to a single examination at the end of the year. These can be offered at different times of
the year. In due course, Boards of examinations should develop capacities to offer ‘on
demand’ examinations. The final certification will be based on the cumulative result of
each of the examinations.
iii. Assessment schemes (question papers) for Art Education, Physical Education and
Well-being, and Vocational Education can be prepared by the appropriate Board of
examinations, and both the assessment and evaluation can be done locally at the school
level with external examiners.
The matter of assessment and examinations are dealt with in greater detail in Part A, Chapter 3,
§3.4 — which are equally relevant to the Secondary Stage.
2.3.4.8 Classroom Arrangement

The classroom arrangement should take into consideration that students are expected to be
more independent learners. The physical arrangement should facilitate group discussions and
explorations. Laboratory spaces can be utilised for science classrooms, with adequate safety
Part A
85
precautions, instead of separating the sites of learning theory and practice. Dedicated classrooms
for specific subjects are very effective at this stage, where the classrooms are equipped with the
necessary TLMs.
2.3.4.9 Teachers
Teachers at this stage must be subject specialists with deep understanding and interest in the
discipline. Art Education and Physical Education and Well-being would need specialists who are
able to teach theory and practice both.
Part A
86
Chapter 3
Approach to Learning
Standards, Content, Pedagogy,
and Assessment
Chapter 1 articulated the Aims of School Education for this NCF which in turn were derived from
the vision and purposes of education outlined in NEP 2020. Chapter 2 detailed the four-Stage
design of schooling as recommended by NEP 2020.
This Chapter describes the approach taken by the NCF towards defining Learning Standards,
selection of content, methods of teaching, and assessments to achieve these Aims in the context
of the four-Stage schooling structure.
Part A
87
Section 3.1
Approach to Learning Standards
Education can be seen both as a process and as an outcome. When we view education as an
outcome, we think about a student’s achievement of the desirable knowledge, capacities, values,
and dispositions as derived from the Aims of School Education. To bring clarity to all stakeholders
on what students must achieve in schools, this NCF has articulated these desired educational
achievements as Learning Standards.
‘Goal clarity’ or ‘clarity of objectives’ is a critical element for success in any endeavour; Learning
Standards are intended to provide such clarity in school education to all participants and
stakeholders — Teachers, students, educational functionaries, parents, and society as a whole.
While providing and having such clarity has many aspects, three things are critical:
a. Any such ‘objective’ must be at a level of detail and time-horizon that the person using it
should be able to relate to it and to draw relevant actions. For example, a Preparatory Stage
Language Teacher would require goals that are to be achieved by the end of the Stage in
Language and only having goals at the end of schooling will not be helpful to them; most
parents would be able relate to goals that are for the particular age of their child and would
find it difficult to relate to the Aims of Education as goals in a useful manner.
b. All such ‘objectives’ must be derived from the Aims of Education and together must achieve
the Aims — this is operationalised by the process of ‘rigorous flow-down’ as mentioned
later in this chapter.
c. The entire set of ‘objectives’ must be cogent, consistent, and connected, which would be
essential to achieving the Aims.
These objectives, starting from Aims of School Education, are referred to as Learning
Standards in the NCF.
The first section below defines a few terms used in this NCF in the context of Learning Standards
and then gives an approach to arriving at the Learning Standards.
Figure 3.1i
Part A
88
3.1.1 Definitions
a. Aims of School Education: Aims are educational vision statements that give broad
direction to all deliberate efforts of educational systems — curriculum development,
institutional arrangements, funding and financing, people’s capacities, and so on. Aims of
School Education are usually directed by education policy documents. The NCF has derived
the Aims of Education from NEP 2020 and these Aims were articulated in Chapter 1. These
Aims of Education are to be achieved through the gaining and development of Knowledge,
Capacities, Values, and Dispositions, which guide the Aims within each of the subjects/areas
of study.
b. Curricular Goals: Curricular Goals are statements that give directions to curriculum
development and implementation. They are derived from Aims and are specific to a Stage in
education (e.g., the Foundational Stage). This NCF, which would guide the development of
all curricula, lists and the states the Curricular Goals for each Stage. For example, ‘Develops
effective communication skills for day-to-day interactions in two languages’ is such a
Curricular Goal for the Foundational Stage.
c. Competencies: Competencies are learning achievements that are observable and can be
assessed systematically. These Competencies are derived from the Curricular Goals and are
expected to be attained by the end of a Stage. Competencies are articulated in Curriculum
Frameworks including this NCF. However, curriculum developers can adapt and modify the
Competencies to address specific contexts for which the curriculum is being developed. The
following are examples of some of the Competencies derived for the above Curricular Goal
in this NCF — ‘Converses fluently and can hold a meaningful conversation’ and ‘Understands
oral instructions for a complex task and gives clear oral instructions for the same to others.’
d. Learning Outcomes: Competencies are attained over a period of time. Therefore, interim
markers of learning achievements are needed so that Teachers can observe and track
learning and respond to the needs of learners continually. These interim markers are called
Learning Outcomes. Thus, Learning Outcomes are granular milestones of learning and
usually progress in a sequence leading to the attainment of a Competency. Learning
Outcomes enable Teachers to plan their content, pedagogy, and assessment towards
achieving specific Competencies. Curriculum developers and Teachers should have the
autonomy to define Learning Outcomes as appropriate to their classroom contexts, while
maintaining clear connection to the Competencies.
The following table is an example of Learning Outcomes derived for the Competency
‘Converses fluently and can hold a meaningful conversation’ in the Foundational Stage:
Table 3.1i
A B C D E
| | | | |
Competency: Converses fluently and can hold a meaningful conversation

Illustration
Ages 3 - 8
Listens attentively and Initiates conversa- Engages in conversa- Engages in Maintains the
speaks in short tions in daily life with tions based on conversations, thread of the
1 conversations with peers and Teachers in events, stories, or waits for their turn conversation
|
familiar people around a variety of school their needs and asks to speak, and allows across multiple
settings questions others to speak exchanges
Part A
89
Expresses their needs Narrates daily Narrates daily Engages with Engages in
and feelings through experiences in simple experiences in elabo- non-fictional discussion about
Illustration
short meaningful sentences and asks rate descriptions and content read aloud a topic and raises
sentences simple questions, asks why questions or discussed in and responds to
2 using what/ when/ class, is able to link questions
|
how/ whom knowledge from

their own experi-
ences, and talks
about it
3.1.2 From Aims to Learning Outcomes

This NCF strongly emphasises the importance of the clear ‘flow-down’ that must connect
Aims to Curricular Goals to Competencies to Learning Outcomes. Each set must emanate
from the immediate level above while ensuring full coverage of the objectives at that higher level.
This is a process of ‘breaking down and converting’ relatively abstract and consolidated notions
to more concrete components in order to make them useable in the practice of education. This
process, including other considerations that must be accounted for in this ‘flow-down,’ are
described in this Chapter. It is only such coherence, coverage, and connection arising from a
rigorous flow-down, from Aims to Learning Outcomes, which can align syllabus, content,
pedagogical practices, institutional culture, and more to achieving what we desire from education.
This is simply because, in the everyday life of the Teacher and institutions, efforts are (or should
be) made towards achieving very specific, observable, and short-period learning objectives
which are marked as Learning Outcomes. These Learning Outcomes arise from the process of
flow-down described below. They guide the trajectory of educational efforts towards the
attainment of Competencies, which in turn accumulate to Curricular Goals. When the achievement
of the Learning Outcomes, Competencies, and Curricular Goals are all taken together, they achieve
the relevant Aims of Education.
NEP 2020 has articulated the vision and purpose of education. This NCF has drawn the
Aims of School Education from this vision, which informs the knowledge, capacities,
values, and dispositions that must be developed in students in order to achieve the Aims
of education. The aforementioned desirable knowledge, capacities, values, and
dispositions are thereby reflected in the Aims of each subject of study and also in the
recommended school culture and practices.
The Curricular Goals are, in turn, derived from the Aims of Education, along with other
relevant considerations. The Competencies are then drawn from these Curricular Goals,
and the Learning Outcomes from those Competencies.
It must be noted that the Competencies given in this NCF are illustrative and may be modified by
curriculum developers to achieve the Curricular Goals more optimally, based on their context.
Thus, curriculum developers should carefully consider the set of Competencies in the NCF and
use these after making relevant changes where and if required. Given the relative stability and
cross-cutting relevance of Competencies across contexts (and time), there may be fewer
requirements for changes in the Competencies articulated in the NCF. However, decisions on this
matter should be carefully considered by curriculum developers.
Part A
90
The Learning Outcomes can often be more contextual and will, therefore, require close attention
and contextualisation for the curriculum or syllabus being developed.
Thus, the States and their relevant institutions, and other institutions responsible for
curriculum and syllabus development, would need to conduct such a flow-down to arrive
at a full set of Learning Standards for their use.
3.1.2.1 From Aims to Curricular Goals

The Aims of School Education, as envisaged in Chapter 1, give direction to the intended educational
achievements for the four School Stages, through the Aims of each subject. As mentioned earlier,
Curricular Goals to achieve these Aims are stage specific.
In this NCF, Curricular Goals for the Foundational Stage are defined for the different domains of
development. It is appropriate that, at the Foundational Stage, the curriculum is closely aligned
with the domains of child development. From the Preparatory Stage onwards, the Curricular
Goals are defined for specific Curricular Areas. These Curricular Areas have been enumerated in
Chapter 1 along with their aims.
While the Aims of Education are the primary source for the Stage-specific Curricular Goals, there
are two other kinds of considerations in arriving at their articulation. The Curricular Goals are
arrived at by considering:
a. the Aims of School Education, as articulated in the NCF (Part A, Chapter 1)

b. the Nature of Knowledge relevant to the Curricular Area
c. Age appropriateness specific to the Stage of schooling
The Aims of School Education flow-down into the Curricular Goals. More specifically, the
Curricular Goals are arrived at from the desirable Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and Dispositions
within the Aims that are relevant to the Curricular Area, and which would contribute to achieving
those Aims.
3.1.2.2 From Curricular Goals to Competencies

The four main considerations for arriving at the list of Competencies are:
a. Curricular Goals, which flow-down into Competencies

b. Research appropriate for the Stage and Curricular Area that informs the choice of content,
pedagogy, and assessment
c. Experience of various educational efforts in the country
d. Our context, which includes resource availability, time availability, and institutional and
Teachers’ capacities
Each Stage has its own specific considerations regarding student’s development and the
increasing complexity of concepts and requirements of capacities (elaborated upon in Part A,
Chapter 2). These considerations, in turn, have an impact on the choices of Competencies within
each Curricular Goal.
Part A
91
All stakeholders in school education should have clarity on the Competencies that are expected
to be achieved. Keeping track of progress in the attainment of these Competencies for every
student would allow school systems to ensure that all students receive appropriate learning
opportunities towards reaching the Curricular Goals of the NCF.
3.1.2.3 From Competencies to Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes are interim markers of learning achievement towards the attainment of
Competencies. They are defined based on the specifics of the socio-cultural contexts, the materials
and resources available, and the contingencies of the classroom. A set of illustrative Learning
Outcomes have been defined in this NCF, based on the broad understanding of the context of our
education system.
These Learning Outcomes need to be seen as enabling guidelines for Teachers and school
leaders and not as constraining demands on them. They must have the autonomy to
reimagine the Learning Outcomes based on their contexts.
3.1.3 Nested Learning Standards

In the Curricular Areas of Art Education and Physical Education and Well-being, this NCF has
defined Nested Learning Standards. These Curricular Areas have been given due attention in
terms of specifying clear Learning Standards that outline the expected learning achievements of
students. To achieve these Learning Standards, particularly at the Middle and Secondary Stages,
schools would need specialist Teachers and resources (such as playgrounds and equipment).
Giving due consideration to the time schools might require to make such Teachers and resources
available, the Learning Standards for these two Curricular Areas have been defined as two sets.
The first set, called Learning Standards —1, details the full range of Curricular Goals and
Competencies to achieve the educational aims of the Curricular Area. These should be
accomplished by all schools as soon as they add the required resources. Nested within this is a
subset called Learning Standards — 2. These should be accomplished by all schools from the
very initiation of the implementation of this NCF.
Section 3.2
Approach to Curriculum Content
Content of the curriculum will be contained in and manifest directly in the various resources and
materials used in the teaching-learning process, including:
a. Books: for example, textbooks, workbooks, playbooks, and any other kinds of books and
their extracts
b. Other kinds of TLM: for example, toys, puzzles, technology-based material including
videos, and experimental kits
c. Learning environment: for example, classroom space, activities in the local environment,
and engagement with the community. The learning environment of students must be safe,
inclusive, and stimulating.
Part A
92
Developing books (including textbooks) must follow a rigorous process based on an appropriate
syllabus. Carefully selected TLMs play an essential role in all classrooms. The arrangement and
organisation of the learning environment is also important across all Stages, and especially in the
Foundational and Preparatory Stages.
3.2.1 Content Selection

This section describes the broad approach for selecting appropriate curricular content. More
specific considerations for choosing content within particular curricular areas are elaborated
upon in their respective chapters.
Curricular Goals, Competencies, and Learning Outcomes give clear direction as to what content
is to be used for creating learning experiences for students.
Concepts formed in the Foundational and Preparatory Stages are largely perceptive (e.g., colour
as visually discriminated) and practical (e.g., spoon used as a lever to open a tin cover, money to
buy things in a shop), but not theoretical (e.g., colour as a spectrum of light, lever as a simple
machine, or money as a medium of exchange). Exploring the theories behind the perceptive and
practical concepts is expected in the Middle and Secondary Stages of schooling. Choices of
content for each Stage must be based on these considerations.
Content in the Foundational and Preparatory Stages should be derived from children’s life
experiences. It should also reflect the cultural, geographical, and social context in which the child
is developing and growing. As students move through the Middle and Secondary Stages, content
can move away from the familiar and include ideas and theories not necessarily represented in
the immediate environment.
Content should be tied to capacities and values that students need to develop through the Stages
of schooling. Special care should be taken to avoid the promotion of stereotypes.
These are general principles of content selection; subsequent chapters on Curricular Areas
describe the specifics.
3.2.2 Textbooks
3.2.2.1 Role of Textbooks
Textbooks have been given great importance in Indian school education. In fact, it is a widely
shared notion that, in practice, in too many of our schools and in the culture of our education
system, textbooks stand in for all of the curriculum and syllabus, and the use and importance of
most other materials and resources fades in comparison to textbooks. This is unhealthy and
unhelpful for developing a robust system of school education.
This NCF has emphasised the achievement of Learning Standards as the central purpose of
schooling. This emphasis signals a desirable shift in the role of textbooks. The current practice of
‘covering’ the textbook as the focus of classroom interaction should be avoided. Instead, the focus
of classroom interactions should be the achievement of specific learning outcomes, and textbooks
are one of the many resources available for Teachers and students for achieving the Learning
Outcomes. Some important considerations regarding textbooks include:
Part A
93
a. Reduction in ‘textbook centricity’: As mentioned, our education is over-dependent on

textbooks — this must change. Other kinds of TLMs, other kinds of books, and the
surrounding environment must be fully utilised.
b. Expansive and inclusive notion of textbook: The sharp distinction between textbooks,
workbooks, playbooks, and other kinds of books is suboptimal from a student’s perspective.
The content and the form must be designed from a lens of ‘what will get the student to
learn better’, and not from a textbook definition of ‘textbooks’.
c. Availability of multiple textbooks: Even the best of textbooks have their limitations. So,
from a perspective of improving learning, it will be more effective to have multiple
textbooks made available for the same subject and class, which can be compared and
selected by school systems (or schools), and some may even choose to use more than one
textbook. [NEP 2020, 4.31]
d. Quality of textbooks must be high: Students deserve textbooks with high design and
production values with respect to both content and form. The design, layout, and
illustrations all matter for ensuring quality, as does the final printing and production.
e. Cost of textbooks: The public system does and should make available textbooks free to all
students. However, the cost of textbooks matters [NEP 2020, 4.32] and so must be
optimised. Since textbooks have the connotation of being mandatory, this should not be
used for profiteering by some publishers.
3.2.2.2 Key Principles of Textbook Design

With these important basics in place, the principles and process of textbook development are
mentioned below.
a. Curriculum Principle: The textbook should be designed specifically to achieve the

Competencies for the Stage and the Learning Outcomes for the Grade. Textbook developers
and designers should not only be aware of the Competencies of the particular domain or
Curricular Area for which the textbook is being developed, but also the Competencies for
the whole Stage. This would allow them to bring in horizontal connections across the
domains and curricular areas of the Stage.
b. Values Principle: The content chosen in the textbooks should also reflect the desirable
values and dispositions articulated by the NCF. While values are often not explicitly taught,
the school culture and environment should embody the desirable values. In addition, the
content in textbooks play an important role in reflecting these values. For example,
compassion in general and compassion for animals in particular can be reflected in using
phrases such as ‘We take milk from cows’ rather than ‘Cows give us milk’ or ‘Amundsen was
the first to reach the South Pole’, rather than ‘Amundsen conquered the South Pole.’
c. Discipline Principle: Textbook developers should have sound knowledge of the discipline
associated with the textbook being developed. The content and sequence included in the
textbook should be carefully selected so as to not contradict some of the core principles of
these disciplines.
d. Pedagogy Principle: Textbook developers need to have a clear understanding of the
pedagogy that is appropriate for the Competency and content (e.g., in Language, the
balanced approach of including oral language, phonics and word-solving instruction, and
Part A
94
meaning making needs to be incorporated all together for the Foundational Stage). They
should also strive to keep textual matter to a careful minimum, avoiding the earlier
common practice of overloading textbooks with details of questionable significance.
e. Language Principle: The language used in the content of the textbooks should be fully
cognizant of the Language Competencies expected for that particular grade in the Learning
Standards. Particularly in the early grades (Foundational and Preparatory Stages), students
are still learning to read and textbook developers of all subjects must take this into
consideration. Unfamiliar vocabulary and sentence structures should be appropriately
scaffolded in the textbooks through glossaries and explanations. In higher grades (Middle
Stage onwards), developing academic linguistic proficiency should not be seen as the
responsibility of only language textbooks. Subject textbooks should highlight language use
specific to that subject.
f. Technology Principle: Textbook developers should be aware of the current technology and
audio-visual materials available for enhancing the learning experiences of students.
Activities that involve digital technology and references to external material should be
embedded appropriately in the textbook.
g. Context Principle: The local context and environment are important considerations for the
choice of content in textbooks for the Foundational and Preparatory Stages. Moving from
the familiar to the unfamiliar is an important aspect of learning. The textbook should also
contain a balance of familiar contexts that is a comfort for the students and unfamiliar
contexts that should generate curiosity and challenge their thoughts and preferences. For
the Middle and Secondary Stages, this may not be a strong consideration in all Curricular
Areas.
h. Presentation Principle: The textbooks should be so well designed that they grab the
attention of students. For the Foundational and Preparatory Stages, the balance between
visual material and text should be tilted towards visual materials. The colour schemes and
design themes should be attractive and consistent. The fonts and size of text material
should be visible and least confusing for young children to decode. For the Middle and
Secondary Stages, attention should be given to the flow of concepts, clarity in articulation,
and the design of illustrations, not only to clearly illustrate the concepts, but also to initiate
discussions and invite students to ask questions.
i. Diversity and Inclusion: It is important to maintain the principles of diversity and
inclusion in the choice of content for textbooks. Even within States, there are regional
variations and these need to find adequate representation in textbooks.
3.2.2.3 Important Elements in Textbooks

Important elements that textbook developers need to keep in mind are:
a. Design aesthetics and Consistency: The look and feel of textbooks are nearly as important
as the content presented in the textbooks. Design aesthetics and consistency across
textbooks make it easier for the students to engage with textbooks.
b. Learning Standards: Chapters in all textbooks should be explicit and clear about the
intended Learning Outcomes of the content presented in the chapter.
Part A
95
c. Consistent Design Elements: Each Curricular Area would have specific elements that
consistently occur in each chapter of a textbook. These elements are particular to the
Curricular Area and Stage. For example, language textbooks in the Foundational Stage can
have elements, such as Oral Language, Read Alouds, Phonics and Word Solving,
Comprehension, Writing, and so on. A common design theme that clearly identifies and
distinguishes these elements would make textbook design clear and the expectations
explicit.
d. Activities and Exercises: Exercises need not be only at the ends of chapters. Appropriate
activities and exercises can be embedded in the flow of content in the textbook. Exercises
should reflect a judicious mix of recall as well as exploratory and higher order thinking
tasks. Recommended activities that have clear instructions and expectations allow for
engagement outside the classroom. Where appropriate, recommendations for homework
should also be included as part of activities and exercises.
e. Reference to Additional Materials: It has to be emphasised that textbooks are not the only
source of content. Along with this, it has to be acknowledged that, while the internet offers
almost limitless access to content and knowledge, often the sheer choice is bewildering and
confusing for a young learner. Textbook writers should also play the role of curators and
provide references to additional materials available freely on the internet through QR-
codes, provided that they have verified the genuineness and relevance of such materials.
This should be a standard feature of every chapter in the textbook.
3.2.2.4 Process for Textbook Development

Applying the principles of textbook development, the process could be the following:
a. Creation of a syllabus document that draws from the Curricular Goals, Competencies, and
Learning Outcomes and the nature, pedagogy, and assessment of a subject. The syllabus
document could include the objectives of teaching the subject, approach to the content to be
included (concept or theme), structure of the syllabus document (as questions, key
concepts, suggested strategies or activities), and choosing content that is cognitively and
socio-culturally relevant. The syllabus document could also use literature from research
studies, policy papers, Teacher experiences, and subject matter expert opinions for deciding
the extent and depth of the content.
b. Panel of textbook writers, reviewers, and designers/illustrators — The people
involved in textbook development could be:
i. Textbook writers and reviewers. Teachers must be part of this group; others could
include subject experts and university faculty and research scholars. Textbook authors
should include people from diverse backgrounds to bring in diverse perspectives for
content.
ii. Designers/Illustrators. People/organisations that have design experience and
understanding of the local context, preferably local experts, should be involved from the
start of the process.
iii. Technical Experts. A lot of content that complements the textbook can be made
available through digital media. It is thus important for technical experts to be part of
the textbook development team from the start — media content should not be an
Part A
afterthought.
96
The group should work together from the beginning to develop a shared vision of the textbook
and create a common understanding of the process and be open to feedback, suggestions,
and multiple iterations of the textbook.
c. Choice of content, pedagogy, and assessment. The topics/themes chosen would need to
include the context of the student (including previous experiences and language) and scope
for further exploration. The content for each Grade should be a precursor to the next. It is
essential to ensure an alignment of the pedagogy and assessment with the content and the
Learning Outcomes.
d. Structure of the textbook. Considering that the textbook is one important source of
connection between the Teacher and the student, the textbook should be useful for both.
Content in textbooks is largely directed towards students. It has been a practice to include
notes for Teachers in the textbook. This approach is limiting. Therefore, this NCF
recommends that each textbook released for students should be accompanied by a
Teacher’s version of the same textbook. (Please see Box 3.2i below)
e. Presentation and Design. The presentation of a textbook relies on the font size, images,
sketches, the colours used, and their amalgamation, e.g., textual content in the early Grades
may be limited with a large number of images, font size should be large, and the
illustrations used should be sensitive and inclusive. The language used should be Grade
appropriate and relevant to the subject.
f. Writing, review, and pilot run — The writing of a textbook needs sufficient time, regular
peer reviews, and panel reviews. It requires regular interactions with the illustrators to
define and reiterate the requirement of the content being worked on. This adds to the
rigour of textbook creation and assists in avoiding repetitions in the text, images, and ideas
across subjects as the illustrators work with all the writers.
The reviews provided should be constructive and encouraging. The feedback should include
suggestions and alternative ideas. The writers should be open to multiple iterations and be
cognizant of the principles of writing content. The review process must be done chapter-
wise and then for the textbook as a whole. Meticulous proofreading of the textbook is
essential and contributes to its quality.
Selected schools must be identified pilot runs of the textbooks. During such a pilot run, the
writers must visit schools and schedule classroom observations, conversations with
Teachers, student, and parents and receive feedback about the textbook.
g. Teacher orientation to the textbook. There must be a provision for Teacher orientation
on the genesis of the textbook, its rationale, and the approach to pedagogy and assessment
to ensure its appropriate use in the classroom. This orientation must be followed up
through school visits, webinars, sharing of best practices, and regular interactions with the
Teachers to understand the challenges being faced in the use of the textbook.
h. Multiple textbooks: Many agencies and teams must be encouraged to develop textbooks
based on the same syllabus.
Part A
97
Box 3.2i
Teacher’s Handbook
It has been a practice to include notes to Teachers in the textbook. This approach is limiting.
If notes are kept to their briefest minimum, it is not really useful for the Teacher. If they are
elaborate and detailed, it unnecessarily increases the size of the textbook for the students
and it perhaps would also be intimidating.
It is recommended that each textbook being published be accompanied by a Teacher’s
version (Textbook+) of the same textbook. The Textbook+ should be organised in the same
sequence of chapters as the students’ textbook, but can include additional materials:
• Intended learning objectives of the chapter and how it is connected to the Learning
Standards of the curriculum.
• Recommended pedagogical strategies relevant for that chapter.
• Alternative activities for students who are struggling to grasp the content.
• References (through QR-Codes) for resources, such as digital materials, additional
worksheets, formative assessments, and pedagogical content knowledge packages that
provide additional teaching aids and also develops a more profound understanding in the
Teacher of the topic under consideration.
Thus, the Textbook+ would be a valuable compendium for the Teacher to go well beyond the
textbook’s content without burdening or intimidating the students.
3.2.3 Learning Environment and Teaching-Learning

Materials
A safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment that supports every student’s participation is
critical for achieving the Learning Standards outlined in the NCF.
Classrooms (and schools overall) that are clean, well-ventilated, well-lit, and organised with
appropriate access and safety provisions are important to facilitate learning. Safety provisions
include physical, social, and emotional safety.
Schools must be equipped with adequate resources and materials. Classrooms should allow for
individual work and cooperative work. Classroom displays should be available for student work.
Students with developmental delays or disabilities may need specific accommodations for
physical space and TLMs to enable physical and curricular access.
For the Foundational and Preparatory Stages, classrooms may be organised into Learning
Corners for specific domains of learning. The availability of a range of safe and stimulating
material that encourages learning in different domains of development, literacy, and numeracy
would be necessary for all students.
Well-resourced libraries and laboratories would be necessary for the Middle and Secondary
Stages. Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, and Vocational Education would
require specific kinds of spaces and materials available and organised in particular ways.
Part A
98
The local context and the resources of the community may also be significantly helpful, when
used and integrated thoughtfully.
It is important that the full potential of the environment and various kinds of TLMs are utilised,
all of which is intimately tied to the approach adopted in pedagogy (elaborated upon in the next
section). Not only would this enable aspects of learning that are difficult to foster only through
books, but it also makes the process more engaging.
Thus, the curriculum content selected (including pedagogical aspects) must be carefully
distributed and balanced between books, other TLMs, and the use of the surrounding environment.
Section 3.3
Pedagogy
NEP 2020 states:
A good educational institution is one in which every student feels welcomed and cared for, where
a safe and stimulating learning environment exists, where a wide range of learning experiences
are offered, and where good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive to
learning are available to all students.
[NEP 2020, Principles]
Pedagogy is the method and practice of teaching used in classrooms by the Teacher to help
students learn. Effective pedagogy is based on a good understanding of how children grow and
learn, and a clear focus on Curricular Goals, Competencies, and Learning Outcomes to be achieved
for students.
3.3.1 How do Children Grow and Learn?

Healthy physical development requires basic needs of adequate nutrition and appropriate
sensory and emotional stimulation. There are ‘critical periods’ in sensory development, e.g.,
normal visual experience is critical within the first few months of life. There are ‘sensitive
periods’ in cognitive and emotional development as well, e.g., early childhood and adolescence.
Physiological changes have ramifications on the psychological and social aspects of a child’s life.
From an evolutionary point of view, human beings are born to learn, so we come with a drive to
understand the world and explain things around us. We constantly make our own theories and
refine them based on our perceptions and experiences.
Children are, therefore, natural learners. They are active, eager to learn, and respond with
interest to new things. They have an innate sense of curiosity — they wonder, question, explore,
try out, and discover to make sense of the world. By acting on their curiosity, they continue to
discover and learn more.
Research from across the world has provided us with a set of ideas about how children learn that
have practical implications for teaching. Some of these key aspects are:
Part A
99
a. The brain plays an important role in learning. The brain is a complex organ made up of
neurons, glial cells, blood vessels, and many, many cells organised into specialised areas.
The working of the brain is the ever-changing patterns of connections between millions of
neurons. Learning is a physical process in which new knowledge is represented by new
brain cell connections. The brain both shapes and is shaped by experience, including
opportunities the child has for cognitive development and social interaction. The brain is
designed to learn and remember new things through life, as long as it continues to be
challenged and stimulated.
b. Learning is based on the associations and connections that children make. Children
are far from blank slates on which we can simply write pages and pages of information.
They have knowledge and understandings based on their experience; they have intuitive
theories about varied subjects. Nothing is ever recorded in a child’s brain exactly as it is
experienced. It is their interpretation of what they experience that becomes new
knowledge. Interpretation is always in the light of whatever knowledge they already
possess. Children are continuously fitting new experiences into existing knowledge and
adjusting existing knowledge to allow new experiences.
c. Emotions are deeply connected to learning. Emotions are inextricably intertwined
with attention, motivation, and cognition. Positive emotions, such as curiosity, wonder, joy,
and excitement aid attention, cognition, and memory and, therefore, learning. Positive
emotions are often best nurtured through positive relationships with Teachers and among
students. When students feel they belong in a classroom and they can trust their Teacher
and classmates, they feel free to try out and explore and learn better in the process. As
trust grows, the classroom becomes emotionally safer, and students have fewer obstacles
to building their confidence and their learning.
d. The learning environment matters: The word ‘environment’ refers to both the physical
space and the ‘atmosphere’ or psychological environment in the classroom. The physical
environment provides a structure that allows safe exploration, cognitive growth, and
challenge. The atmosphere or psychological environment is made up of all the
relationships and social interactions that happen in the classroom. A safe, secure,
comfortable, and happy classroom environment can help children learn better and
achieve more. For this, it is important that the necessary facilities, such as learning
materials, aids, equipment, and space for doing activities, working together, and playing
so as to help each child learn better, are made available. The classroom must be an
inclusive, enabling learning environment that provides every child with respect,
openness, acceptance, meaningfulness, belonging, and challenge.
e. Learning occurs in particular social and cultural environments: Learning in school
becomes meaningful when it connects to students’ lives and experiences. Most children
grow up with stories, songs, games, food, rituals, and festivals special to their families and
community along with local ways of dressing or working or travelling or living that are an
integral part of their everyday lives. The diverse experiences of children must find a place
in the classroom. As children grow up, while there may often be a difference between the
culture of a student’s home and the culture of the classroom, it is important to continue to
listen to student’s voices and honour their cultural traditions in the classroom.
Part A
100
3.3.2 Effective Pedagogy for Achieving Aims of School

Education
As stated in Chapter 1, §1.3, the central purpose of schools as formal educational institutions is
the achievement of valuable knowledge, capacities, values, and dispositions by students. Based
on how children learn, some key elements of pedagogy for achieving these aims are described
below.
a. Knowledge (knowing that — concepts, theories, principles)

Children form concepts and intuitive theories right from infancy. To learn a new theory or
concept or principle, students fit this new experience into their existing knowledge and
adjust their existing knowledge to allow new experiences in.
To help students do this well, Teachers need to structure and sequence the teaching of
concepts appropriately. They need to connect new concepts to students’ existing experiences
and understanding, pose questions that challenge their existing understanding, and make
clear demonstrations that push their thinking beyond their existing understanding. All this
should take place while ensuring their full participation in open discussions and hands-on
activities. Teaching concepts, theories, or principles in disconnected chunks or expecting
students to reproduce them in the same way they were received makes true conceptual
understanding impossible.
Box 3.3i
Importance of Memory
The ancient Indian emphasis on smriti (memory) is critical to learning and development.
It has often been misunderstood as an emphasis on rote learning, which in principle and
when practised with fidelity, it is not.
Current cognitive science research indicates that smriti (memory) — both working
memory and long-term memory — plays an important role in cognition and comprehension.
Insufficient emphasis on memory often results in inadequate outcomes in the classroom.
When we use memory inappropriately, we are ignoring its powers and capacities.
Using memory for learning in the classroom encompasses a variety of activities —
deliberate and regular practice, deep processing, generating cues, making connections, and
forming associations.
b. Capacities (knowing how — abilities and skills)

Abilities and skills are learnt best by doing and they improve with repeated exposure and
practice. Good practice involves meaningful variety must be done in appropriate quantity
and is supplemented with continuous discussions on why certain procedures work and
others do not.
Part A
101
Box 3.3ii
Importance of Practice
Learning is a time-consuming process. Organised, regular, and steady practice yields steady
and positive impact on learning. Practising helps to internalise information, access more
complex information stored in long-term memory, and apply knowledge or skills
automatically.
Across Curricular Areas, differences in students’ performances are affected by how much
they engage in deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is not the same as rote repetition.
Rote repetition does not improve performance by itself. Deliberate practice involves
attention, rehearsal, and repetition and leads to new knowledge or skills that can later be
developed into more complex knowledge and skills.
When a skill becomes automatic, attention and mental resources can be freed up for higher-
level thinking and reasoning.
Most Teachers are aware of two contradictory facts — drill can be boring, and yet practice is
the only way for their students to master certain procedures. The problem with drill comes
when we assume that it will substitute for understanding. Concepts and procedures are two
different things, both of which students need to learn. Practice alone cannot lead to conceptual
knowledge; understanding alone cannot lead to mastery of a procedure.
c. Values and Dispositions

‘Telling’ students about what values they should develop or uphold usually has little effect. It
either becomes ‘boring’ or is perceived as ‘preaching.’
Development of values and dispositions in school education happens primarily in the

following ways:
i. Through school and classroom culture: Sensitivity and respect for others is encouraged
when opportunities are provided for all students to participate in activities and select
students do not end up participating in all activities. Students also learn from seeing
exemplars.
ii. Through school and classroom practices: Seeing exemplars, listening to/reading stories
about particular values, or participating in bal sabhas and bal Panchayats that help
build notions of democracy, justice, and equality.
iii. As part of learning through school subjects: Laboratory experiments and trials help
build scientific temper and thinking.
iv. As direct goals of some school subjects: Learning to win and lose with grace during
sports and games helps build resilience.
Part A
102
Box 3.3iii
Importance of Questioning
There has existed a long and ancient tradition of questioning in India. Debate and discussion
have always been held as a critical part of the Indian knowledge tradition.
The Upanishads were written in response to the questions of shishyas. The literal meaning of
the word Upanishad is the sitting down (of the shishya) near (the guru). The usual method
of argument utilised reason and went from simple to complex, from concrete to abstract,
and from known to unknown.
In the Katha Upanishad, is the powerful story of Nachiketa, a young boy, who dared to ask
Yama, the lord of death, a very simple but fundamental question: ‘Is there life after death, or
is death the end?’
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad narrates the debate of Yajnavalkya with Janaka and Gargi
about the nature of the Self. In the Chhandogya Upanishad, Uddalaka Aruni debates with his
son Shvetaketu on the nature of the ultimate reality. The Mahabharata’s Yakshaprashna has
the famous dialogue between Yudhishthira and his own father, Dharma.
At different points in Indian history, there have been extraordinary scholars who were
outstanding masters in their respective schools of thought. It was very common among
learned people to debate the worth and limitations of these various systems of philosophy
publically.
The legendary debates between Adi Shankara and Mandana Misra are a good example.
Hordes of scholars often came from afar every day to watch and learn from them. These
debates between two exceptional masters show how healthy competition existed so
routinely among followers of different philosophies. Many such learned masters
demonstrated open mindedness and the willingness to test their faith, beliefs, and
philosophies, and if the reason arose, even changed their beliefs and the contours of the
philosophies. Innumerable Indian scholars had to be accepting towards new concepts,
experiments, or questionings in this way
Countless popular stories, such as those of King Vikram and Vetal, of Birbal and Akbar, of
Tenali Raman, also bear testimony to scholars debating and challenging each other through
riddles, intellectual games, or profound philosophical questions using simple everyday
language.
Some values are developed better through particular processes; illustratively,
a. Regular dialogue and discussion with active listening as part of classroom culture and
processes will help develop democratic values (e.g., pluralism, equality, justice, fraternity)
and appreciation of others’ viewpoints.
b. Curricular Areas such as Art Education and Physical Education and Well-being will help
build individual virtues (e.g., honesty, courage, perseverance, teamwork, empathy, respect
for others).
c. Curricular Areas such as Science and Mathematics will help build epistemic values (e.g.,
scientific temper, rigour in reasoning).
d. Marking important days through community service as part of school culture and practices
will help build cultural values (e.g., nishkama karma, seva, ahimsa, shanti) and respect for
Part A
one’s own and other’s cultural traditions. Keeping the classroom and school premises clean
103
and tidy reinforces the importance of swacchata. Practicing reducing, recycling, and other
green practices in schools encourages harmony with the environment and sustainable
lifestyles.
e. Regular practices at the school assembly will help promote pride in India’s cultural unity
and diversity.
3.3.3 Key Elements that Enable Effective Pedagogy in the

Classroom
a. Ensuring respect and care.
Our schools are committed to providing an environment where children feel secure, and
relationships are governed by care, equity, and respect. Any form of discrimination based on
religion, caste, gender, community, beliefs, disability, or any other factor is unacceptable.
Teachers must value and respect all students. Classrooms should be spaces that will offer all
students equal access and opportunity to achieve learning outcomes. All students will
participate in a variety of activities and school processes, not just those with the best chances
of success. Our schools will create an environment that enhances the potential and interests
of each student.
Care is central to learning in schools. Care is an attitude of concern and responsibility for
people and relationships. Empathy and respect are at the heart of caring.
b. Building positive Teacher-student relationships.

A safe, positive relationship between Teacher and student is enriching both for cognitive and
socio-emotional development.
Some important ways to build such a positive relationship are:
i. Getting to know each student individually — this helps understand and plan
individualised learning experiences for each student
ii. Listening carefully to students — this conveys care and respect, builds trust, and
helps students gain confidence
iii. Observing students — this helps discover how each student thinks, reasons, and
responds to different situations, which is critical to planning for teaching and learning
iv. Encouraging student responses — this helps meaningfully build on student’s
naturally creative and resourceful selves
v. Encouraging questioning — questions to and from the Teacher help students think
through a particular subject in depth while responding.
vi. Recognising and responding to the emotions and moods of students — this helps
them settle and learn better, learn to regulate their own emotions, and understand and
respond to the emotions of others.
vii. Responding gently — if a student behaves inappropriately, the Teacher should have a
range of strategies to handle it, starting with gentle, compassionate one-to-one
interaction to understand what might cause such behaviour. Most students respond
Part A
much better to such strategies than to scolding or punishment.
104
Box 3.3iv
Ways of the Guru

According to Sri Aurobindo, the three instruments of the Guru are teaching, example, and
influence.
Wise Teachers do not seek to impose themselves or their opinions on the passive acceptance
of receptive minds. They seek to awaken much more than to instruct, and they aim for the
growth of faculties and experiences by a natural process and free expansion. They prescribe
a method as an aid, as a utilisable device, and not as an imperative formula or a fixed
routine.
As the Taittiriya Upanishad tells us, the Teacher is the first letter, the student is the last
letter, knowledge is the meeting place, and instruction is the link.
c. Providing scaffolding.
Students can easily learn new knowledge when systematic support from other experienced
students or adults is provided. Learning new knowledge should be a challenge, but the
challenge should be within the reach of students — something that relates to their existing
knowledge and can be done with the support of an experienced person.
Scaffolding refers to providing support, structure, and guidance during instruction. Scaffolding
differs depending on the task but occurs when the Teacher carefully assigns students a
learning task and provides support along the way until gradually fading as the student
reaches expertise.
One way of scaffolding is through a ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’ (GRR), where first,
Teachers model or explain ideas or skills, after which students and Teachers work together
on the same ideas and skills where the Teacher provides guided support. Finally, students
practise individually and independently.
d. Using differentiated instruction.

Teachers will need to plan classes in a way that engages students with varying interests and
capabilities meaningfully and encourages better learning.
One way to think about this is differentiated instruction, i.e., tailoring the teaching process
according to the individual needs of students. Content, methods of learning, material, and
assessment may be different for different students. It is often difficult to do this for individual
students, especially in a large class. In that case, the Teacher could identify small groups of
students who have similar needs and address them differently as a group.
Before planning for this, it is important for the Teacher to observe students carefully, analyse
their work, and gather as much information as possible about them. For example, the Teacher
could plan to use worksheets of varying levels, starting with simple worksheets and progress
to more complex ones according to what different groups of students in the class are
able to do.
e. Providing opportunities for independent and collaborative work.

Classroom processes should provide opportunities for students to work individually and to
Part A
work together. Teachers may ensure that students work in pairs, in small and large groups, as
105
well as independently. Teachers must help students listen, understand, appreciate, and reflect
on their own thought process and other’s experiences with empathy and critical understanding.
Working with others often increases involvement in learning. Sharing one’s own ideas
and responding to others’ reactions improves thinking, deepens understanding, and
also leads to new insights and ideas. In carefully crafted collaborative learning situations,
students require each other’s contributions to successfully complete a learning task because
of which they need to learn to take on varied roles, such as observers, mediators, score
managers, and note-takers based on the objectives of the task.
f. Using varied resources.

Using the textbook meaningfully is important for learning. In addition, other resources and
materials must be used to engage students beyond the textbook. Classroom processes should
incorporate use of resources made by students, Teachers, and the local community, as well as
those available in the immediate environment. Digital resources must also be incorporated
appropriately.
Classroom displays constitute an important part of the learning process which does not have
to be limited to finished products alone — they could also include aspects of work in progress.
Where possible, classroom displays should be dynamic, updated regularly, and aim to be
aligned to the topics and questions students are engaging with. Permanent displays should
be kept to a minimum.
g. Helping students develop appropriate work habits and responsibility.

Developing appropriate work habits and taking responsibility are critical to learning. These
include aspects such as students’ organising space and materials before and after use,
organising time, ensuring time on tasks, taking responsibility for tasks, persisting with and
completing work, staying on a given task even without a Teacher present, and allowing others
to work without disturbance.
h. Giving prompt and meaningful feedback.

Students need immediate and appropriate feedback to benefit from classroom processes and
improve their learning. Integration of suitable technology can also be considered to support
students with disabilities. Feedback helps students reflect on what they have learnt and what
they still need to know.
Providing feedback means giving students an explanation of what they are doing correctly
and incorrectly, with the focus of the feedback on what the student is doing right. Waiting too
long to give feedback might make it difficult for the student to connect the feedback with the
learning moment. It is vital that we take into consideration each individual when giving
student feedback. Some students need to be nudged to achieve at a higher level and others
need to be handled gently so as not to discourage their learning and damage self-esteem.
3.3.4 Planning for Teaching

Teaching is a deliberate act carried out with the intention of bringing about learning in students.
This deliberate act needs to be well planned. Planning is central to good teaching. Planning
includes construction and organisation of classroom tasks as per Competencies and Learning
Part A
106
Outcomes to be achieved, pedagogy to be followed, resources to be used, and assessment to be

carried out. Planning also includes support activities for students, home assignments, and
displays in the class relevant to what is being taught.
Good planning requires understanding of Aims of Education, Curricular Goals, Competencies,

and Learning Outcomes to be achieved, along with prior learning of the students for whom the
plan is being made and available TLMs and content to be used.
The major components of a teaching plan are:
a. Competencies, Learning Outcomes, and intended lesson objectives

b. Teacher-directed, Teacher-guided, and/or student-led activities to achieve objectives
c. Prior understanding of the student on which choice of pedagogy is based
d. Content and material to be used
e. Duration and sequence of activities
f. Classroom arrangements (e.g., seating, displays, arrangement of material)
g. Specific strategies for students who need extra help
h. Methods of assessment
Box 3.3v
Panchpadi — Five-Step Learning Process

The five-step learning process — panchpadi — is a good guide to formulating the sequence
that a Teacher may adopt in planning for instruction for certain concepts and contexts:
Aditi (Introduction): As a first step, the Teacher introduces a new concept/topic by
establishing a connection with the child’s prior knowledge. Children gather relevant
information regarding the new topic with the help of the Teacher by asking questions,
exploring, and experimenting with ideas and material.
Bodh (Conceptual Understanding): Children try to understand core concepts through
play, inquiry, experiment, discussion, or reading in the second step. The Teacher observes the
process and guides the children. The teaching plan has the list of concepts to be learnt by
the children.
Abhyas (Practice): The third step is about practice to strengthen understanding and skills
through a range of interesting activities. Teachers can organise group work or small
projects to reinforce conceptual understanding and attainment of Competencies.
Prayog (Application): The fourth step is about applying the acquired understanding in the
child’s everyday life. This can be accomplished through various activities and small projects.
Prasar (Expansion): The fifth step is about spreading the acquired understanding
(pravachan) and using other resources to learn further (swadhyay). Pravachan is largely
mediated through peer learning — conversations with friends, telling each other new
stories, singing new songs, reading new books together, and playing new games with each
other. Swadhyay is mediated through engaging with materials and experiences related to
learning. For each and every new topic learnt, a neural pathway is created in our brain.
Sharing and enhancing knowledge strengthens our learning. A neural pathway is
incomplete if we do not teach what we have learnt. Teaching makes learning clear and
long-lasting.
Part A
107
3.3.5 Managing Classrooms/Student Behaviour

Students behave inappropriately for many reasons. Behaviour is often the unspoken language
through which young students act out feelings and thoughts. Sometimes, they use behaviour to
seek extra attention. Adolescents could be angry or helpless and do not know any other way to
express these feelings. Sometimes, this behaviour could be because of lack of sleep, poor nutrition,
health issues, developmental delays or deficits, or even family dysfunctionality or stress.
Norms, rules, and conventions must enable students’ learning. Evolving clear classroom norms
that can be implemented would help everyone own them rather than have a classroom function
on the basis of fear.
Instances of indiscipline must be seen through the lens of development, with a balance of humour
and compassion, and with careful intervention that is firm yet kind. These should be used as
learning opportunities in helping students to solve problems.
Discipline must be seen from the lens of self-regulation and self-discipline and as a necessary
condition for development and the pursuit of learning. It is important for students to take
responsibility for their behaviour and face appropriate consequences as they grow older.
Adults bear greater responsibility than students in creating an environment of respect and
equality. Illustratively, school staff is expected to intervene if they see students using physical
violence, bullying each other, or being unkind/unfair to each other, and must put a stop to it
immediately and firmly. They must encourage students to settle differences of opinion through
dialogue and communication.
Box 3.3vi
Importance of Concentration
The Taittiriya Upanishad says that the secret of learning lies in the power of concentration
in thought. The science of Yoga is based on the process of concentration and the methods by
which concentration can be achieved on the object of knowledge so that the contents,
powers, and states of knowledge concerning that object can be realised by the seeker.
Sri Aurobindo also lays central importance on concentration and speaks of four principal
methods by which concentration can be attained: meditation, contemplation, witnessing the
passage of thoughts as they pass through the mind, and quieting and silencing the mind.
Concentration is a psychological process — it involves no rituals or ceremonies and is free

from any doctrines. Hence, the cultivation of the powers of concentration is independent of
any activity necessitating faith, belief, or religious prescription.
Part A
108
3.3.6 Responding to Students with Disability or other

Individual Learning Needs
Classroom processes should respond to the diverse needs of students. Students learn best when
they are challenged, but not so much that they feel threatened or overwhelmed by the level of
challenge. Therefore, Teachers would need to know and understand the learning needs of every
student in their class and provide the appropriate level of challenge and support to each student.
During the normal course of teaching, based on routine observations and assessments, Teachers
could identify those students that may require additional support or individualised attention.
This in no way should lead to labelling of students as ‘bright,’ ’slow,’ or ‘problem’ students, nor
does it imply ‘lowering’ of standards.
Some of the ways in which this additional support could be provided or students could be offered
varying levels of challenge are listed below.
a. A ‘bridge’ course for a month or so at the beginning of the year, which will enable students
to refresh their previously learnt concepts and prepare for the new class.
b. Specific work on designated days to supplement what has been done in class.
c. Differentiated assignments — the Teacher could provide assignments/class tests of varying
levels of difficulty using the same content.
d. Making specific resources available to students who need them, such as extra worksheets
for those who need additional practice and ‘extra-challenging’ worksheets for those who
might enjoy or benefit from it.
e. Set up a ‘buddy system’ wherever appropriate — pair a student who needs help with
another student who can provide it informally, e.g., to help with homework, offer
explanations after class, or carry out projects together.
f. Setting up a conference time once a month or so with every student in class so that the
Teacher has a chance to communicate one-on-one with every student and identify
conceptual problems, learning difficulties, or individual needs of all students.
g. Communicate regularly with all parents, but particularly those parents whose students may
need special help and support so that parents are also able to provide support when
required. The nature of this communication needs to be specific and clear to parents so that
they know and understand what needs to be done to help their child.
h. In cases where the school is not equipped to help or support a student with an identified
disability adequately, it may rely on external resources or resource persons. Integration of
suitable technology can also be considered to support students with disabilities. Schools
will understand and opt for all exemptions provided by Boards of Education in specific
situations. All such decisions should be made in partnership with families.
Part A
109
3.3.7 Homework
Homework is an extension of the learning process. Work done at home is a consolidation of work
done in school and helps make students capable of doing things on their own. It is based on the
teaching provided to them in class. At the same time, homework should not be intended to merely
repeat what has been learnt in class, but rather to apply it to different contexts.
Homework tasks must therefore be meaningful for learning. It may include practice work (e.g.,
worksheets to be completed) as well as application of concepts through specific tasks (e.g.,
survey of local water resources).
Tasks and allocation of time spent on homework must be age appropriate. Teachers must also
ensure that students can do these tasks on their own and they do not require parents or others
to do anything on their behalf.
Homework can be fun and provides a different kind of interesting challenge to students. It can
also help to connect school with the student’s home, especially in the Foundational and
Preparatory Stages.
3.3.8 Pedagogy across Stages

An effective approach to pedagogy in a particular School Stage is based on how children grow
and learn (i.e., physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, language, and moral development) and the
overall aims of education to be attained in that Stage. Such an approach will help achieve
Curricular Goals, Competencies, and Learning Outcomes without compromising the holistic and
expansive notion of individual development that NEP 2020 focusses on.
As stated earlier in this document, while the Stages are distinct, students’ growth and maturation
are part of a gradual transition with overlaps and commonalities, especially across two adjacent
Stages (e.g., teaching for sensorial and perceptual ways of learning in the Foundational and
Preparatory Stages, and teaching independent learning habits and discerning use of media
gadgets in the Middle and Secondary Stages). It can also be seen that some changes occur in a
continued fashion over the same facets within physical, emotional, social and ethical, and
cognitive development over the Stages (e.g., changes in physical strength and flexibility, in
expressed need for emotional support, in the need for conformity and peer approval, and in
abstract thinking and independent reasoning abilities).
a. Pedagogical considerations related to physical development.

i. Foundational Stage: Early years of school are formative and crucial in paving a
positive experience of the learning environment. Any teaching strategy in this Stage
that speaks to vibrant energies, enables playful interactions, engages in enjoyable
stories, uses curious toys, and allows for full-body engagement with learning would be
ideal and effective. Children continuously engage through their senses and make the
most of the world around them this way. Pedagogy that encourages them to engage
physically in aesthetic experiences of music, dance, art, and crafts makes for an
enjoyable school day. Teaching about health and hygiene practices ensures physical
well-being in the long term.
Part A
110
ii. Preparatory Stage: Students continue to be physically active, highly perceptual, and
engage with hands-on activities and make sense of concepts with the help of concrete
physical learning aids. This requires Teachers to demonstrate energetic and active
participation in the things the students are required to do as part of their learning. The
Teacher needs to teach through modelling how to make sense of concepts more
perceptually and practically with low levels of verbal complexity and theorising. The
content that is chosen, the teaching plan, assessment, and classroom arrangement
would need to be activity-based, playfully experimental, and lend themselves to a
conversation and consolidation after ‘doing.’
iii. Middle Stage: This is a Stage of gradual and sudden changes in physical development.
With adolescence and prepubescence on the cards, Teachers will need to be prepared
for handling growth pains and growth spurts with changes in strength and increased
restlessness in their students. A good understanding of gender and sexuality would also
help Teachers understand their students better. Understanding families and local
culture will help with understanding student behaviour in school. It is also a time when
students must be encouraged to independently practise their learning despite the
resistance that might come up.
iv. Secondary Stage: At this Stage, students grapple with their changing bodies, may
become self-conscious, and may be trying to make sense of their maturation. Pedagogy
across subjects must accommodate for changes in students’ perceptions of their bodies
and abilities, provide adequately challenging physical tasks, and encourage greater
participation in both group and individual activities, especially sports and games.
b. Pedagogical considerations related to emotional development.
i. Foundational Stage: Children would require Teachers to help them learn about
understanding their own emotions and the emotions of others. The context of a school
allows for a safe space for such conversation and learning. Learning to regulate feelings
and behaviour, delaying the need for instant gratification, and practising positive
learning habits will go a long way in the lives of children so these aspects must be
facilitated and encouraged actively and regularly. Children will require close
individualised attention and care.
ii. Preparatory Stage: Students at this Stage are also rapidly learning to make sense of
their thoughts and feelings and would need guidance with learning emotional
regulation. Many of them would already display temperaments and preferences and
Teachers will need to engage and tease out emotional habits coming in the way of
learning through their teaching interactions. They will also need to provide alternative
possibilities to the emotional experiences of the students. Gradually, students must be
supported and encouraged to become emotionally independent.
iii. Middle Stage: The classroom and the school as a site for emotional learning, growth,
and expression are probably the most occupying for Teachers at this Stage. Students
themselves go through unpredictable mood and energy fluctuations, often grappling
with a sense of unexplainable wellness or not-so-wellness. Middle Stage pedagogy must
allow for some amount of engagement with emotional experiences through quiet
discussion and reflection. Curricular Areas can be used as contexts in which individual
Part A
111
responses can be parsed. The Teacher will have to find a balance in the approach to
students’ emotions — an approach that is neither intrusive nor indulgent, but
reasonably firm, rationally clear, and emotionally caring towards students of this Stage.
iv. Secondary Stage: It would be necessary for pedagogic strategies to guide individual
reflection and group conversation on thoughts and feelings that emerge through
engaging with curricular components. A philosophical understanding that feelings are
transient and not set in stone, that individuals can act upon their emotions in healthy
and unhealthy ways, and the social consequences of rational versus irrational decision-
making based on emotional reactions are good discussions to have at this Stage. The
focus on emotional regulation must continue. Teachers will have to be discerning about
when students require one-on-one attention and find ways to communicate with them
effectively.
c. Pedagogical considerations related to social and ethical development.
i. Foundational Stage: Teaching students social norms and strategies to adhere to,
teaching valuable social participation and contribution in accomplishing simple tasks,
and teaching the meaning of cooperation and respect for others are all immensely
important in social and ethical development at the Foundational Stage. Social life is a
long-lasting reality that children must learn to intelligently navigate early on. Ethical
and moral instructions at this Stage are aimed at teaching children simply the ‘good’
and appropriate from the ‘bad’ and inappropriate actions.
ii. Preparatory Stage: This Stage is also a time for learning about social participation and
contribution. The pedagogic strategies must enable pair work, small group work, and
individual work in mixed proportions so that students are actively learning to work
together with sensitivity, mutual respect and listening, cooperate with others, and also
accept cultural differences and diversity of approaches in thinking and feeling. Teachers
must engage students with basic ethical and moral questions about equality, fairness,
sharing, and cooperation.
iii. Middle Stage: Peers seem to become far more prominent in the lives of students at this
point and this can be leveraged to the advantage of the learning atmosphere. Like the
Preparatory Stage, the pedagogic strategies here too must plan for pair work, small
group work, and individual work in good proportions. Mixed small group work would
allow for listening to and thinking together with different people. Many lessons must
allow for learning to work together with others, for healthy ways of testing one’s
abilities through social facilitation, and for respectful and sportive competition. The
pedagogy must explicitly aim (through content selection and interactional strategies) at
fostering sensitivity and respect for diversity in gender, class, and cultural background.
Students will need to learn to navigate their social world (including parents, Teachers,
and community) and will require clear expectations and rules set in these interactions.
Teachers could discuss equity and respect for others as part of ethical reflection in
class. It is also a time when they start learning about the world as much bigger than
their immediate surroundings, so it is important to give them a sense of the cultural
diversity that they are part of in our historically, geographically, and culturally rich
country.
Part A
112
iv. Secondary Stage: Students at this Stage are young people with emerging opinions and
loyal allegiances and with capacities for energetic participation and vehement dissent.
Forming strong allegiances, explicit interest in varied ideologies that one can identify
with, idealising individuals (from politics or sport or the entertainment industry) and
other similar impulses seem to show up in this age group based on the need for
belongingness in students. Actual friendships, tightly knit small groups (ingroups and
outgroups), and peer conformity would be features that can be used to the advantage of
learning about oneself and the world around them. This is also the time to actively
encourage individuation in thinking and reasoning while being able to respectfully
listen to and understand others. Challenges, such as bullying, isolation, and confusion,
with boundaries will need to be met in the context of the classroom and outside.
Teaching strategies can include delegating responsibilities, allowing students to take
charge of their own learning, and regulating each other’s learning with a focus on
helping others learn better. Teachers could actively talk with students about ethical and
moral actions connected to social participation and change. It is also an important time
in the lives of students to address ideas of identity and heritage about what it means to
be Indian (Bharatiyata) and belong to our vast and culturally rich nation.
d. Pedagogical considerations related to Cognitive development.
i. Foundational Stage: Pedagogic strategies for this Stage must ensure Foundational
Literacy and Numeracy for all children as this forms the basis of all further learning.
Exposure to rich learning experiences in Language and Mathematics, and rich aesthetic
and cultural experiences through art, crafts, music, dance, stories, and theatre would
enable sound overall cognitive development. Multimodal forms of TLMs, adequate
outdoor experiences, one-on-one Teacher attention, and physical wellness would also
address the cognitive developmental needs of children at this Stage.
ii. Preparatory Stage: Pedagogy at this Stage will require a gradual move to more
thinking and analysing after doing and observation, with plenty of material to engage
with, repeat, and practise. This repeated practise will form the basis for study habits,
independent thinking, and independent learning that is to come in the Middle Stage.
Multimodal TLMs and one-on-one attention are still necessary to a good extent at this
Stage, as these strategies will form a strong conceptual basis for students across
Curricular Areas. Planning for field visits in the various subjects, apportioning sufficient
time outdoors in a working week, encouraging students to demonstrate logic in their
reasoning, encouraging thoughtful questioning, encouraging creative and artistic
activity, learning skills to inquire through conversations with people, and reading/
referring to books are important pedagogical strategies in this phase.
iii. Middle Stage: This Stage often demonstrates the most accelerated learning
possibilities — individual learning abilities and individual creativity begin to show
sharply in distinction from others. This will require pedagogic attention, especially for
those who struggle and for those who excel in their achievement levels given the
context of group learning processes. Teaching students how to assimilate
understanding and shifting from practical to theoretical concepts across curricular
areas, demanding greater rigour in and capacity for working would be essential
pedagogic considerations at this point.
Part A
113
With the introduction of newer Curricular Areas, it would be important to create

adequate scaffolds for students to keep their interest and confidence in their
intellectual capacities. Students’ capacities for abstract thinking and formulating one’s
own innovative ideas improves markedly and Teachers can present challenging
material that requires abstract reasoning and application. Rules for technology and
media usage become necessary in this Stage. Teachers need to demonstrate in their
teaching transactions (and explicitly teach) a discerning educational use of the internet
and media gadgets in learning. This would require conversations about safe and healthy
practices in using the internet, new media technology, and gadgets in the context of the
curriculum.
iv. Secondary Stage: There exist ample possibilities for maturation in thinking, learning,
practising, and creative expression in this Stage spread over four years of student life.
Teaching students how to independently assimilate understanding and encouraging
abstraction and theoretical concepts across curricular areas, demanding rigour, and
encouraging creativity and innovation in working, and presenting their views would be
very important pedagogical considerations for Secondary students. Newer Curricular
Areas and choices in specialisations begin at this Stage, and it would be important to
help students make their decisions (in subject choices) and create adequate
opportunities to sustain practice in these. Given their age and independence,
technology and media use rules will need strong follow-up and reminders. As less
supervision is possible, and the ‘discerning educational use of the internet and media
gadgets in learning’ principle taught in the previous Stage is likely to wane, this will
require repeated reminders. Caution against distractions while learning, cyberbullying,
compulsive use, and many other unhealthy practices in using the internet will be
required from Teachers, especially as students will be engaging with online research for
learning much more in this Stage.
3.3.9 Overall Principles of Pedagogy

Given all of the above, the following principles of pedagogy must inform classroom planning and
instruction across all Stages:
Every child is capable of learning. Children are natural learners.
a. Learning is an active process that involves both understanding and doing.

b. Children learn best when they are respected, valued, and involved in the learning process.
c. Children learn in a variety of ways, illustratively, through making something, participating
in discussion, listening, speaking, reading, writing, questioning, exploring, discovering, and
experimenting.
d. Learning happens best when classroom processes make connections with the life of
students and their prior experiences, focus on conceptual clarity, and provide variety and
challenge to students.
e. Practice is a critical and integral part of the learning process.
Part A
114
The following are non-negotiable:
a. Punishment and fear are detrimental to learning and must not be used in the classroom.
b. Inequity in the classroom on the basis of caste, gender, religion, socio-economic conditions,
student performance, or any other factor is unacceptable.
c. Memorisation must not be the primary form of learning or of assessment.
d. Students must not be treated as passive receivers of information — this makes classroom
processes lead to boredom and monotonous routines. Students must be seen as active
agents in their own education.
Effective pedagogy, therefore, encourages conceptual understanding, active discovery,
questioning and debating, and independent learning. It gives serious consideration to student
experiences and student voices, acknowledges and accommodates student diversity, builds on
students’ previous knowledge, uses a range of teaching techniques, and gives timely feedback on
work done.
Section 3.4
Approach to Assessment
NEP 2020 states:
The aim of assessment in the culture of our schooling system will shift from one that is
summative and primarily tests rote memorization skills to one that is more regular and
formative, is more competency-based, promotes learning and development for our students, and
tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity. The primary
purpose of assessment will indeed be for learning; it will help the teacher and student, and the
entire schooling system, continuously revise teaching-learning processes to optimize learning
and development for all students. This will be the underlying principle for assessment at all levels
of education.
[NEP 2020, 4.34]
The Policy further continues:

The progress card will be a holistic, 360-degree, multidimensional report that reflects in great
detail the progress as well as the uniqueness of each learner in the cognitive, affective, and
psychomotor domains. It will include self-assessment and peer assessment, and progress of the
child in project based and inquiry-based learning, quizzes, role plays, group work, portfolios, etc.,
along with teacher assessment. The holistic progress card will form an important link between
home and school and will be accompanied by parent-teacher meetings in order to actively
involve parents in their children’s holistic education and development. The progress card would
also provide teachers and parents with valuable information on how to support each student in
and out of the classroom. AI-based software could be developed and used by students to help
track their growth through their school years based on learning data and interactive
questionnaires for parents, students, and teachers, in order to provide students with valuable
information on their strengths, areas of interest, and needed areas of focus, and to thereby help
them make optimal career choices.
Part A
[NEP 2020, 4.35]
115
3.4.1 Purposes of Assessment

Assessment has two purposes — measuring achievement of student learning and gauging
effectiveness of classroom processes and teaching materials used for teaching and learning.
In the everyday of the classroom, assessment refers to any process of gathering information
about student learning that can be interpreted, analysed, and used by the Teacher (and others,
where relevant) for guiding the teaching-learning process, aggregating student learning at
relevant junctures, and reporting student progress over time. Educational assessment thus plays
a critical role in continually improving teaching and learning.
Assessment is also used for certifying student learning and education completion at key stages
(e.g., Grade 10, Grade 12).
3.4.2 Assessment of Learning; Assessment for Learning;

Assessment as Learning
Assessment of learning refers to the measurement of achievement of student learning.
Assessment for learning refers to evidence of student learning gathered by the Teacher that
provides inputs to guide teaching-learning processes. Assessment, when designed meaningfully,
can be used as a powerful tool that contributes to and supports better student learning and
teaching practices. Teachers who have a good sense of where students in class do well and where
they struggle can take more informed decisions about their pedagogical practices.
Recent studies have shown that students can play an active role in taking charge of their own
learning. When assessments are introduced as non-threatening tools for self-reflection and
introspection, they become developmental and constructive in nature. This is referred to as
assessment as learning.
In school education, one needs to look at all three approaches to assessments mentioned
above — assessment of learning, for learning, and as learning.
3.4.3 Current Challenges in Assessment

In our schools currently, assessment has mostly become mechanical and routinised. It is mostly
focussed on measuring rote learning of content rather than on measuring achievement of
Competencies and Learning Outcomes. Assessment is also generally experienced by students as
an intimidating process that generates fear and leads to labelling and segregation based on
‘marks’ that they have scored in tests and examinations with significant social consequences.
The stress caused by Board examinations at Grades 10 and 12 is even more, leading to deep
anxiety among students and families almost universally in our country. The examinations place
an enormous amount of pressure on students over what are perceived as life-altering days and
milestones of their lives. Many other matters contribute to Board Examinations becoming severe
stressors, e.g., examinations being available only on particular days, little real possibility of
improvement if the student has had one ‘bad day’ during the examinations, and use of board
examination results in college admissions.
Part A
116
The current structure of many (but not all) Board Examinations forces students to concentrate
only on a few Curricular Areas at the expense of others, preventing truly holistic development.
Rote memorisation and coaching for performing on these examinations becomes primary, while
real learning through understanding, thinking, analysing, and doing becomes secondary.
Ideally, examinations should be seen as certification and also learning experiences, from which
one can learn and improve in the future. The current Board Examination system does not lend
itself to this.
India has over 60 Boards of Examination, some of whom have taken definitive actions to address
many of these issues.
3.4.4 Key Principles of Effective Assessment

Key principles that could guide our thinking on effective use of assessments to aid better teaching
and learning are listed below:
a. Assessment should measure achievement of Competencies and Learning Outcomes

leading to attainment of Curricular Goals.
Assessments should explicitly track student progress on all aspects of learning as stated in
the Competencies for each Stage and Learning Outcomes for each Grade. Assessments should
accurately reflect the intent of evaluating the achievement of a Competency or Learning
Outcome. The connection between the Competency or Learning Outcome and the assessment
should be clear and precise. Appropriate forms of assessments may be chosen in alignment
with the Competencies and Learning Outcomes to be assessed.
b. Assessments should be constructive, developmental, and learning focussed.

Assessments need to be visualised as an ongoing process which Teachers integrate within the
teaching-learning process using formal and informal ways to elicit reliable evidence about
student learning. Collecting such evidence helps Teachers understand the effectiveness of
their pedagogy in terms of what the students have understood, what needs to be worked on
further, which methods of teaching work, what kinds of resources work, and so on. For
students, assessments need to be placed as an important tool that will help them understand
and reflect on their own learning. Assessment should not become an intimidating process
that involves the labelling and segregation of students.
c. Assessments should be Stage appropriate.

At the Foundational Stage, Teachers would primarily drive all assessment activities, which
are largely based on observation. At the Preparatory and Middle Stages, multiple tools and
methods should be introduced. Students should also be given a more proactive role in
assessing their own learning trajectories. Additionally, at the Secondary Stage, students
should be prepared to take standardised tests including Board and other examinations.
d. Assessments should accommodate student diversity.

It is important to move away from the ‘one size fits all’ approach while designing assessments.
A variety of assessment methods, e.g., paper-pencil tests, oral assessments, project work, and
group assignments should be used. Assessment tools and processes must accommodate for
Part A
117
students performing at different levels in a classroom. Well-designed, graded assessments

can be used to understand individual student needs better so that their learning needs can be
adequately catered to.
e. Assessments should be supported by timely, credible, and constructive feedback to

students.
Students should be given useful feedback on their performance. Such feedback needs to be
constructive with information on what has worked well and what areas might need
improvement and how can this be achieved. Use of Holistic Progress Cards (HPCs) that detail
out student performance in multiple aspects, including formative and summative assessments,
should be explored.
f. Assessments should support in meaningful aggregation/summation of student

learning.
While the formative function of assessment is critical, the summative function of assessment
is also important. Summative examinations, including certification examinations, continue to
be relevant as they serve as a necessary test to understand students’ achievement of
Competencies and Learning Outcomes. While the significance of summative examinations is
well established, what needs immediate attention is the approach to the same. Examinations
should move away from testing rote memorisation and instead focus on conceptual
understanding, application of concepts, problem solving abilities, critical thinking, and other
such capacities.
3.4.5 Types of Assessment

Assessments could be formative or summative, and both are important for improving teaching
and learning.
a. Formative assessments are continuous and ongoing. They are used to track student
learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by Teachers to improve their
teaching and by students to improve their learning. Formative assessments are
generally low stake and do not have strong consequences. Some examples of formative
assessments include observing student behaviour in class; asking students to draw a
concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic; and asking students to
write a few sentences with a friend on a poem they have read.
b. Summative assessments evaluate student learning at the end of a lesson or a logical
period of teaching. Summative assessments are normally higher stake in that they compare
student performance to a benchmark or standard and have some consequence. Some
examples of summative assessments include a term-end test or a Board exam. Results of
summative assessment can also be used for formative purposes, i.e., for informing teaching
and learning.
It is very important to note that the core difference between summative and formative assessment
is the purpose for which the assessment is used. Formative assessment is used as a part of and as
input to the teaching-learning process, whereas summative assessment is about evaluation of
achievement of learning over a period of time. The same tool, instrument, method, or form can
be used for summative or formative assessment when suitably designed. For example, the often-
Part A
used ‘paper-pencil test’ or written test can be used to assess what a student is struggling with
118
and focus the next class on that matter, which is formative assessment. On the other hand, as we
know well, paper-pencil tests or written tests are used as the standard for year-end ‘examinations,’
which are summative assessments.
3.4.6 Forms of Assessment

There are several forms of assessment that can be used across both formative and summative
assessments.
a. Written Tests. These require written responses to questions from students. They are the
most common form of assessment used across various Stages of school education. Forms of
written tests include:
i. Objective Type Questions: The most commonly used form of objective-type questions is
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) that require students to think through and select
correct responses from a variety of options. Other forms include filling in blanks,
matching, sorting lists based on select criteria, picking the odd one out, labelling a
diagram, solving a crossword, unscrambling a word, solving riddles, and word grids
that require a very short or one-word answer.
ii. Constructed Response Questions: These are questions that require students to frame
and write answers. They can be being close ended (requiring one correct and short
answer) or open ended (requiring a short or long essay with multiple correct/alternate
answers). It is important to have clear and detailed scoring guides/marking schemes
for such questions to avoid subjectivity in assessment.
iii. Graphic Organisers: These are visual representation of ideas and concepts that allow
students to sort information and make connections. They help students organise their
learning and assimilate new knowledge. These organisers are particularly useful in
diverse classrooms where writing skills may not be a strength for all students. These
can be used across subjects.
b. Oral Tests. These require an oral response from students and can be used in many ways.
The most common forms are reading aloud, responding to questions, recitation, and
debates and discussions. Other forms including group discussions, presentations, and
extempore talks, which could also be used for assessment.
i. Reading Aloud: Reading assessments could include reading aloud a passage, a poem, or
any other form of writing. Word recognition, fluency, and voice modulation skills could
be assessed along with comprehension through asking students to summarise or talk
about what they have read.
ii. Listening and responding: Students listen to a text and respond either orally or on a
worksheet. This form of assessment can be used in language as well as other subjects,
especially when Teachers wish to remove any barriers that might hinder expression of
what a student has learnt.
iii. Recitation: This is a commonly used assessment especially at the Foundational and
Preparatory Stages. It helps the Teacher assess spoken language with specific focus on
pronunciation, intonation and comprehension through observation of the students’
expressions and actions.
Part A
119
iv. Debates and Discussions: In the Middle and Secondary Stages, students’ fluency of
language as well as proficiency in making strong arguments using knowledge and
reasoning to persuade and convince an audience can be assessed while also developing
an ability to understand and respect others’ viewpoints and opinions. Teachers can also
include other parameters such as diction, deportment, ability to take criticism
positively, and manage their emotions and body language during public speaking.
Sharing parameters before setting the task helps students focus on developing these
skills and serve as good learning opportunities as well. Debates in Science and Social
Science can help seamlessly integrate ethical and environmental dimensions of the
curriculum into subject-specific tasks.
c. Practical Tests. These require students to demonstrate specific skills and applications of
their new learning. Some key illustrations are described below.
i. Experiments: Using experiments helps assess students’ understanding of concepts of
science and the scientific method. This is also a good way of finding out
whether students can ‘do’ science and not just answer questions about science.
ii. Artefacts: An artefact refers to an object created by students. Artefacts provide a rich
source of information about a student’s strengths and abilities. These could include
art and craft products, costumes for theatre, products in vocational education, and
making models in particular subjects.
iii. Demonstration: In Curricular Areas such as Art Education, Physical Education and
Well-being, and Vocational Education, assessment is based on demonstration of a
student’s skills and abilities. Illustratively, dribbling in basketball, use of mudras in
dance, hitting the right notes while singing, keeping rhythm during a song, using a
chisel and mallet in woodwork, and mixing manure in the right proportion in
gardening.
iv. Projects: Projects are longer, structured activities completed by individual students or
groups of students that result in a product. For example, a model, a substantial report,
or a collection of artefacts. While doing projects, students investigate, explore, and
respond to complex questions, real-world challenges, and problems. Projects help
assess collaboration, communication, perseverance, creativity, and problem solving
along with assessing subject-specific knowledge and skills.
v. Portfolios: A student portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that tells a
story about a student’s efforts, progress, and achievement in one or more subjects over
a period of time. It could be a collection of the student’s day-to-day work or a selection
of the student’s best pieces of work. Portfolios may include writing samples, laboratory
reports, journals, artwork, short surveys and research papers, projects, photos,
worksheets, tests, map work, Teacher’s qualitative comments on the student’s work,
peer feedback, and the student’s own reflections on his or her learnings. It becomes a
cumulative record of performance from which emerges a clear picture of what student
knows and can do and how they have progressed over the period. Portfolios are good
sources of evidence of learning that can provide rich information to Teachers about
where students are and how they can be supported to improve.
Part A
120
d. Open-Book Tests. An open-book test is one where the students have access to resources
and references (e.g., textbooks, class notes, library books) while answering questions. These
tests assess the ability to process or use available information and apply the same in
various contexts. These tests shift the focus from recall to application and synthesis.
3.4.7 Designing Good Questions

All assessment should measure achievement of Competencies at the Stage and Learning
Outcomes for the Grade, leading to attainment of Curricular Goals. This is the basis of designing
good questions.
Designing good questions is a skill that is built over time with practice. Some key thumb rules for
designing good questions are as follows:
a. Questions should assess a relevant concept/capacity that is core to the subject/area being
tested (e.g., assessment in language should test skills of language learning, not the content
used to teach those skills).
b. Questions should be clear, and factually and conceptually correct.
c. Vocabulary used in the questions should be contextual, age appropriate, and sensitive to
bias.
d. While developing MCQs, obviously incorrect or correct responses should be avoided. The
incorrect options or distractors should indicate misconceptions that students commonly
have.
e. All descriptive questions should be coupled with a clear and concise marking scheme.
See Part C, School Subjects, Assessment Sections for Samples of the above.
3.4.8 Designing Marking Schemes

a. All questions that require descriptive answers and measure the achievement of more
complex Learning Outcomes need to have a detailed marking scheme. This ensures clarity
and helps to reduce subjectivity.
b. Marking schemes should lay out specific expectations of what is expected for a fully correct,
partially correct, and incorrect response.
c. For questions assessing conceptual understanding, application and reasoning, it is
necessary to include specific samples of responses. There could be variations in student
responses and marking schemes should account for that. This is particularly necessary in
open-ended questions where student opinions could differ; or in solving mathematics or
science problems where their approaches could vary.
d. Assessment of projects and portfolios also need explicit criteria for evaluation.
See Part C, School Subjects, Assessment Sections for Samples of the above
Part A
121
3.4.9 Assessment across Stages

3.4.9.1 Foundational Stage
a. Assessment tools and processes should be designed such that they are a natural extension
of the learning experience for the child. Assessment should not contribute to any additional
burden for the child. Explicit tests and examinations are completely inappropriate
assessment tools for this Stage.
b. Assessment should allow for diversity among children and in their learning. Children learn
differently and express their learning differently too. There might be many ways to assess
the achievement of a Learning Outcome or Competency. The Teacher should have the ability
to design different kinds of assessment for the same Learning Outcome and use each
assessment appropriately.
c. Assessment should enable recording and documentation. Children’s progress should be
described and analysed through systematic collection of evidence.
d. Assessment should not overly burden the Teacher. The Teacher should have the autonomy
to judiciously choose the appropriate tool for assessment and the periodicity in which
assessment-related record keeping is maintained. While such autonomy is important,
systematic record keeping of children’s assessment should be seen as an important part of a
Teacher’s professional responsibilities.
e. At the Foundational Stage, two primary methods of assessment are appropriate:
observations of the child and analysing artefacts that the child has created as part of
their learning experience.
3.4.9.2 Preparatory Stage

a. With the start of more formal learning across Curricular Areas, a robust system of formative
assessment is required to track progress of individual students. Assessment should act as
an instructional tool and help to provide a comprehensive account of student learning.
b. Students from this Stage onwards learn better when they are more aware of the
Competencies to be attained. Teachers should help make them understand the desired
Competency to be achieved through a lesson or a unit of study.
c. At the Preparatory Stage, in addition to observation of students and analysis of
artefacts created by students, a variety of formative oral and written assessments
should be introduced. These assessments should test conceptual understanding and
Competencies, and should include questions that encourage creativity.
d. At the end of each year of the Preparatory Stage, there will be a comprehensive
summative assessment of the student’s readiness to enter the next Grade, with robust
options for support during the break between Grades to help ensure such readiness.
3.4.9.3 Middle Stage

a. With the introduction of more concepts in each subject at this Stage, assessment will
continue to be Competency based, covering all dimensions of learning.
Part A
122
b. At this Stage, the focus of the curriculum moves to conceptual understanding and higher-
order capacities. Therefore, various formative assessment techniques, such as projects,
debates, presentations, experiments, investigations, role plays, journals, and portfolios
should be used to assess learning.
c. Regular assessments comprising MCQs and constructed responses (e.g., short answer, long
answer), with the aim to test conceptual understanding and higher-order capacities rather
than merely rote learning, may be used to track student progress, give valuable feedback to
students, and continuously revise teaching-learning plans and practices. Questions that
require creativity are especially encouraged at this Stage.
d. At the Middle Stage, in addition to a variety of oral and written tests, a variety of
practical tests and projects should also be introduced. At the end of each year of the
Middle Stage, there will be a comprehensive summative assessment of the student’s
readiness to enter the next Grade, with robust options for support during the break
between Grades to help ensure such readiness.
3.4.9.4 Secondary Stage

a. Given the demand of greater subject depth, regular formative assessments should be
effectively practised for facilitating meaningful learning and constructive feedback.
b. Classroom assessments, like in the Middle Stage, will continue to play an important role
considering the nature and complexity of the Competencies at this Stage. Self-assessment
will also play a key role in student learning at this Stage. Students should be facilitated to
monitor what they are learning and use the feedback from this monitoring to adjust, adapt,
and decide their own strategies for learning.
c. Assessments can be designed using case-based questions, simulations, and essay-type
questions to enable the assessment of Competencies, in order to continually replan and
revise the teaching-learning process. Questions that require creativity are again especially
encouraged at this Stage.
d. At the Secondary Stage, a variety of written tests, practical tests, projects, and
openbook tests should be used. At the end of each year (or term) of the Secondary
Stage, there will be a comprehensive summative assessment of each subject, which in
relevant cases would be the Board examinations.
3.4.10 Holistic Progress Cards (HPC)

a. Progress cards are a formal means of communication between the school and home,
informing parents and families of a student’s progress and providing an opportunity for
self-evaluation to students, thereby motivating them to do better.
b. A Holistic Progress Card (HPCs) is an individualised and comprehensive reporting of a
student’s progress in all domains/areas of learning on the basis of Competencies and
Learning Outcomes to be achieved.
c. This brings out each student’s progress and interests and enables the development of a
unique plan to support each student.
Part A
123
d. Unlike a single score or letter grade, an HPC provides disaggregated reporting, which does
not represent performance in an entire subject area. It is based on evidence of student work
beyond performances on tests (e.g., assessment of writing samples, projects, portfolios,
artwork, participation in games).
e. The HPC will enable focus on the student’s progress as opposed to comparison with others.
The comparison will be with the student’s earlier report card and not with the performance
of other students in the class.
3.4.11 Progression across Grades

a. Students should not be detained from Grades 1 to 8.
b. It is the responsibility of the education system to ensure that all students achieve requisite
Competencies by Grade 8 so that they can successfully continue onwards from Grade 9.
c. There must be clear checkpoints and support systems in place to help all students acquire
the requisite Competencies by Grade 8.
d. NEP 2020 (4.40) requires all students to take examinations in Grades 3, 5, and 8, conducted
by an appropriate authority that tests Competencies.
i. These examinations will be conducted by a body which is outside the school as
mentioned in NEP 2020 — it may be a State/District body or any other appropriate
body.
ii. These will be competency-based examinations and not be based on memorisation and
procedural skills.
iii. It is important that these examinations are based on the core key competencies. For
Grades 3 and 5 the focus could be on FLN competencies. This would not cover the
entire curriculum, but core competencies that are crucial for study in later grades.
iv. These must be conducted by an independent body (e.g., a district board) which has the
capacity to conduct valid and reliable tests with high integrity. This is the lynchpin of
executing this particular NEP 2020 recommendation.
e. The assessment of achievement of Competencies will be shared by the school with
individual students and their parents/families/guardians with a developmental and
improvement objective.
f. Those students who have achieved satisfactory levels of Competencies will be helped by this
very specific engagement and discussion on their progress.
g. For students who have not achieved levels of Competencies satisfactory enough to begin the
study of the next Grade, clear and definite actions will have to be taken immediately by the
school with support from the system to ensure that such students achieve requisite
Competency levels to be able to study in the next grade in the coming session.
One immediate action would be, where possible, providing a summer school (6-8 weeks) for
these students with adequate number of Teachers.
i. At the end of the summer school, the examination will be reconducted by the same
appropriate authority and if the student has still not achieved requisite Competencies,
then actions as per points below will be taken.
Part A
124
ii. Grade 3 students will move to Grade 4, and Grade 4 students to Grade 5. However, the
school must ensure that the students acquire the requisite Competencies in the first
two months of the new session.
iii. Students in Grades 5 and 8 and their parents/families/guardians will be given the
option for the students to continue for one more year in Grade 5 or 8, as the case may
be.
iv. The decision to continue in the same Grade would entirely be that of the students and
their parents/families/guardians.
h. In case students and their parents/families/guardians choose to continue in the same
grade, and despite a second year in the same grade, the student’s achievement is not at the
level of adequate Competencies, then:
i. An appropriate evaluation of the school will be done by a competent academic
institution (e.g., DIET, BRC, another school); this evaluation would be of the entire
school, and not only the Teacher who is teaching that particular Grade, because the
overall school and previous grade teaching has effects on this matter.
ii. Clear actions to improve the conditions that are causing this lack of achievement
(including poor attendance if that is the case) will be planned and implemented. This
will form a part of the School Development Plan and discussed with the School
Management Committee (SMC).
iii. Also, the student’s Competencies will be assessed through the common Grade 5 or 8
exam as the case may be and they will be progressed to the next Grade and given the
requisite extra support as described below. No student will be retained in the same
Grade for a second time, even if the students and their parents/families/guardians wish
to do so.
For those students who are progressed from Grade 5 to 6, or, Grade 8 to 9, without
having achieved the requisite Competencies, in either of the cases mentioned earlier
— parents and student choose to progress (Point g., subpoint v.) or it is after an addi-
tional year in the same grade (Point h., subpoint iii.). It will be ensured that the student
gains the Competencies required to study in the next Grade and to enable that extra
resources including Teachers will be provided in the next Grade, as also other measures
will be taken, such as:
1) 4-6 weeks of ‘reinforcement’ or ‘catch-up’ for these students at the beginning of the
next grade (including others who have not performed well on the examinations)
2) A longer daily programme of ‘catch-up’ as part of the Language or Mathematics class
with a well-defined structure and materials (such as workbooks)
3) Additional homework during the summer break can be considered with some
follow-up by Teachers during the break.
iv. These students will not face any discriminatory action (e.g., be made to sit in another
class) — it will be an integrated classroom that will be treated like a multilevel
classroom.
i. While the school and the system must take responsibility for students’ learning (and
inadequate learning), the matter of irregularity of attendance has to be accounted for.
Part A
125
i. If a student has not attended school regularly, say less than 60%, then if the student
does not achieve the requisite competencies, the school/Teacher must include this
matter in the discussion with the parents (as in item e., earlier, and in continuing
discussions with parents). And, at least for Grade 8, there should be an encouragement
for continuing for one more year in the same grade.
ii. The discussions also must be used to understand if there were special family/health
situations that caused irregular attendance. The pattern of attendance and scores of
previous examinations could be reviewed to understand if the student has otherwise
been attending and doing better in earlier grades and this examination/attendance is
an aberration.
j. An annual report on this matter and progress on it — on the number of students achieving
adequate Competencies in Grades 5 and 8, and actions taken in this regard — will be
prepared by each school.
k. This report must ensure that students who have not achieved requisite competencies
remain anonymous. A block — and district-level aggregation of this report will also be
carried out and made available to the public.
l. Data privacy will be a very important issue. This must be rigorously designed into the
system, with respect to both the IT system and the process.
3.4.12 Approach to Board Examinations in Grades 10 and 12

3.4.12.1 Current Challenges
a. Board examinations currently cause severe stress in students and their families for a variety
of reasons, including:
i. Social factors. A student’s performance in Board examinations is often considered a
marker of intrinsic worth. There is also a widespread feeling that Board examinations
are milestones which have life-altering effects.
ii. High stakes. The results of Board examinations are often used for college admissions
and other purposes. Given the relative paucity of good Higher Education Institutions,
this becomes a very important issue.
iii. No second chances. The way the Board examinations are currently held,
underperformance on one day can severely affect Board examination results. Since
these examinations are held only once in a year, there is no practical possibility of
improvement for any student who has just had one bad day despite having learnt well.
iv. Nature of examinations. Since most such examinations tend to test accumulation of
facts, it is a significant stressor, because remembering and reproducing a vast range of
facts across multiple subjects in a high-stakes situation is far more difficult than
responding to something which is assessing genuine understanding.
v. Other influencers. There is an ecosystem with commercial interests that creates
artificial competitive pressures around Board examinations, hoping to benefit by
offering coaching and tutoring services.
Part A
126
b. Board examinations conducted at the end of Grades 10 and 12 are certification

examinations to ascertain the extent to which students have achieved Competencies across
curricular areas leading to the attainment of Curricular Goals. Most Board examinations
struggle to do this well in a meaningful and consistent manner.
c. Board examinations tend to focus on the capacity of students to reproduce learnt facts and
little else. There is a misalignment between what these examinations should test and what
they do test. Given that most examinations largely test rote memory, a very narrow range of
Competencies are assessed. This gives an incomplete (at best) or incorrect (at worst)
picture of student learning. Most test instruments are not backed by clear and detailed
marking schemes, which leads to subjectivity by evaluators and questions of consistency.
Thus, there remain serious concerns over the validity and reliability of these tests at the
current time.
d. The burden of the students from the existing content overload of the curriculum is
exacerbated by this approach of the Board examinations.
3.4.12.2 Changes in Board Examinations

a. Board examinations should assess the achievement of Competencies for the Secondary
Stage as stated in the Curriculum. These examinations should provide a valid and reliable
picture of student performance as per the Competencies in the Curriculum.
b. The burden of Board examinations on students must be reduced through multiple actions:
i. Making them easier and lighter with significantly reduced content load
ii. Focussing sharply on Competencies rather than recounting facts
iii. Offering the same examination at least twice a year, so that students have an option to
take the exam a second time and improve (See Point d. below)
iv. In the long term, all Boards should change to semester or term-based systems, where
students can test in a subject as soon as they have completed the subject, which would
further reduce the content load being tested in any one examination.
c. It is the responsibility of Boards of Examination to design and implement fair, reliable,
and valid testing processes and instruments to assess achievement of the articulated
Competencies and certify students on the basis of this achievement. Articulation of
Competencies is the responsibility of the appropriate academic authority (e.g., NCERT or
SCERT).
d. Board examinations should be offered at least twice a year to ensure that students have
enough time and opportunity to perform well. Students can then appear for a Board
examination in subjects they have completed and feel ready for. This process could be made
possible through the creation of a comprehensive test item bank which can be used to
create tests using suitable software. This will enable the move towards a system of on-
demand examinations in the near future as described in NEP 2020.
e. Vocational Education, Art Education, and Physical Education and Well-being are an integral
part of the curriculum in this NCF. However, in this case, much of the assessment will have
to be demonstration-based and not written-exam based. It is recommended that 75% of
weightage in overall certification be given to such demonstration-based assessment, and
Part A
127
only 25% to any written examination. Boards will also need to design and implement
high-quality systems which can locally (at the school) assess on the basis of demonstration.
This will need to be independent from the school, yet operationally feasible.
f. Science and other subjects also need to have demonstration-based assessment, e.g.,
conducting experiments. This should have 20-25% weightage in the overall certification of
the subject. This kind of assessment currently happens but needs significant improvement
for validity and objectivity (similar to item e. above).
g. Selection of test developers, reviewers, translators, and evaluators for Board
Examinations should be based on a rigorous process based on detailed guidelines. Boards of
Examination should ensure that all test developers, reviewers, and evaluators go through
formal University-certified courses on test development before they begin this work. In
addition, there should be ongoing capacity building of test developers, evaluators, and
reviewers to support them in the design of high-quality test instruments.
h. Test development processes for written examinations should be significantly streamlined.
Some illustrative steps are given below:
i. Creating Assessment frameworks is the first step to start the process. Assessment
frameworks ensure a well-articulated basis for deciding what to test. Such frameworks
detail out the Competencies, Learning Outcomes, and content domains to be assessed.
ii. Designing a blueprint based on the assessment framework is the next step. A blueprint
is a planning document where all the relevant information for a test is listed. The
blueprint is usually a working document which undergoes change during the process of
test item designing. The information in the blueprint includes Competencies, Learning
Outcomes, and content domains to be tested, format of test items (e.g., MCQs, short
written answers, others), length of the test, and marking schemes.
iii. Designing good quality test items and scoring guides is the third step. Broadly, test item
formats are of two kinds — Selected Response questions (e.g., MCQs, True/False)
where students must select the correct response from the options provided and
Constructed Response questions where the student must develop the correct response.
Some important quality parameters to be kept in mind while designing test items are
language clarity, factual accuracy, quality of distractors, and choice of stimulus
materials (e.g., graphics, illustrations, maps) used. The marking schemes are as
important as the test items themselves.
iv. Once test items are developed, rigorous review procedures (e.g., test item panelling
with an expert group) should be ensured. Marking schemes should also be reviewed
along with test items.
i. Boards of examination should ensure periodic, rigorous reviews of the quality of test
instruments designed.
3.4.12.3 Assessing Values and Dispositions in Board Examinations

Development of values and dispositions is best assessed through everyday school processes and
based on observation and recording by the Teacher. This is described in Part B, Chapter 2.
Part A
128
If values and dispositions must be assessed through Board examinations, they should be done
with very careful thought and thorough preparation. While standardised psychometric tests and
individual diagnostic tests are available, these are best avoided for this purpose. Two possible
methods are given below in options 1 and 2. Boards of examination may devise their own
methods based on similar underlying principles.
Option 1: Give students questions based on the subject being assessed that are written in story
formats and involve a certain conflict in their premise. The idea is to understand how students
expect the protagonist in the story to respond to the said conflict. These conflicts could range
from matters of inequality to issues of collaboration to using problem solving abilities. What
matters is to allow the student being assessed to be a third party providing an opinion or solution
to a problem given in a story. Removing the onus of direct personal response to a given situation
may help students choose a response that reflects the students’ own thought and not that which
the student perceives as ‘acceptable.’ Designing such story-questions must be done with care.
The rubrics for assessing responses to these story questions also need to be carefully crafted and
consistently applied across student responses.
Option 2: Focus on the assessment of values and dispositions through examinations for Physical
Education and Well-being, Vocational Education and Art Education, all of which have significant
practice and demonstration components. All these three subjects have values and dispositions
strongly built into their Curricular Goals and Competencies. Assessment of achievement of these
Competencies will also need carefully designed tasks and rubrics for assessment that are
coherent, consistent, and meaningful across student groups.
3.4.12.4 Challenges of Entry into Higher Education

As NEP 2020 explicitly recognises, India currently has a shortage of high-quality Higher Education
Institutions. This has created a situation where the vast majority of students wanting to pursue
Higher Education are ‘competing’ for the relatively small capacity available in the high-quality
Higher Education Institutions. This situation is a significant cause of many of the most serious
problems being faced by Secondary Stage students in India, including:
a. High stress, and unfortunately too often, serious mental health issues. This is not limited to
the students themselves but also affects their families.
b. A widespread culture of coaching and tutoring, feeding commercial interests, leveraging
this ‘high competition’ situation.
c. A tendency to ignore real learning and focus on ‘cracking’ the entrance test or the Board
examinations, whichever are used for college admissions.
NEP 2020 has a comprehensive set of recommendations to address this very significant set of
challenges, including some that have been implemented already, such as the Common University
Entrance Test, and some that are being planned and implemented such as substantial expansion
of the number of high-quality Higher Education Institutions.
This NCF is taking clear steps to address the curricular matters in schools that contribute to the
current undesirable situation including the significant matters pertaining to Board examinations
addressed in this chapter.
Part A
129
Chapter 4
Time Allocation
Time is an invaluable resource in every school. Thus, the allocation of time to different activities
and areas of learning (often referred to as the ‘timetable’) must be carried out very carefully. It
must consider practical aspects, such as time available, but also must enable the operationalisation
of the curriculum including its priorities and balance.
This section describes the principles and approach to time allocation in a school that would
bring this NCF to life. The specific time allocations described in this section must be seen as
illustrative, and the actual time allocations must be conducted by schools, in accordance
with their contexts, using these principles and approach.
Part A
130
Section 4.1
Considerations for Reduction of Content
Load
As mentioned in NEP 2020 and discussed earlier in §3.2, care has been taken to ensure a reduction
in the content load across Curricular Areas while designing the Learning Standards of this NCF.
This reduction in the content load across the Stages has been chalked out with the following
considerations.
a. Adequate time and space must be created for the development of genuine conceptual
understanding, and of the development of capacities, rather than mere procedural or rote
learning which often occurs due to content overload.
b. Requisite space and time are needed for the Curricular Areas that have renewed focus and
emphasis — like Art Education, Physical Education, and Vocational Education. Often, these
areas have earlier been considered ‘co-curricular’ or ‘not important,’ without (or
inadequate) specific Learning Standards and expectations. In this NCF, they need explicit
and significant time allocation.
c. The teaching time available in a working day, over an academic year for various Curricular
Areas, and their distribution in a week’s timetable is limited and poses a challenge to the
achievement of ‘content knowledge’ focussed learning.
These three factors imply that the content load in some Curricular Areas need to be rationalised
and reduced. This will ensure both that these Curricular Areas are learnt meaningfully and that
space is created for other Curricular Areas.
a. The curriculum has been designed with an explicit focus on a range of essential
Competencies and not coverage of content knowledge. Hence the content load (in terms of
the amount of content to be learnt in a particular school Stage) has been reduced. This also
means that the Competencies must be viewed as the core essentials, and the overall time
available must enable their achievement.
b. The illustrative timetable given later in this section might show an increased amount of time
in the working day and week when compared to the existing school time. This increase in
the number of daily hours at school does not directly indicate a heavier content load in
individual Curricular Areas. The actual decision on the exact number of working hours
would be taken by schools/school systems, and the proportion and rhythm of the
illustrative timetable in the NCF could still be held.
c. In the illustrative timetable given here, Curricular Areas such as Languages, Mathematics,
Science, and Social Science may show a lower number of annual hours apportioned to them
compared to the number of hours they may have received earlier in school. This has been
made possible by focussing on the core essentials in terms of Competencies (as in the
Learning Standards) in these areas.
Part A
131
Some of the points relevant to specific Curricular Areas, for the design choices made to reduce
content are as follows:
a. In Science, the focus on essential capacities of scientific inquiry allows for rationalisation of
content. The concepts are therefore chosen based on the opportunities they provide for
developing these capacities, thus reducing content load.
b. In Mathematics, whatever is specialised prerequisite knowledge for certain types of higher
education needs has been moved out from the compulsory curricular content to the choice-
based curriculum in the Secondary Stage, while retaining all concepts/areas that are
foundational to the subject.
c. In Social Science, the approach based on themes and levels ensures the learning of essential
Competencies while reducing content load.
d. In Language education, there are three languages to be learnt in school education through
Grade 10. A range of literary Curricular Goals are transferable from a known language to the
learning of unfamiliar languages, and those that are specialised liguistic and literary goals
have been moved to the choice-based Curricular Areas of the Secondary Stage, keeping only
the core essential Competencies until Grade 10.
Section 4.2
Foundational Stage
Young children enjoy using their free time to explore their immediate environment. However, as
they grow older, they also need organised, structured and guided activities that are play-based.
The day needs to be carefully organised so that all Developmental Domains receive adequate
time and attention. While activities of each domain are connected with other domains (e.g., a
good story will help language development as well as socio-emotional and ethical development),
the routine must ensure that children get ample opportunity for a range of experiences in every
domain.
4.2.1 Considerations for the Daily Routine

The organisation of the day is based on the institutional setting, the number of working days, and
the number of daily working hours for each day.
Each activity may be planned keeping in mind the attention span of the child. There may be a
balance between child-initiated and Teacher-guided activities, group (whole group or small
group) and individual or pair activities, and alternating activities (e.g., quieter activity after
physical activity, group activity after individual activity, indoor activity after outdoor activity).
Art and Craft, Outdoor Play, and Free Play must have adequate time and focus in the day.
4.2.1.1 Illustrative Daily Routine for Ages 3-6

There are multiple ways to organise the daily routine for children of ages 3-6.
Part A
132
Two illustrations are given below.
The first illustration is more appropriate in contexts where experiences such as Circle Time,
Story Time, and Concept/Pre-numeracy Time are Teacher-guided, and Free Play and Corners
Time are independent activities for the children.
Table 4.2i
From To Duration Activity
Morning Routine/Free Play/Corners Time
09:30 10:15 45 minutes Circle time/Conversation
10:15 10:30 15 minutes Snack Break
10:30 10:45 15 minutes Rhyme/Song/Music/Movement
11:45 11:45 1 hour Concept Time/Pre-numeracy
11:45 12:15 30 minutes Art/Craft/Free Play
12:15 13:00 45 minutes Corners Time
13:00 13:45 45 minutes Lunch Break (ages 3-4 go home)
13:45 14:30 45 minutes Emergent Literacy/Story Time
14:30 15:00 30 minutes Outdoor Play and Wind Up
The second illustration is more appropriate in contexts with fewer children and where there is a
range of appropriate material available for them to use. Emphasis is on self-learning and children
learn to use materials independently and with care.
‘Work Time’ is allotted for children to independently choose the activity they would like to engage
with. Children select activities of their choice and work with materials on those activities
independently. Teachers observe children’s activities and extend support as and when required.
Teachers also decide and present the next activity to an individual child, based on their
observations during Work Time. Activities and the corresponding materials are arranged
according to the domains of development (e.g., Physical, Cognitive, Language, Art) and children
are made familiar with this arrangement.
Table 4.2ii
Morning Routine + Silent Game
09:30 10:15 45 minutes Circle Time (Conversation, Songs, Poems)
10:15 10:30 15 minutes Snack Break
10:30 12:15 1 hour, 45 minutes Work Time
12:15 13:00 45 minutes Art/Crafts/Sports/Free Play
13:00 13:45 45 minutes Lunch Break (ages 3-4 go home)
Language and Emergent Literacy

13:45 15:00 1 hour, 15 minutes
(ages 4-6)
Part A
133
Both the illustrations have a five-and-a-half-hour school day with about four-and-a-half hours of
active instructional time for children of ages 4-6.
4.2.1.2 Illustrative Daily/Weekly Routine for Ages 6-8

The daily routine for ages 6-8 would be slightly longer and a little more structured.
While all Language classes for children 3-6 years can be handled together, for this age group
dedicated time for each language is necessary. Specific blocks of time for literacy, numeracy, and
art can be incorporated. R1 would need 90 minutes every day and R2 would need 60 minutes.
Mathematics and numeracy would require 60 minutes a day. These periods of time can be
organised into four blocks.
Table 4.2iii
09:00 09:30 30 minutes Circle Time - Song/Movement
09:30 10:00 30 minutes R1 - Oral Language
10:00 10:30 30 minutes R1 - Word Recognition
10:20 10:35 15 minutes Snack Time
10:35 11:35 1 hour Mathematics
11:35 12:05 30 minutes Art and Crafts
12:05 12:45 30 minutes R1 - Reading/Writing
12:45 13:30 45 minutes Lunch Break
13:30 14:30 1 hour R2 - Oral Language, Word Recognition
14:30 15:00 30 minutes Play
A longer day would allow more time for activities such as art, sports and gardening. The
illustrative weekly timetable below allows for such possibilities. As mentioned earlier,
Mathematics and R1 would include activities in blocks of time.
Table 4.2iv
From To Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
9:00 10:00 Maths Maths R2 Math R2
10:00 10:45 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1
10:45 11:00 Snacks
11:00 12:00 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1
12:00 13:00 R2 R2 Maths R2 Art
13:00 13:45 Lunch
13:45 14:45 Art Maths Art Art Maths
14:45 15:30 Library Gardening Sports Gardening Sports

Part A
134
Section 4.3
Considerations for Time Allocation across
Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary Stages
a. The annual working year for schools has 220 instruction/school-going days after taking into
consideration national holidays, term breaks, and vacations.
b. Of these 220 days, around 20 days may be considered for assessments and other
assessment-related activities across Stages.
c. Another 20 days may be set aside for school events and other similar activities (or as a
buffer for less foreseeable events) in schools. The ten bagless days mandated by NEP 2020
can come from these 20 days spread across the year for the Middle and Secondary Stage
students.
d. Therefore, a safe estimate can be of 180 days of instruction time across these three Stages at
school.
e. Given the wide range of contexts in which schools operate across the country, a working
school week has been taken as five and a half days (with Saturdays as half working days).
f. Since not all Saturdays are likely to be working for all students, the model here has
considered five and a half days of school every alternate week only.
g. Given the range of subjects in the different Stages and the reasonable number of hours
students can spend in school, a working school year would have around 34 working weeks
of around 29 hours of instruction hours every week.
h. The exact timings and order of subjects may be chosen to be the same each day (e.g.,
Language and Mathematics in the morning after a nutritious breakfast) in order to establish
a daily rhythm for students; or they may be varied on a weekly basis to give different
subjects different priorities each day within the time schedule. What works best for each
school would depend on the local context, on whether breakfast or snacks can be offered to
all students each morning, on the daylight hours in the local region, etc.
Section 4.4
Stage-specific Considerations
4.4.1 Time Allocation for the Preparatory Stage
a. Weekdays begin with an assembly for 25 minutes with 05 minutes to reach the classroom.
b. Class time for all subjects is 40 minutes. Some subjects will require a block period of 80
minutes (1 hour 20 minutes).
c. The transition time for students to prepare for the next class is 05 minutes.
d. The two working Saturdays a month have a slightly different schedule compared to other
working weekdays. No assembly on Saturdays.
Part A
135
e. A snack break of 15 minutes and a lunch break of 45 minutes has been built in (see the
illustrative timetable) on weekdays. Lunch is 30 minutes on Saturdays.
f. R1 Language has Curricular Goals for the Library built into it in the design of Learning
Standards. Therefore, the time is shared between these two subjects on the timetable.
g. Languages (R1 and R2 together) have been given adequate time for students to become
independent readers and writers in these, as the basis of learning other Curricular Areas.
h. R2 has been given more time than R1 as gaining proficiency in the language by the end of
this Stage will require additional time. Also, all other Curricular Areas are taught in the
language of R1 and so add to the learning of R1.
i. The World Around Us (TWAU) has also been given adequate time as the Preparatory Stage is
a developmentally critical time to learn essential multidisciplinary skills of inquiring about
and learning from the world around the students.
j. Art Education and Physical Education (PE) have been given a fair share of their time
considering the Learning Standards built into this Curriculum Framework.
Table 4.4i
Preparatory Annual Hours Annual Periods
R1+Library 180 270
R2 190 285
Mathematics (Maths) 185 277.5
The World Around Us (TWAU) 200 300
Art Education (Art) 100 150
Physical Education (PE) 100 150
Number of classes in each subject on the illustrative timetable (see Table 4.4ii) matches these
numbers approximately.
4.4.2 Time Allocation for the Middle Stage

a. The weekday begins with an assembly for 25 minutes with 05 minutes to reach the
classroom.
minutes (1 hour 20 minutes) for activities, lab work, and other such pedagogic
requirements.
working weekdays. No assembly on Saturdays.
e. A snack break of 15 minutes and a lunch break of 45 minutes has been built in (see the
illustrative timetable) on weekdays. Lunch is 30 minutes on Saturdays.
f. R1 Language has Curricular Goals for the Library built into it in the design of Learning
Part A
Standards. Therefore, the time is shared between these two subjects on the timetable.
136
Table 4.4ii
Illustrative timetable for the Preparatory Stage (Two Working Saturdays)
Time (hrs) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
830-855 Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly 830-910 TWAU
900-940 R1 R1 R1 R1 R2 915-955 TWAU
945-1025 R1 Library R1 Library R2 955-1015 Snack break
1030-1045 Snack break Snack break Snack break Snack break Snack break 1020-1100 R2
1050-1130 Maths Maths R2 Maths Maths 1105-1145 Art
1135-1205 Maths Maths R2 Maths Maths 1150-1230 PE
1205-1250 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch 1230-1300 Lunch
1250-1330 TWAU R2 TWAU R2 TWAU
1335-1415 TWAU R2 TWAU R2 TWAU
1420-1500 PE Art Art TWAU PE
1505-1545 PE Art Art TWAU PE
Table 4.4iv
Illustrative timetable for the Middle Stage (Two Working Saturdays )
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
830-855 Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly 830-910 Library
900-940 R1 Maths Maths Maths Maths 915-955 Library
945-1025 R2 R2 R1 Maths R1 955-1015 Snack break
1030-1045 Snack break Snack break Snack break Snack break Snack break 1020-1100 VE
1050-1130 SS SS SS SS SS 1105-1145 Art
1135-1205 SS Science SS Science Science 1150-1230 PE
1250-1330 Science Art Science Art R2
1335-1415 Science Art Science Art R3
1420-1500 PE VE R3 PE VE
1505-1545 PE VE R3 PE VE
Part A
137
g. A third Language (R3) gets introduced in the Middle Stage and requires an adequate
amount of time to develop basic interpersonal communication skills. R3 has been given
more time than R2 and R1 as the learning of a third unfamiliar language in the Middle Stage
requires adequate time and practice.
h. Science, Social Science, and Vocational Education as new Curricular Areas have been given a
fair share of their time considering the Learning Standards built into this Curriculum
Framework.
Table 4.4iii
Middle Annual Hours Annual Periods
R1+Library 65 97.5
R2 70 105
R3 75 112.5
Mathematics (Maths) 115 172.5
Science 160 240
Social Science (SS) 160 240
Vocational Education (VE) 110 165
Number of classes in each subject on the illustrative timetable (see Table 4.4iv) matches these
4.4.3 Time Allocation for the Secondary Stage

a. The weekday begins with an assembly for 25 minutes with 05 minutes to reach the
classroom.
minutes (1 hour 40 minutes) for hands-on work, activities, lab work, and other such
pedagogic requirements.
working weekdays.
e. A lunch break of 55 minutes has been built in (see the illustrative timetable) on weekdays
and 30 minutes on Saturdays.
f. There is an optional ‘Additional Enrichment Period’ (AEP) every evening and on the two
working Saturdays after class. This is for students to use as additional time for enrichment
in any subject of the curriculum. In Curricular Areas such as Art Education, Physical
Education and Well-being, and Vocational Education, extended time for group/team
practice, interschool competitions, subject clubs, etc. can be facilitated by the school in AEP
Part A
if students choose to participate.
138
Table 4.4vi
Illustrative timetable for the Secondary Stage (Grades 9 & 10)
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday(2)
0800-0825 Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly Assembly 800-850 SS
0830-0920 R1 R2 Maths R2 R1 855-945 IDA
0925-1015 Maths Maths Maths Maths R3 950-1040 R2
1020-1110 Art Science Science Science Art 1045-1135 R3
1115-1205 Art PE Science Science Art 1140-1230 R1
1300-1350 SS SS SS SS SS 1305-1355 AEP*
1355-1445 IDA VE PE VE IDA
1450-1540 IDA VE PE VE IDA
1545-1635 AEP* AEP* AEP* AEP* AEP*
*AEP = Additional Enrichment Period
Box 4.4i
Ten Bagless Days

Every student will take a fun course, during Grades 6-8, that gives a survey and hands-on experience of a
sampling of important vocational crafts, such as carpentry, electric work, metal work, gardening, pottery
making, etc., as decided by States and local communities and as mapped by local skilling needs. A practice-
based curriculum for Grades 6-8 will be appropriately designed by NCERT while framing the NCFSE
2020-21. All students will participate in a 10-day bagless period sometime during Grades 6-8 where they
intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists, etc. Similar internship
opportunities to learn vocational subjects may be made available to students throughout Grades 6-12,
including holiday periods. Vocational courses through online mode will also be made available. Bagless
days will be encouraged throughout the year for various types of enrichment activities involving the arts,
quizzes, sports, and vocational crafts. Children will be given periodic exposure to activities outside school
through visits to places/monuments of historical, cultural, and tourist importance, meeting local artists
and craftsmen and visits higher educational institutions in their village/Tehsil/District/State. [NEP 2020,
4.26]
Learning in school is not limited to the experiences in the classroom. Recognising and legitimising this
possibility, NEP 2020 has stated that provisions be made in the annual calendar of schools for ten bagless
days in the Middle and Secondary Stages where students do not have to carry their books to school and use
that time valuably in learning from local professionals from various walks of life and engage with various
educational activities, such as vocational crafts and field trips.
The illustrative timetable given here in this NCF has accounted for these ten bagless days in the twenty
days kept aside for school events.
Part A
139
g. There is no separate Library time built into the timetable - students may use time from the
AEP for this purpose.
h. All three Languages (R1, R2, and R3) will continue in this Stage. By the end of Grade 10,
schools will ensure the development of the capacity for basic communication for social
purposes in R1, R2, and R3, and linguistic proficiency for academic use in the classrooms in
R1 and R2, and to the extent possible, in R3.
i. Interdisciplinary Areas (IDA) is a new Curricular Area and has been given a reasonable
share of time on the timetable.
Table 4.4v
Secondary Annual Hours Annual Periods
R1 70 84
R2 70 84
R3 70 84
Mathematics (Maths) 135 162
Science 135 162
Social Science (SS) 125 150
Interdisciplinary Area (IDA) 125 150
Vocational Education (VE) 110 132
Number of classes in each subject on the illustrative timetable (see Table 4.4vi) matches these
Part A
140
2. Part B
2. Cross-cutting Themes
Part B
141
This part deals with a selection of critical areas of high priority that cut across
all aspects of this NCF. The themes discussed here must be seen as extremely
vital and highly pervasive across school education. They are considered here
and given a special focus because they do not fall into any one curricular or
administrative area simply and neatly. There are six themes chosen for
discussion. Each chapter is dedicated to one prominent theme, and it lays out an
approach to understanding and principles for execution.
Chapter 1 on Rootedness in India and Indian Knowledge Systems discusses

how character building occurs through the development of values that can be
learned from the rich heritage of knowledge that emerged and developed in the
country and its relevance to current aims of education. India’s ancient wisdom,
its unique guru-shishya tradition, the schools and practices of thought in
various fields, and its modern thinking find a place in this NCF. Chapter 2 on
Values and Dispositions foregrounds the importance and the challenge of
teaching values and dispositions in schools and shows how it has been
pragmatically and creatively approached in the curriculum. Chapter 3 on
Learning about and Caring for the Environment discusses environmental
literacy for students, sustainable practices, positive regard and respect for the
natural environment, and other such capacities that will be taught in multiple
ways in multiple areas of the curriculum. Chapter 4 on Inclusion in Schools
lays out the innumerable ways in which this NCF urges the schooling system to
encompass the learning needs of students of varied abilities and from varied
walks of life ensuring no child gets left behind. Chapter 5 on Guidance and
Counselling in Schools lays the foundational ideas for setting up support
systems within schools that will deal with offering curricular and psycho-social
advice, enabling all students to flourish and achieve their fullest potential.
Chapter 6 on Educational Technology in Schools lays out ways in which
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can enhance educational
processes and learning in schools through digital literacy and empowerment.
Part B
142
Chapter 1
Rootedness in India and
Indian Knowledge Systems
India has a rich cultural and ancient civilisational heritage with varied traditions within and
across local communities. Contemporary India is equally vibrant, taking its place in the modern
world. This vibrant national heritage — and the environment in which we live — influences the
way we think, speak, work, eat, wear clothes, interact with nature and with each other, schedule
our time, read, write, and learn. Our country is also home to deep knowledge and extensive
practice in a variety of disciplines and fields, from Language to Mathematics, Philosophy to Art,
grammar to Astronomy, Ecology to Medicine, Architecture to Agriculture, ethics to governance,
crafts to technologies, Psychology to Politics, literature to Music, and Economics to Education.
It is therefore important that all curriculum and pedagogy, from the Foundational Stage onwards,
is designed to be strongly rooted in the Indian and local context and ethos in terms of culture,
traditions, heritage, customs, language, philosophy, geography, ancient and contemporary
knowledge, societal and scientific needs, indigenous and traditional ways of learning, etc. — in
order to ensure that education is maximally relatable, relevant, interesting, and effective for our
students. Stories, art, games, sports, examples, problems, and more, hence, must be chosen as
much as possible to be rooted in the Indian and local geographic context. Ideas, abstractions,
and creativity will indeed best flourish amongst our students and teachers when learning
is thus rooted.
Part B
143
Hence, this NCF aims to be strongly rooted in India’s context and in Indian thought. This is
manifested in the NCF in the following ways:
a. A holistic vision of education and its aims, from our ancient heritage to our modern
thinkers, informs the overall approach of the NCF.
b. The vibrant epistemic approach of Indian schools of thought to knowledge and how we
know.
c. The core of the guru-shishya tradition as a base for the centrality of the Teacher-student
relationship for effective learning; correspondingly, the tradition of dialogue and debate as
the best way to acquire knowledge and wisdom.
d. The use of local resources for learning, including language, practices, experts, histories,
environment, and more, as rich sources of illustrations or case studies.
e. The importance of the involvement of parents and communities in education.
f. Educational content, such as stories, art, games, sports, examples, and problems, chosen as
much as possible to be rooted in the Indian and local geographic context, in order to
maximise creativity, comprehension, relatability, relevance, and the flourishing of ideas in
the classroom.
g. The rich history of Indian contributions to various fields (also referred to as Indian
Knowledge Systems) incorporated throughout the curriculum, as this not only develops
pride and self-confidence, but also enriches learning in those areas. For example,
Mathematics Education is enriched when students understand the multidisciplinary story
of creativity in India in the discovery of the concept of zero, involving philosophy, linguistics,
astronomy, and algebra; the approach to Environmental Education is deeply enriched by
the range of nature-conservation traditions across India; and the approach to Values and
Ethics is enhanced by its rootedness in Indian concepts and practices, such as respect and
compassion for fellow humans and all creatures, embracing of diversity, and the spirit of
service/seva, cleanliness/swacchata.
Section 1.1
NCF Anchored in the Indian Vision of
Education
The Indian vision of education has been both broad and deep, including the idea that education
must foster both inner and external development. Learning is not merely gathering information,
but is about self-discovery and self-development, our relationships with others, being able to
discriminate between different forms of knowledge, and being able to fruitfully apply what is
learnt for the benefit of the individual and the society.
The rich heritage of ancient and eternal Indian knowledge and thought serves as a guiding light
for this NCF. The pursuit of knowledge (Jnana), wisdom (Prajna), and truth (Satya) was always
considered in Indian thought and philosophy as the highest human goal. The aim of education in
ancient India was not just the acquisition of knowledge as preparation for life in this world or life
Part B
beyond schooling, but for the complete realisation and liberation of the self. The Indian education
144
system produced great scholars, such as Charaka, Susruta, Aryabhata, Varahamihira,

Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta, Chanakya, Chakrapani Datta, Madhava, Panini, Patanjali,
Nagarjuna, Gautama, Pingala, Sankardev, Maitreyi, Gargi and Thiruvalluvar among numerous
others, who made seminal contributions to world knowledge in diverse fields, such as
mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, medical science and surgery, civil engineering, architecture,
shipbuilding and navigation, yoga, fine arts, chess, and more. Indian culture and philosophy have
had a strong influence on the world.
These rich legacies to world heritage must not only be nurtured and preserved for posterity, but
also researched, enhanced, and put to new uses through our education system. Instilling
knowledge of India and its varied social, cultural, and technological needs, its inimitable artistic,
language, and knowledge traditions, and its strong ethics in India’s young people is considered
critical for purposes of national pride, self-confidence, self-knowledge, cooperation, and
integration.
The traditional Indian system of education, one of the oldest in the world, founded on the
Teacher-student interrelationship, fostered holistic development and transmission of knowledge.
Debates and discussions were the primary modes of learning and assessment. Teachers were
often assisted by their senior students. Older students, more advanced in their learning, often
taught younger, newer students. Collaborative and peer learning was encouraged.
Education focussed on the moral, physical, spiritual, and intellectual aspects of life emphasising
values such as humility, truthfulness, discipline (and self-discipline, in particular), self-reliance,
and respect for all. There was a strong emphasis on appreciating the balance between human
beings and nature; it was understood that the individual’s well-being is dependent on the well-
being of the world around them. Sources of learning were drawn from various disciplines —
language and grammar, philosophy, logic, history, architecture, commerce, governance,
agriculture, trade, archery. Creative arts developed a sense of aesthetics and sensitiveness to
beauty in all aspects of life. Physical Education and Well-being was an important Curricular Area
with learning of games, martial skills, and yoga, so as to include the body in a complete education.
Thus, education was seen as the integral growth of panchakosha (the five levels or parts of our
being), an ancient Indian concept which explains the body-mind complex in human experience
and understanding. (Please see Part A, Chapter 2 for details). This is also an eminently pragmatic
perspective, achievable and complementary to life — developing good physical health and socio-
emotional skills along with developing the ability to think and make ethical and rational choices
and decisions in life, must occur in a holistic manner.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, many great modern Indian thinkers and personalities, such
as Savitribai and Jyotiba Phule, Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri
Aurobindo, and Jiddu Krishnamurti, emphasised the need for India to develop her own ‘national
system of education’, with its roots in India’s intellectual and artistic heritage, but also integrating
the important aspects of contemporary developments, in science and technology in particular
(see NCF-FS for more details). Their philosophy of education also underpins this NCF.
Part B
145
Box1.1i
Importance of Yoga
Yoga today is too often understood as a set of practices centred on asanas (postures) and
pranayama (discipline or expansion of the breath). But in the ancient Indian conception,
yoga (literally, ‘union’) is vastly more: it refers to any of a number of systems of self-explora-
tion, self-mastery, self-discovery — or indeed discovery of the Self (atman), which is how
‘yoga’ first appears in the Upanishads.
To reach its ultimate objective, yoga (as in the celebrated Patanjali’s Yoga-sutras, a few
centuries BCE) first insists on the stilling and detachment of the mind, with asanas and
pranayama merely as aids to this discipline. Soon, other major forms of yoga are discussed
(as in the Bhagavad-Gita), including jnana yoga or the yoga of self-knowledge, in which
meditation usually plays an important part; bhakti yoga or the yoga of devotion and surren-
der to any form of the Divine; and karma yoga, where action and works are offered as a
sacrifice, with no expectation of any fruit (niskama karma or desireless action). Many more
paths of yoga have flourished, all of them sharing the same goal. On the way, some of their
by-products, as it were, include peace of mind, unshakable calmness, control of emotions
and desires, and a sense of focus and fulfilment. Yoga in its many forms has thus trans-
formed the lives of millions, in India and across the world; its profound influence is percepti-
ble in literature, art, and social life. This knowledge system may be said to be one of India’s
most precious gifts to the world, and this informs the Indian approach to education and
learning in very significant ways.
Section 1.2
Approach to Rootedness in India in the NCF
This NCF is anchored in our country’s understanding and experience of education and research
across disciplines over thousands of years. This includes the full gamut of the country’s journey,
from the knowledge, wisdom, and traditions of ancient India to the energy, vibrancy, and
aspirations of contemporary India. This understanding and experience also includes local
knowledge from all parts of the country, including local traditions and understandings from
diverse and multiple communities.
The approach to rootedness in India in this NCF involves: (a) the Indian vision of the aims of
education; (b) a vibrant epistemic approach; (c) a positive and nurturing Teacher-student
relationship; (d) deep engagement of families and communities; (e) judicious use of local
resources; (f) curriculum content carefully chosen according to the Indian and local context of
the students; and (g) the incorporation of Knowledge of India — including Indian Knowledge
Systems — in the curriculum wherever it is relevant, interesting, and beneficial.
1.2.1 Aims of Education

a. The NCF is rooted in the Indian vision of education, which emphasises the holistic
development of every child. This includes physical development, socio-emotional
development, intellectual development, spiritual growth, and development of values and
Part B
dispositions.
146
i. All domains of development are seen as critical and equally important for human
development and flourishing.
ii. The design of this NCF reflects the above principle with a range of Curricular Areas
being part of school education — Mathematics, Languages, Science, Social Science, Art
Education, Vocational Education, Physical Education and Well-being and
Interdisciplinary Areas such as Environmental Education and Value Education.
iii. All Curricular Areas are seen as equally important for a child’s learning and
development — there is no hierarchy across Curricular Areas.
iv. This equal importance is demonstrated by a common rigour in expected Learning
Outcomes across Curricular Areas, the choice of content, the pedagogical approaches,
the assessment strategies and, perhaps, most importantly, the time allocated to each of
these areas in the school day.
b. One of the central aims of the Indian vision of education is character building. The NCF
emphasises this through the development of values throughout the school years from early
childhood onwards. Values and dispositions are developed through school and classroom
culture and practices and through the learning of different subjects in the curriculum.
i. These include values that are an integral part of our tradition (e.g., seva, ahimsa,
nishkam karma) and values that are part of our modern Constitution (e.g.,
commitment to equality, to justice, to the protection of the environment).
ii. Along with values, the NCF emphasises developing particular dispositions including a
positive work ethic (e.g., being responsible, exerting oneself, pursuing quality and
honesty in one’s work, having respect towards all manners of work).
This is further discussed in Part B, Chapter 2 on Values and Dispositions.
1.2.2 Vibrant Epistemic Approach

The theory of knowledge, or pramana-sastra, is one of the richest areas of classical Indian
philosophy, spanning several centuries and rife with the liveliest debates.
Indeed, claims about how we come to know is often the principal criterion that separates
different schools or darsanas of Indian philosophy. Furthermore, questions about knowledge are
almost inextricable from other fundamental questions about the nature of reality (metaphysics)
and language.
These debates and approaches express themselves in the current scientific methods and the
methods of the various disciplines; their nuances enrich our current thinking on ‘how we know,’
‘what is it we know,’ ‘what is true,’ ‘what is adequate knowledge’, and more. Much of this nuance
informs the Nature of Knowledge section of Curricular Areas (see Part C, Chapters 2 — 9).
It is important to note that the above methods of India’s intellectual tradition involved rigour
and logic. To do justice to this tradition of questioning and debate, the NCF insists on the absolute
authenticity of all educational material used in imparting rootedness in India, steering clear of
the exaggerations and flights of imagination that have plagued numerous popular writings or
websites, such as those insisting that ancient Indian savants were masters of aeronautics and
nuclear weapons or knew the laws of quantum physics or string theory. Such claims are not only
Part B
untenable but also end up discrediting and doing a disservice to the glorious and genuine
intellectual heritage that Indian students are inheritors of.
147
1.2.3 Teacher-Student Relationship — Effective Learning

One of the most significant principles of the Indian vision of education is the importance given to
the relationship between Teacher and student. Based on this principle, this NCF emphasises a
positive and nurturing relationship between Teacher and student that is enriching both for
cognitive and socio-emotional-ethical development.
a. This positive relationship is developed mainly through Teachers getting to know each
student individually, observing and listening to them carefully, encouraging their questions
and responses, and recognising and responding to their thoughts and emotions.
b. Pedagogical approaches and classroom practices may alter as students grow and their ways
of learning change, but irrespective of that, they are always based on this bedrock of a
positive and nurturing relationship between Teacher and student.
c. In particular, this relationship will be anchored in the value system which the Teacher is
expected to embody (see Part B, Chapter 2); this system rests on empathy and patience and
promotes self-discipline in the student — a self-discipline of which the Teacher is expected
to be an exemplar.
1.2.4 Engagement of Families and Communities

Another important aspect in the NCF is the role of families and communities in a student’s overall
development and learning. The NCF is clear that Teachers and families should work together to
understand each child better and together create a more positive experience for students. When
families ask questions of Teachers and clarify doubts in their minds, they learn more about
school processes. When Teachers understand a child’s home environment, they are able to plan
better learning experiences for the student. By sharing and working together, Teachers and
families support the child’s development across all domains. This kind of involvement helps
families support the learning experiences that happen in school through good practices at home
as well. Families could also contribute to assessing the child’s progress and areas of need. They
would also gain further confidence in their own parenting abilities through this process. These
measures would help make the time at home and the time at school more synergetic, positive,
and productive for the student.
1.2.5 Local Learning Resources

The use of locally rooted resources for learning is not only more cost effective, more eco-friendly,
and more supportive of local communities, but it is also more pedagogically effective. It results
in curricular content and pedagogy that is more relatable and interesting to the student, which
in turn leads to better learning.
Teaching-learning Materials (TLMs) are thus most effective when they are locally sourced. This
includes both physical items such as toys, books, games, sports equipment, vocational education
equipment, art and craft materials, materials for science experiments, and local plants and
flowers, as well as non-physical items such as stories, poems, songs, and festivals. Trips to places
such as local parks, monuments, shops, businesses, and education institutions also are considered
effective local learning resources at appropriate junctures in the curriculum.
Part B
148
1.2.6 Content Selected from the Indian Context

Learning happens best when it is situated and rooted in the student’s context. While contemporary
ideas of teaching and learning are an important part of the curriculum framework, it is also
extremely important that diverse experiences of children, their families, and their communities
find a crucial place in the classroom. Ideas, abstractions, and creativity best flourish when
learning is thus rooted.
a. The NCF foregrounds the child’s context as critical to learning all through the school years,
with particular emphasis in the early years of a child’s life in school.
b. Local stories, songs, food, clothes, art, and music are an integral part of the learning
experiences of students in school in order to ensure that education is maximally relatable,
relevant, interesting and effective for children.
Thus, educational content, such as stories, art, games, sports, examples, and problems, will be
chosen, to the extent possible, to be rooted in the Indian and local geographic context, to ensure
maximal creativity, comprehension, relatability, relevance, and flourishing of ideas in the
classroom.
1.2.7 Integration of Knowledge of India

Building both pride and rootedness in India is a fundamental disposition that is to be developed
throughout school education. This happens primarily through building deep familiarity with
India’s rich heritage, which includes India’s contributions to knowledge across all disciplines
and fields of study from time immemorial, include some of the significant contemporary
achievements. Building pride and rootedness in India is a focus across all Curricular Areas but
should be achieved as a natural by-product of exposing the child to this heritage and ‘Knowledge
of India.’
Knowledge of India will include knowledge, from ancient India and its contributions to modern
India and its successes and challenges, and a clear sense of India’s future aspirations with regard
to education, health, environment, etc. These elements will be incorporated in an accurate and
scientific manner throughout the school curriculum wherever relevant.
In particular, Indian Knowledge Systems, including tribal knowledge and indigenous and
traditional ways of learning, will be covered and included in mathematics, astronomy, philosophy,
yoga, architecture, medicine, agriculture, engineering, linguistics, literature, sports, games, as
well as in governance, polity, and conservation, where it is relevant and enriches learning. Tribal
ethno-medicinal practices, forest management, traditional (organic) crop cultivation, natural
farming, etc. will also be incorporated wherever possible and relevant. Thus, Indian Knowledge
Systems here refer to all the systematised disciplines of knowledge that were developed
to a high degree of sophistication in India, and also all of the traditions and practices,
which various communities of India — including tribal communities — have evolved,
refined, and preserved over generations. An engaging course on Indian Knowledge Systems
will also be available to students in secondary school as an elective.
Part B
149
School culture and processes also help to strengthen knowledge of and connection to country,
such as through everyday practices and activities like the School Assembly and through special
events and festivals like Independence Day and Republic Day that reinforce pride in the country
and its art and heritage, understanding of our struggle for independence, and the importance of
preserving and protecting our independence.
Section 1.3
Some Illustrations across School Stages
and Curricular Areas
Learning about India, and thereby developing a pride and rootedness in India, is an integral
aspect of this NCF. This is reflected throughout this document — as part of Aims of Education,
Knowledge, Capacities, Values and Dispositions to be developed, Learning Standards at every
Stage (in Curricular Goals and Competencies across curricular areas), as part of pedagogical
processes across Stages, and as a fundamental principle of content selection through the Stages
and across Curricular Areas.
Some illustrations are described below :
a. For children at the Foundational Stage:

i. One of the Curricular Goals at this Stage is learning the importance of seva. This is
where children are first introduced to one of the most important Indian values and
learn to help those in need — a value that will stay with them for life.
ii. Stories, music, art, games from the Indian and local context and from their families and
communities are part of content used for teaching at this Stage. Children also have the
opportunity to read and learn appropriate selections from India’s great repositories of
stories, including fun fables, folk stories, and inspiring tales from the Indian tradition.
Stories from the lives of Indian heroes and heroines of history are also seen as an
excellent way to inspire and introduce core values in children.
b. At the Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary Stages, each Curricular Area takes a specific
approach to embed rootedness in India based on the nature of the subject:
i. Art Education draws from ancient Indian texts such as the Natyashastra, Abhinaya
Darpanam, Shilpashastra, Vastushastra, Chitrasutra, and Sangita-Ratnakara, which have
codified and structured the elements, methods, and aesthetic principles of the arts.
Through different Stages, students will develop knowledge of these elements and
principles and a vocabulary of the arts used to describe and discuss artwork and their
processes, e.g., sruti, naada, raaga, taala, laya, bhaava, alankaar, nritta, natya, pramaana,
saahitya, gamak, meend, rasa. These concepts are to be introduced in such a manner that
the student can experience them and experiment with them.
This will help students understand the unparalleled diversity and multicultural ethos of
Indian artistic traditions through a consistent and meaningful engagement with local art,
crafts, music, dance, theatre, puppetry, textile art, and so on. It also ensures that students
Part B
150
are exposed to different genres of classical, folk, tribal, and contemporary artistic styles
by providing adequate opportunities to view and be inspired by various aesthetic
sensibilities and apply their imagination and expression while making their own artwork.
The artistic processes of thinking, making, and appreciating will extend itself beyond the
classroom to include the local community of artists, art administrators, and craftspeople,
as well as a larger repository of art and culture through monuments, museums, archives,
heritage sites, and other relevant cultural institutions and organisations.
At the Preparatory Stage, students are expected to observe their local art and culture,
and practise basic art forms such as rangoli, and basic crafts such as clay work, pottery
(without the wheel), puppetry, folk songs, folk dances, and so on. At the Middle Stage,
students are expected to learn simple artistic processes that are associated with different
art traditions and expand their knowledge of artists and art forms across their state and
neighbouring states. They are also expected to draw comparisons regarding the stylistic
features and social contexts of various art practices and architectural features of the
region.
At the Secondary Stage, students are expected to broaden their art exposure to art
traditions from different parts of India and analyse the similarities and differences, and
the possible causes due to geographical or social contexts. They will also help them to
apply this knowledge into their own art practice as they refine their crafting techniques
and ideation skills. Class discussions, projects, and activities could include comparisons
between different regional styles of music or dance or temple construction, so as to bring
out not only their common, pan-Indian features rooted in the classical texts, but also
their substantial regional variations. Such exercises will provide opportunities to
introduce students to two fundamental principles of India’s art traditions, which are (1)
faithfulness to classical concepts of aesthetics together with freedom to innovate; (2) free
borrowings from folk to classical and vice-versa, resulting in mutual enrichment and
endless diversity with an underlying unity.
ii. Technologies: As every other major ancient civilisation, India saw great advances in
technologies, with some unique developments. Technology, however, cannot be defined
here as the ‘application of scientific knowledge,’ since, more often than not, it precedes
science; rather, it should be understood as the ways in which the living environment is
altered by human activities and innovations. To drive this point home, it would be useful
to first sensitise younger students (ideally through educational videos) to animal
technologies, e.g., nest-construction by birds, dam construction by beavers, use of
stones or sticks by apes, etc., as an illustration of the richness and complexity of the
natural world.
Some of the early technologies in India, roughly in chronological order of appearance,
include stone-tool making, hunting-tool making, agriculture (including animal
husbandry), pottery, gemmology and bead-making, metallurgy, textile manufacture
(including spinning, weaving, and dyeing) and various other crafts, transport technology
(from the bullock-cart to transport of heavy loads, sailing, and shipbuilding), water
management, construction, town-planning, faience and glass technologies, warfare
(including weapon making), writing, cosmetics and perfumes, and more.
Part B
151
Clearly it will not be possible or desirable to impart a detailed knowledge of these

technologies to students. An overview with a few selected case studies will suffice. At the
Preparatory and Middle Stages, a purely experiential approach to familiarise the child
with a few technologies will work best. Examples could include playing with clay,
replicating a water-management system on a small scale (perhaps in a part of the school
campus), growing a few small patches of grains or pulses, extracting dye from some
flowers and dyeing a white cloth, constructing a corbelled arch and comparing it with a
true arch, playing with bricks of different proportions to show the efficacy of the modern
(but also Harappan) proportions, constructing a miniature but fully functional bullock-
cart, understanding the difference between a river boat and a sea-faring ship (taking as
starting points depictions of ships in Indian art, e.g. a painting in the Ajanta caves or a
panel at the Sri Alakiyanampirayar temple at Tirukkurungudi), and so on.
At the Secondary Stage, more advanced technologies will be brought in, such as
metallurgy, with stress on unique achievements such as wootz steel and rust-resistant
iron. Their study will be multidisciplinary, since the former will highlight the popularity
of this steel all the way to the Mediterranean world, while the latter will lead to a study of
the tribal communities that perfected iron-extracting techniques, and their importance
in Indian society. Excerpts from relevant texts will be used, again with care to point to
their often cross disciplinary nature; for instance, a chapter on preparation of perfumes
in Vaharamihira’s Brihat Samhita, mixing sets of basic ingredients in different proportions,
provides a good example of combinatorics. Similarly, texts on shipbuilding connect with
overseas trade and India’s considerable exports to many regions of the world until the
colonial period; a manuscript on the construction of the gigantic Konark temple describes
stone-lifting mechanisms which not only can be interesting objects of study, but it also
records minute details of the work force engaged in the construction.
In summary, the study of a few early Indian technologies will not be so much about
accumulating facts and figures as about understanding Indian society better.
iii. Science: The science curriculum will include references to both the everyday use of
science in our lives as well as Indian contributions to scientific knowledge, such as
those of astronomy mentioned below. While students will learn about the contributions
of ancient Indian scientists, they will also engage with the contribution of modern
Indian scientists to contemporary scientific knowledge as well as to nation building.
This can include inspiring biographical sketches and pioneering discoveries of scientists
such as J C Bose, P C Ray, Ramanujan, S N Bose, Meghnad Saha, C V Raman, A K
Raychaudhuri, Harish-Chandra, Obaid Siddiqi, Bibha Chowdhuri, G N Ramachandran,
Asima Chatterjee, Salim Ali, and many more.
In the Middle Stage, students will be introduced to Indian scientific ideas which can be
explored through observation in the local community, e.g., students will explore local
tools for measuring physical properties of matter, traditional Indian dietary and culinary
practices, and diversity of food in India. They will connect concepts such as nutrition,
sources of food, and impact of climatic conditions related to diversity of diets in the
country. Activities could include cultivating a small plot of medicinal plants, documenting
them and their medicinal properties.
Part B
152
At the Secondary Stage, students will be introduced to contributions made by ancient as

well as contemporary India to scientific knowledge. They will examine the contributions
of ancient India to science, indigenous practices related to health and medicinal systems,
the basic principles and practices of a system such as Ayurveda, and contemporary Indian
contributions to science and technology.
The case of astronomy requires a separate treatment:
iv. Astronomy: Although we often hear of developments in ‘Mathematics and Astronomy,’

Astronomy preceded Mathematics in most early civilisations, India’s included. A few
thousand years ago, Vedic texts knew about lunar and solar years, equinoxes and
solstices, solar eclipses, divided the year into six ritus or seasons of two months each,
and gave the first list of 27 nakshatras or lunar mansions. Because of the need to keep
time for agriculture (the proper time to sow crops and harvest them), for festivals, and
for the proper conduct of rituals, calendrical astronomy became very precise in India,
with several systems of intercalary months (adhikamasa) to compensate for the
difference between the lunar and the solar years. Later, huge scales of time were
conceived by Jain and other scholars to account for the cycles and duration of the
universe. The solar zodiac with its 12 rashis was introduced, as well as the seven-day
week, among other concepts. During the classical period, sophisticated techniques
evolved to calculate the positions at any given time of the sun, the moon, or the five
planets visible to the naked eye, and also the occurrences and parameters of solar and
lunar eclipses.
Aryabhata gave a good approximation for the earth’s circumference, gave the correct
explanations for eclipses, and proposed, among other theories to explain the sun’s
apparent daily motion, that the earth was a sphere hanging in space, rotating upon itself.
Later astronomers refined calculation methods, created highly accurate sine tables, and
(as part of the Kerala School of Mathematics and Astronomy) had the planets revolve
around the sun rather than around the earth.
The emphasis here will not be on the technicalities of such concepts, much less the
calculations involved (except for a few simple ones), but on the ways in which ancient
Indians viewed the cosmos and tried to make sense of it. The insistence on accurate and
fast calculations rather than on theoretical models will also be shown to be a distinctly
Indian approach to astronomy. A comparison of different regional calendrical systems
can also be used to illustrate diversity with an underlying unity.
A more complete treatment of astronomy is found in Part C, Chapter 4 on Science Education.
v. Mathematics: India has a long history of contribution to mathematics in various

domains of the discipline, beginning with geometry (for intricate constructions of fire
altars, which led to the first general statement, around 800 BCE, of the Baudhayana-
Pythagoras theorem) and arithmetic (the basic operations and some early important
equations and formulae). In their search for an efficient number system, Indian
mathematicians used the zero not just as a placeholder (as the Mesopotamians also
did), but eventually as a full-fledged number, which led to the development of the Indian
numeral system, the most powerful numeration system in the world which is now used
around the globe today and forms the basis for all modern science and technology.
Part B
153
Other major contributions included the discovery of the sine function by Aryabhata (of
great application in astronomy and now throughout science), discovery of the negative
numbers by Brahmagupta (with the rules for their basic operations), increasingly
precise calculations of the decimals of π, with the first exact formula for π given by
Madhava as an infinite series, foundational formulae in combinatorics and their
interactions with linguistics and poetry, solutions to equations of several types such as
single-variable quadratic equations and the Brahmagupta-Pell equation, and (again by
Madhava’s school), the first expansions of trigonometric functions as infinite series,
notions of their differentials, and other foundational elements of calculus.
Mathematics in this NCF makes a deliberate effort to introduce students to some of these
major contributions by Indian mathematicians. At the Preparatory Stage, students will
be introduced to the Indian origin of the Indian numerals and the decimal numeral
system in use the world over. Students at the Middle Stage, and more so at the Secondary
Stage, will be able to understand the development of important mathematical ideas over
a period and locate the contributions of Indian mathematicians such as Baudhayana,
Panini, Pingala, Aryabhata, Bhaskara I, Brahmagupta, Virahanka, Sridhara, Bhaskara II,
Madhava, Narayana Pandita, and Ramanujan. At the Secondary Stage, students will
learn about contributions of Indian mathematicians to advanced mathematical ideas
including those in algebra, coordinate geometry, combinatorics, and calculus.
A more complete treatment of Mathematics is found in Part B, Chapter 3 on Mathematics

Education.
vi. Social Science: One of the key Curricular Goals is for students to appreciate the
importance of being an Indian (Bharatiya) by understanding India’s past and its rich
geographical and cultural diversity. Indian contributions to democratic ideas which
flourished in ancient, medieval, and the modern periods are also an important part of
student learning.
At the Middle Stage, students will learn of the historical underpinnings which led to the
formation of the modern Indian state and how ideas of peace, ahimsa, and coexistence
have been part of Indian culture since ancient times; they will learn about codes of ethics
set before rulers and elaborate democratic structures (e.g., assemblies, guilds, panchayats,
and sabhas, such as that described in the Uthiramerur inscription) giving the society
some freedom to self-organise; they will develop a perception of India as a civilisation
rather than as a nation in the current limited sense. At the Secondary Stage, students
will go into details to understand India’s past and appreciate its complexity, diversity, and
unity brought about by cultural integration and the sharing of knowledge traditions
across geographical and linguistic boundaries.
This is further developed in Part C, Chapter 5 on Social Science Education.
vii. Languages: Language education plays a crucial role in keeping students rooted to their
country, as it allows individuals to connect with their culture, heritage, and society.
Indeed, culture is largely embedded within languages. India is a country with a rich
linguistic heritage, comprising scores of languages with a great literary heritage.
Learning in the mother tongue or a familiar language at the Foundational Stage will
keep students connected to their home and cultural heritage. R1, which is most often
Part B
the regional language, will help students form a deeper understanding and connect.
154
Exposure to two other languages (R2 and R3) will help students to become multilingual,
appreciate unity in diversity, and thereby help form a national identity.
This language curriculum framework will help individual students connect with their
cultural roots and heritage by providing them with a deeper understanding of the
language, literature, and cultural practices of their locality and of their country. It will
help students appreciate the unity underlying diversity through observing shared
concepts, motifs, perspectives, vocabularies, linguistic constructions, and cultural
heritage in the country’s languages and literatures.
See Part C, Chapter 2 for further elaborations.
viii. Physical Education and Well-being: Sports and physical activities are an inseparable
part of our culture — they unite us emotionally. India has very rich heritage of games
and physical activity that developed across centuries e.g., yoga, wrestling (mallayuddha,
kusti), malkhamb, handling of weapons such as bows (archery), maces, swords, and
sticks, water sports, chariot racing, polo, different forms of martial arts (e.g.,
kalarippayattu), dance forms, hide and seek, and countless other games/physical
activities.
Yoga has a special place in our knowledge systems and culture, and its benefits for all-
round development are well established. Yoga leads to peace and tranquillity, harmony
and health, love and happiness, precision, and efficiency; although its physical aspect
(asanas, pranayama) is the one most-often taught, its philosophical background, as a tool
for self-realisation and self-fulfilment, should not be lost sight of.
The approach in Physical Education and Well-being is to make these Indian games and
physical/wellness activities an integral part of the curriculum across Stages.
ix. Interdisciplinary Areas: The Interdisciplinary Areas, by their nature, enable an

understanding of the social and natural world. This understanding develops the
capacity to identify core issues facing our society, and to act towards mitigating them to
the extent possible.
An integral part of the Interdisciplinary Areas is Environmental Education. The focus of
Environmental Education through school Stages is to develop capacities for understanding
the need for and acting to maintain balance and harmony between human society (Samaj)
and nature (Prakriti). This harmony is rooted in the Indian tradition of viewing human
beings and nature as unconditionally interconnected. This tradition also makes no
distinction between ‘animate’ and ‘inanimate,’ as it sees all elements of nature and the
universe as imbued with consciousness. The constant efforts of human beings to preserve
the environment, and therefore be preserved by it, are seen as a direct consequence of
this worldview. This connect is emphasised not only in historical inscriptions and
numerous texts, but also in the Constitution of India, which includes protection and
improvement of the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and
having compassion for living creatures among the Fundamental Duties.
In the Foundational and Preparatory Stages, students engage with their immediate
social and natural environments and move towards the state, region, and country.
Students are exposed to local stories, poems, narratives, folklore, histories, and games.
Part B
They explore diverse socio-cultural practices, traditions, and festivals within their
155
community, and connect these to the influence of the natural environment. Activities
around plants, observing seasons or the weather can be supplemented by select videos
of natural phenomena, wildlife, and more.
In the Middle and Secondary Stages, through an integrated approach with other
disciplines as well as in the form of an essential area of study in Grade 10, students
deepen their conceptual knowledge, and are able to use this to acquire an understanding
of how Indian cultures and traditions evolved across the country. They also examine the
relevance of traditional sustainable practices related to the conservation of resources
and agriculture and engage with current efforts in the country towards mitigation of the
effects of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Along with Environmental Education (Please see Part B, Chapter 3), Interdisciplinary
Areas include a course of study on Individuals in Society in Grade 9, which aims to develop
the capacity for ethical and moral reasoning among students. This capacity is enabled by
the acquisition of traditional Indian as well as Constitutional values through the
Foundational, Preparatory, and Middle Stages. Students engage with issues/events that
are significant for the country, and also with current affairs that have far-reaching impact
within their community and the world. These issues/events cover the sociocultural,
political, economic, and environmental domains, and reflect both larger concerns that
have persisted over a long period of time (e.g., equitable access to resources, preservation
of local art and craft traditions) as well as current concerns (e.g., local elections, schemes
for employment generation, ongoing efforts towards mitigation of impact of climate
change, encouraging growth of tradition crops such as millets).
This NCF, therefore, aims to be rooted in the immense knowledge, rich culture, and traditions of
India. It also ensures that our students build equal familiarity with contemporary India — our
immense strengths, our rich diversity — and learn to respond sensitively and effectively to the
challenges that we face as our country plays a greater role in the world.
Section 1.4
Course on Indian Knowledge Systems
While the contributions to knowledge are best integrated in the whole schooling as described
above, a special, engaging elective on Indian Knowledge Systems should be offered spread across
Grades 11 and 12. Creative treatment and coverage of the matter would spark student interest.
It could draw from current such courses, for example, a course entitled Knowledge Traditions and
Practices of India (KTPI), which has been running for over a decade, with the following scheme:
Part B
156
Table 1.4i
Grade 11 Grade 12
Philosophical Systems Agriculture
Literatures (2 parts) Architecture (2 parts)
Mathematics Dance (2 parts)
Astronomy Education
Chemistry Ethics
Metallurgy Martial Arts
Ayurveda (3 parts) Language
Environmental Conservation Other Technologies
Music Painting
Theatre and Drama Society State and Polity
Trade
Each module includes a survey of the field, proposed activities and further readings, and a choice
of selections from primary texts.
However, for this to happen, some of the modules would now be revised to a slightly more
advanced level, since their basics will already have been integrated in earlier classes. This is the
case especially of Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemistry, and possibly also Ayurveda, Environmental
Conservation and Ethics, among others. The revision of the KTPI modules will be done taking
careful note of the levels reached in those fields through the material integrated in the regular
subjects and will ensure that students adopting these modules will be taken to a suitably higher
level in both concepts and practices, including acquaintance with some primary texts, and will be
exposed to a slightly wider range of material in those fields.
It should be emphasised that this elective course would be offered only as a means to deepen the
student’s knowledge of the above disciplines. With this NCF, by the time students reach Grade 11,
the regular curriculum will have ensured that they get exposed to some basic concepts and
important practices; from Grade 11 onward, students not adopting this KTPI elective will get
more such exposure through the regular curriculum, while those adopting this elective will have
an opportunity to pursue those topics further.
Part B
157
Chapter 2
Values and Dispositions
Developing Values and Dispositions is integral to the Aims of Education of this NCF. This is
directly informed by the explicit commitment of NEP 2020:
The purpose of the education system is to develop good human beings capable of rational
thought and action, possessing compassion and empathy, courage and resilience, scientific
temper and creative imagination, with sound ethical moorings and values. It aims at producing
engaged, productive, and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive, and plural
society as envisaged by our Constitution.
[NEP 2020, Principles of this Policy]
Education must build character, enable learners to be ethical, rational, compassionate, and
caring, while at the same time prepare them for gainful, fulfilling employment.
[NEP 2020, Introduction, p. 4]
The education system and its individual institutions must also develop in students ethics and
human & Constitutional values like empathy, respect for others, cleanliness, courtesy, democratic
spirit, spirit of service, respect for public property, scientific temper, liberty, responsibility,
pluralism, equality, and justice
[NEP 2020, Principles of this Policy, p.5]
Part B
158
Students will be taught at a young age the importance of ‘doing what’s right’ and will be given a
logical framework for making ethical decisions. In later years, this would then be expanded
along themes of cheating, violence, plagiarism, littering, tolerance, equality, empathy, etc., with a
view to enabling children to embrace moral/ethical values in conducting one’s life, formulate a
position/argument about an ethical issue from multiple perspectives, and use ethical practices in
all work. As consequences of such basic ethical reasoning, traditional Indian values and all basic
human and Constitutional values (such as seva, ahimsa, swachchhata, satya, nishkama karma,
shanti, sacrifice, tolerance, diversity, pluralism, righteous conduct, gender sensitivity, respect for
elders, respect for all people and their inherent capabilities regardless of background, respect for
environment, helpfulness, courtesy, patience, forgiveness, empathy, compassion, patriotism,
democratic outlook, integrity, responsibility, justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity) will be
developed in all students.
[NEP 2020, 4.28]
Section 2.1
NCF Commitment to Values and
Dispositions aligned to NEP 2020
As stated in Part A, Chapter 1 on Aims and Curricular Areas of School Education of this NCF,
developing Values and Dispositions is critical to attaining the Aims of Education.
The coherent set of Values and Dispositions to be developed through this NCF are derived from
NEP 2020, which, in turn, are informed by India’s Constitutional values and broader human
values, including those that arise from India’s deep cultural heritage, worldview, and elaborate
ethical systems.
The process and the content of education across Stages will aim to develop in all students these
Values and Dispositions, and the capacities for their practice.
This goal will inform the curriculum, school cultures and practices, as well as the overall culture
of the school education system. Some of these values are democratic outlook and commitment to
liberty and freedom; striving for equality, justice, and fairness; embracing diversity, plurality, and
inclusion while remaining conscious of our underlying unity; humaneness, compassion, empathy,
and fraternal spirit; responsibilities that come from freedom and rights; social responsibility and
the spirit of seva (service); ethics of integrity and honesty; self-discipline; equanimity in the face
of success or failure (nishkama karma); scientific temper and commitment to rational and public
dialogue; patience and persistence; humility; peace; social action through Constitutional means;
respect and care for the environment and nature; sense of aesthetics; respect for India’s cultural
heritage; unity and integrity of the nation; and a true rootedness and pride in India with a
forward-looking spirit to continuously improve as a nation.
See Part A, Chapter 1, and Part D, Chapter 1 for more details.

Part B
159
Section 2.2
Approach to Developing Values and
Dispositions in the NCF
While there is an overall consensus that education must develop values, there is equal recognition
that developing values has been one of the biggest challenges in formal educational settings.
The approach of this NCF is to aim to develop Values and Dispositions using both direct and
indirect methods. In the direct method, there will be classroom activities, discussions, and
readings specifically designed to address ethical and moral awareness and reasoning; in addition,
a course on ‘Moral and Ethical Reasoning’ will be introduced for all students in Grade 9. In the
indirect method, the contents of Languages, literature, History, and the Social Sciences will
incorporate discussions particularly aimed at addressing ethical and moral principles and values
such as patriotism, sacrifice, nonviolence, truth, honesty, peace, righteous conduct, forgiveness,
tolerance, sympathy, helpfulness, courtesy, cleanliness, equality, and fraternity.
As consequences of basic ethical reasoning, traditional Indian values such as seva, ahimsa,
swacchata, satya, nishkama karma, tolerance, honesty, hard work, respect for women, respect for
elders, respect for all people and their inherent capabilities regardless of background, and
respect for the environment will be fostered in students, as these qualities are extremely
important for society’s and India’s progress. Using dustbins, using toilets and leaving toilets
clean after use, standing in queues properly and patiently, helping the vulnerable and contributing
to philanthropic and community work, being punctual, and always being courteous and helpful
to those around you in general even when you do not know them are some of the basic values of
social responsibility that will be developed in students early and throughout their school years.
The approach in this NCF for the development of Values and Dispositions has the following key
aspects:
a. Integral part of Learning Standards: In this NCF, the development of Values and
Dispositions is an integral part of the Learning Standards and pedagogical processes across
all Stages and Curricular Areas and must reflect in their content, pedagogy, and assessment
(e.g., building resilience through learning to win and lose with grace in Physical Education,
or building scientific thinking through laboratory experiments and trials in Science).
b. Development through practice: Values are best learnt and imbibed, and dispositions are
best developed when experienced and seen by students in practice in real life. This NCF lays
a lot of emphasis on building, sustaining, and enriching school culture and practices which
immerse the students in desirable values. It is the responsibility of the school, from the
management and leadership to the Teachers and other school workers, to provide an
enabling environment and opportunities and encouragement for practising values and
developing dispositions.
c. School culture is central: The most important way in which these values are practised and
dispositions are developed in school is through the building of a caring, collaborative, and
inclusive school and classroom culture and practices. Illustratively, sensitivity and respect
for others are encouraged when opportunities are provided for all students to participate in
Part B
activities and select students do not participate in all activities; regular bal sabhas and bal
panchayats help build notions of democracy, justice, equality, sharing, and fraternity.
160
d. Differentiated development across Stages: The development of Values and Dispositions

is influenced by school and classroom culture and processes in a differentiated manner as
children grow, and therefore must be planned appropriately at different Stages.
Illustratively, at the Foundational Stage, the learning of Values and Dispositions are
embedded in the selection of content (e.g., choosing stories that emphasise a love of nature)
and pedagogy (e.g., encouraging children to play together and learn to share). At the
Preparatory Stage, there is a clearer emphasis on developing positive habits (e.g.,
emphasising on completion of given work and putting things back in their place as a part of
classroom practice). In the Middle Stage, the emphasis on collaborative group work as part
of classroom practice helps develop the ability to work in teams. In the Secondary Stage, the
emphasis on giving critical feedback on work done would help develop the ability to handle
criticism and praise, success, and failure with equanimity.
e. Differentiated development effects: It is also important to note that each of these
processes helps develop different kinds of values. Some values are developed better
through particular processes. Illustratively, regular dialogue and discussion with active
listening as part of classroom culture and processes help develop democratic values such as
commitment to equality and justice, as well as rational thinking and sensitivity in dealing
with fellow humans. Curricular Areas such as Art Education and Physical Education and
Well-being help build individual virtues, such as aesthetic sensitivity, patience, endurance,
honesty, and courage. Curricular Areas such as Science and Mathematics help build
epistemic values, such as scientific temper and mathematical reasoning. Marking important
days through community service as part of school culture and practices help build cultural
values such as seva, ahimsa, and shanti. Regular music and dance performances at the
school assembly help promote pride in India’s rich cultural heritage.
f. In content: The content — both, implicit and explicit — will support the development of
desired values. All implicit content choices have deep implications for the learning process.
For example, diversity in the choices of names of people (e.g., characters in stories or
illustrations), vocations, and geographical areas of India used and depicted in textbooks and
illustrations that also aim to break gender or other stereotypes, should be given attention
throughout.
Equally, high-quality content explicitly fostering these values should be included. Inspiring
lessons from the works of literature and the people of India must be incorporated throughout
the curriculum as relevant. India has a long history and tradition of people and stories that
beautifully teach or exemplify so many of the above-mentioned core values and socio-
emotional capacities. Discussions on the Indian Constitution, the values of Equality, Liberty,
and Fraternity that it espouses, and the Fundamental Duties that it enjoins on Indian citizens
must be a part of classroom processes. Stories from the lives of great Indian heroes of history
are also an excellent way to inspire and introduce core values to students.
g. Separate subject: In this NCF, the development of Values and Dispositions is fully
integrated into Learning Standards, pedagogical processes, and school and classroom
culture and processes. In addition, a course on ‘Moral and Ethical Reasoning’ will be
introduced for all students in Grade 9. In addition to the curriculum for this course,
developers or schools (in practice) could consider and rigorously address the following
questions and issues:
Part B
161
i. Examine whether there are specific values that need to be addressed in a focussed
manner with students and, therefore, require specified time to be set aside.
Illustratively, commitment to equality may require an understanding of the idea of
equality, its practice, our individual and collective experiences, research from across the
world, and its importance for democracy. If so, this could need both separate time and
attention, warranting a separate class — perhaps alongside Social Science.
ii. Teachers may need support in developing the capability to handle such specific
sessions on the development of Values and Dispositions in a rigorous manner that
encourages respectful questioning and discussion.
iii. Teachers and students may need appropriate, rigorous, and interesting material on
these matters that incorporates both research and experience.
h. Values in conflict: Another critical issue that schools often face is that the values
recognised or encouraged at school may not be seen or practised outside of the school
commonly — in fact, they may even be actively discouraged, and the school has very little or
no control over what happens in students’ lives outside of it. For example, gender equality
is taught and encouraged in school but students may sometimes see the opposite within
their families or communities.
How does a school handle this conflict in the lives of students presented by the values being
aimed at the school versus actual situations in which these values may be violated? This
question does not have a simple answer.
Processes of dialogue and empathetic behaviour which demonstrate that conflicts and values
are an integral part of human societies and that they need to be resolved through discussion
and sustained effort, will have to be built into classroom culture and practice.
This process of reconciliation of values would need some focussed attention. Teachers would
need to help students listen and observe carefully, not jump to conclusions, ask questions
politely, study the issue, and learn about it in some depth before deciding on a response. It
would be critical for Teachers to help students understand why there may be some differences
in values at school and in their families or communities, and to support them to choose their
responses in a way that allows students to place their views before their families or
communities with respect and reason, and without giving up easily in the face of opposition.
A particular kind of conflict or contradiction that must be addressed is an individual’s own

action that may fall short of the values commitment that they have. Students must learn that
such things happen in the natural course of the development of a human being and that the
important thing is to learn from such challenging situations and keep improving one’s
response to it.
i. Assessing the development of Values and Dispositions through observation of

behaviour: Developing values and dispositions is a continuous process and is mostly
contingent on the environment supporting and encouraging such development. Putting the
onus of developing values and dispositions on the student could take away this
responsibility from the school and its processes.
However, developing values and dispositions is a critical part of the education process and it
is important to understand the development of these just as much as it is important to
Part B
understand how much Mathematics or Language a student has learnt.
162
Careful and objective observation would be critical to the assessment of developing values
and dispositions.
i. The focus of the assessment must be on the ‘behaviour’ that demonstrates the value or
the disposition. Just like actually adding two numbers demonstrates that a student is
able to ‘do’ addition, illustratively, ‘Student A helps other students when there is a
problem’ is a better way of articulating the learning rather than saying that a student
has developed ‘empathy’ or ‘sensitivity.’
ii. The rubrics for this need to be very carefully developed avoiding all biases and ensuring
that these can be practically implemented by Teachers.
iii. This should form a part of the periodic learning assessment report.
iv. The rubrics, the report, and everything else associated with this must be constructive
and must ensure that it does not have any kind of negative effect on (or negative
labelling of) the students or their families.
Some other possible ways of assessment could be through analysis of student reflective
diaries or material developed by students, group discussions or presentations on a particular
topic, and student participation in community work or school events.
It is important to reiterate that only ‘understanding’ values and disposition is not enough.
Values and dispositions must be part of everyday behaviour to demonstrate that they have
been learnt and developed.
j. Values of the Teachers, Principals, and System: In the process of developing values and
dispositions in students, the perspectives and capacities of educational functionaries,
school Principals and Teachers are equally critical. Their understanding of these values and
building them into school culture and practices is what will make this happen. The culture
of the education system must support the development of the same values and dispositions
that are expected of students.
Section 2.3
Some Illustrations across School Stages and
Curricular Areas
Developing values and dispositions is an integral part of this NCF across all School Stages and
Curricular Areas. This is reflected in different ways — as part of Learning Standards at every
Stage (as reflected in Curricular Goals and Competencies), as part of pedagogical processes
across Stages, conceptually integrated into Curricular Areas, and as a separate Curricular Area in
the Secondary Stage. It is a critical objective of school and classroom culture and practices.
Some Stage-wise illustrations are suggested below, among countless other possibilities. Teachers
will have to judiciously select from the vast material that can be tapped to evoke and inspire
values.
See section on Pedagogy for more detail in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.1.2.

Part B
163
a. At the Preparatory Stage, values are best learnt through simple stories selected from
India’s vast repository of stories, such as Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, and Jataka tales.
Storytelling should be followed by discussions (‘What is the meaning of friendship in this
story?’, ‘How could the lion and the bull maintain their friendship?’). Among many other
possible activities, children can be made to draw scenes from a story, or create a puppet
show for it. Apart from children’s books with good graphics, well-selected short videos of
the stories could also be used.
b. At the Middle Stage, more elaborate stories, such as those drawn from Indian Epics and
Indian literature from across our languages can be used; popular literature for children,
including comics, is a useful source. Many stories of Birbal and Akbar, for instance, illustrate
values of justice, compassion, mindfulness, and the capacities of rational thinking, problem
solving, scientific temper, and humour. Every story read (or film shown) should be followed
by a discussion or class activities, such as staging of the story, role plays, and students
imagining multiple alternative scenarios. Life stories of inspiring Indian figures can be
introduced, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Babasaheb Ambedkar, Swami Vivekananda, Sri
Aurobindo, Guru Nanak, Mahavira Acharya, Gautam Buddha, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, Shri
Rabindranath Tagore, Dr. M. S. Subbulakshmi, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Charaka, Susruta,
Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Bhaskaracharya, Brahmagupta, Chanakya, Chakrapani Datta,
Madhava, Panini, Patanjali, Nagarjuna, Gautama, Pingala, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Dr. C. V.
Raman, Dr. Homi Bhabha, Sankardev, Maitreyi, Gargi, and Tiruvalluvar, among many other
Indian greats from all fields and walks of life. Heroes from all over the world in various
disciplines can also be discussed to further inspire students, such as Albert Einstein, Martin
Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.
c. In the Secondary Stage, the full range of Indian literature can be used for the development
of values. Many well-selected Subhasitas can also be used in the same manner (e.g., discuss
‘One may own a hundred cows, but his need is only one cup of milk; one may own a hundred
villages, but his need is only one morsel of food. One may own a hundred-roomed palace,
but his need is but one cot. All the rest belongs to others.’ Or ‘Trees are like good people.
While they themselves stand in the scorching sun, they provide shade and fruit for others.)
Texts such as Bhartrihari’s Satakatraya or Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural also offer many
thoughtful maxims that can initiate stimulating discussions.
Regional freedom fighters or social reformers can also offer shining examples. Some of our
industrialists, businessmen, scientists, and artists of modern times with an altruistic attitude
and record, medical and agricultural pioneers, and other inspiring well-known and not-so-well-
known people (particularly from local areas) can provide shining examples of values.
Students can be encouraged to find out information on some of these inspiring figures by
themselves. For example, a school project could be putting together an anthology of ethical
persons who have had an impact on the students’ own lives, or a compilation of local freedom
fighters, or of unsung heroes who came out to help at the time of calamities and disasters. All of
this also lends itself to Stage-wise adaptations.
Besides such material drawn from the vast resources offered by India, students should be
exposed, through brief biographical sketches, skits, and/or videos, to some other great figures
worldwide (e.g., Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela) who embodied the values of
Part B
164
leadership, dedication, selflessness, altruism, quest for truth, fight for justice, and freedom from
oppression. Discussions on growing ethical issues and conflicts in the use of technology (e.g.,
information technology, genetics, and issues of environmental pollution) also need to be
introduced.
In all of the above, two critical approaches should be constantly kept in mind:
a. At every step, care should be taken to lead the student to connect specific values and
situations to their immediate environment, or the nation/world at large. This may lead to
complex and occasionally delicate discussions, especially in the higher stages, and care
should be taken to be non-judgmental and encourage nuanced reasoning in students.
b. Values, as explained above, impact every field of knowledge, from Physical Education to
Environmental Education, from Science to Social Science, and from Vocational Education to
Art Education. Crosscutting situations should therefore be abundantly used to drive home
the point that values are about the whole of life and not a separate isolated subject. Some
more discussion regarding this is in Section 3.1.2. This NCF provides many examples of such
intersections in chapters on Environmental Education (see Part B, Chapter 3), Inclusion (see
Part B, Chapter 4), Social Science (see Part C, Chapter 5), and Physical Education (see Part C,
Chapter 8), among others. Chapter 7 in Part C on Interdisciplinary Areas also has a useful
discussion on this.
2.3.1 School Culture and Practices

Various aspects of school culture and practices can be aimed at developing Values and Dispositions.
For example, the daily assembly can allow students to take up different tasks at different times
helping them learn responsibility and accountability. Music during the assembly can include
songs from the local area as well as from different regions and in different Indian languages. Real
stories of courage and resilience and seva can be narrated, preferably by the students themselves.
Students can perform skits on various social issues to sensitise others and assembly time also
can be devoted to discussing current social and national issues.
Like the daily assembly, mealtime is another daily practice that allows schools to inculcate values
of equality, sharing, care, and the importance of health and hygiene. All students sharing and
enjoying a meal together will send a strong message to students about non-discrimination. For
many students, this could be the one proper meal that they get during the day, so the school’s
effort in serving a good nutritious meal will demonstrate care and responsibility towards
students, teaching them the same. Healthy eating habits and good hygiene standards can also be
taught in this process.
Every school must encourage the formation of student committees and forums (Bal Sabha, Bal
Panchayat, and other student forums) to involve students in school activities and create a sense
of ownership and responsibility among them. By participating in activities of different committees,
students learn cooperation, teamwork, proactiveness, taking initiative, leadership, and conflict
resolution. Some of these committees take care of school-level tasks, such as ensuring cleanliness,
managing Mid-day meals, or organising cultural events. Some schools also have committees that
work at the community level. Health committees, sports committees, eco clubs, and music clubs
can take up activities within the community with guidance from the Teacher. Through these
forums, students learn and develop respect for different kinds of work.
Part B
165
When the school reaches out to parents and the community, welcomes them, gives them regular
updates, consults them on relevant matters, and tries to use their knowledge and experience,
they feel respected. When schools respect parents and the community and invite students to
participate in this process, they send a strong message to students that they must do so too. This
would improve their relationship with their own parents and their participation in
community life.
2.3.2 Pedagogy across Stages

Many values are directly reflected in the way classes are conducted in schools. Student
participation and learning must be the focus of classroom activities and events. Opportunities
must be provided for all students to participate in activities, and not for select children to end up
participating in all activities.
Classroom processes must encourage active learning with an emphasis on dialogue and building
relationships based on mutual respect. Students can work individually, in pairs, and groups.
They must be encouraged to listen, understand, appreciate, and reflect on their own thought
process, and look at others’ experiences with empathy and critical understanding. Teachers can
participate in discussions as one among the group and facilitate understanding of varied points
of view and encourage students to take on varied roles in the group.
Students must be encouraged to develop appropriate work habits and responsibilities. They
should organise the space and materials before and after use, persist and complete work, stay on
a task even without a Teacher being present, convey doubts, solve problems, and also give space
to others to work in silence as per individual needs.
Teachers must ensure that students feel safe enough to take intellectual risks, make mistakes,
experiment, and freely express their opinions without the anxiety of being judged, ridiculed,
reprimanded, or punished. Confidentiality of sensitive information (regarding a student’s
background and circumstances) should be maintained. Bullying, harassment, intimidation, and
the use of derogatory or demeaning language are calmly but strongly discouraged.
a. At the Foundational Stage, the learning expectations of Values and Dispositions are
embedded as part of classroom processes, in the selection of content, pedagogical
approaches, and assessment tools. Some Competencies lend themselves to values. For
example, ‘Shows kindness and helpfulness to others (including animals, plants) when they
are in need’ is a Competency that embodies the value of compassion. Given the
developmental stage that children are in, it is well understood that children learn these
ideas and their practices best when it is an integral part of the teaching-learning process.
b. Art Education across Stages focusses on thinking, making, and appreciation. Students get
exposure to artists from their own community as well as those from different parts of India.
Knowledge and appreciation of art traditions and unique approaches and artwork help
them appreciate the richness and beauty of thought and expression across cultures. This
helps them realise that multiple perspectives and interpretations can coexist in their own
classroom so the same would hold true for society too.
The ‘making’ process lends itself to the inculcation of values. For example, making string
puppets and then playing with them to perform a variety of actions to narrate a story requires
Part B
166
practice and hard work, while also being a joyful experience. As students work with a variety
of art forms and techniques, they will develop an appreciation for hard work and an
understanding of the time, effort, and practice required to achieve quality artwork.
With such experiences, students would develop respect for all kinds of vocations, professions,
and work, as well as respect for all people. The value of liberty and freedom is best experienced
when students create and express themselves openly through their artwork. A student who
may experience shyness, stage fear, or any other kind of discomfort with their own body can
express their experiences and challenges during the process of learning Dance and Movement.
This develops greater understanding among students and respect for all people regardless of
their capacities and background. Such processes also allow all students to feel included as
equal contributors in the learning process.
c. Science across Stages provides students with opportunities to explore their observations
and experiences in the real world. Students must identify and appreciate scientific values
(e.g., creativity, objectivity, rational thinking, perseverance, cooperation, scepticism)
through ‘doing’, as well as engaging with specific examples. These examples will be related
to the development of scientific laws and theories, and the lives and work of a few scientists
in some detail. Students will examine how ideas have changed over time in light of new
evidence, leading to an understanding of the tentative nature of science and the role of
empiricism in developing scientific knowledge.
Students must also develop a holistic understanding of Science through seeing its
interconnectedness with the real world as well as with other Curricular Areas. While
appreciating how science and technology have contributed to human lives, they will also
examine their use from the lens of ethics, which may appropriately include discussions on the
limits of science and technology when their applications are not governed by appropriate
values.
d. Interdisciplinary Areas include building sensitivity and care towards the environment and
developing the capacity for moral and ethical reasoning.
Students will be encouraged to explore, appreciate, and develop sensitivity towards their
social and natural environment. They will appreciate the need for balance and harmony
between human society and nature. They will develop a sense of care not only for themselves,
but also for other humans, plants, birds and animals, as well as the rest of the natural
environment.
Students will also develop capacities for ethical and moral reasoning, and active participation
as citizens in debate and action. They will develop an understanding of how to respond to
issues and events — they will be able to examine them from multiple perspectives, identify
ethical and moral questions and dilemmas, and evaluate them for violation of human and
Constitutional values as enlisted in NEP 2020. They will be able to take a position and justify
it with evidence and rationale. They will also be able to re-examine their positions based on
additional information and/or evidence and be able to communicate in a democratic manner.
e. Physical Education and Well-being across Stages will help students value physical activity,
hygiene, nutrition, and diet for a healthy life. It will also encourage inclusion, cooperation,
and responsible behaviour, quick decision making, respect for all players including
opponents and fair play, gracious acceptance of both victory and defeat, and commitment,
Part B
perseverance, and hard work to achieve excellence.
167
Sports provide opportunities to reflect on personal and team behaviour and help build
dispositions helpful for working in teams such as teaching patience, regulating emotions,
handling difficult situations, and celebrating others’ achievements. Students will also learn to
modify a game or create new ones to include those who may have different needs and abilities.
f. Mathematics across Stages will develop capacities for logical thinking and reasoning in a
rigorous, accurate, objective, and rational manner. Through participation in the discovery of
patterns and relationships and the derivation and proof of principles and theorems, they
will learn the value of collaboration, creativity, and perseverance when engaging in problem
solving. They will also learn the value of communicating their ideas clearly and precisely.
g. Language across Stages will help students develop democratic and epistemic values, and
dispositions of respect for culture and diversity in society (‘cultural literacy’). Learning
more than one language will broaden students’ horizons and learning another Indian
language will enable a deeper connection with the country and develop a sense of pride and
belonging to the country.
Students will be encouraged to think independently, take an interest in books, and read to
learn about the world at large. Young learners will develop an attitude of thirsting for
knowledge about the world through books. They will also develop the ability to express
themselves, fostering independent analysis, organising thinking, and creative expression.
Through Language education, students will develop deeper capacities for effective
communication and will be taught the value of meaningful and effective social and democratic
participation. Along with this, students develop the ability to enjoy reading and writing and
explore different literary devices and forms of literature in more than one language, thus
inculcating respect for other cultures and viewpoints.
Students will learn an appreciation of aesthetics in different genres, use language to develop
reasoning and argumentation and an appreciation for different regional languages to
acknowledge, respect, and respond to ideas from across the country.
h. Social Science across Stages will focusses on inculcating epistemic values of scientific
rigour in the analysis of events, and the interpretation of sources related to different aspects
of human life and society. Globally accepted scientific methods of enquiry, such as the
evidence-based, empirical, and verifiable approaches to social, historical, and political
events ensure the development of this epistemic value.
Appreciation for Indianness (Bharatiyata) through an understanding of India’s rich past (its
cultural diversity, heritage, traditions, literature, art, philosophy, and medicine), and learning
about the geographical diversity of the Indian subcontinent is an important Curricular Goal.
Similarly, understanding the functioning and impact of social and political institutions, and
learning about various forms of inequality and discrimination will contribute to social and
democratic values of equality, justice, fairness, and inclusion.
Students will learn the process of development of the Constitution of India, the emergence of
the modern Indian state, and the importance of these in the promotion of democratic values,
culture, and biodiversity. Understanding the basic contours of the economy and its rapid
Part B
168
development is an essential aspect of the curriculum that contributes to an appreciation of

modern India with a forward-looking attitude and desire to continuously improve as a nation.
i. Vocational Education helps students learn and respect the value of shrama or physical
work, respect for all and their capabilities regardless of background, and respect for the
environment.
Vocational Education will prepare students for meaningful and productive participation in
the world of work by learning hands-on abilities and skills (i.e., ‘physically doing’), developing
equal respect for head-hands-heart, valuing the dignity of labour, and understanding
vocational choices for the future.
Students will develop a broad-based understanding of different forms of work. They will also
develop respect for dignity of all labour through the acquisition of values related to work and
the workplace. Students will develop persistence and focus, curiosity and creativity, empathy
and sensitivity, and collaboration and teamwork. The disposition of working hard with
persistence, focus, and attention to detail is an important component of work ethic.
Schools must design and establish cultures and processes to ensure that students develop
Values and Dispositions that help them attain the Aims of Education.
2.3.3 Assessment of Values

Assessment of values is necessarily a delicate exercise, since testing values through MCQs, for
instance, would be a futile exercise. Values should be assessed in their practice, not as dry
knowledge. This section must be read along with Section 2.2 (i) earlier.
Assessment of values must not be for judging the student but must be only a developmental
exercise. Any use of such assessment for ‘judging’ is likely to do deep harm.
Assessment of values in Preparatory and Middle Stages is best carried out internally in the
school, through careful and objective observation of each student’s participation and behaviour
in class discussions and activities. In the Secondary Stage, assessment could additionally include
creative short essays in class (e.g., asking for comments on a text) or projects.
In all the above, an excellent practice consists in asking students to evaluate another student’s
presentation/project/exposition, which provides training in objectivity and impartiality. Self-
assessment can also be tried whenever adequate, with guaranteed confidentiality.
At the level of Board examinations, the question needs proper thought and planning and is
addressed in Part A, Chapter 3.
Since Values and Dispositions will not be acquired if the student fails to perceive the Teacher and
the whole school as embodiments of those values, innovative exercises to get the Teacher and the
school management assessed by the students could be undertaken (as in higher education,
where students’ feedback is sought on instructors and courses). This may be done through
anonymous questionnaires that will not only ask specific questions and also invite constructive
suggestions.
Part B
169
Chapter 3
Learning about and Caring for
the Environment
Environmental Education (EE) is a balanced process of developing cognitive understanding,
emotional connectedness, and behavioural change towards environmental issues that concern
both humans and the natural system. The goal is to enable individuals to find equitable, just, and
sustainable solutions that maintain a dynamic equilibrium between human and environmental
well-being.
Environmental Education is by nature a cross-disciplinary Curricular Area, as it involves

understanding the diverse set of factors — both natural and societal — that can affect this
increasingly delicate equilibrium between nature and humans. Environmental Education,
therefore, requires a holistic mix of content from the Science as well as the Social Science,
including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Geology, Ecology, History, Economics,
Psychology, Sociology, and Anthropology. Additionally, our strong cultural traditions regarding
our conception of, and relationship with, nature, and the wealth of practices of environmental
conservation that have resulted from this conception, must also find their place in Environmental
Education.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasises developing ‘among the learners a deep-
rooted pride in being Indian … and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human
rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly
global citizen.’ In particular, the Policy makes the topical recommendation of including
Environmental Education as a focus subject area, given the perilous state of environmental
affairs not just in India, but around the world. The policy further emphasises that:
Part B
170
…certain subjects, skills, and capacities should be learned by all students to become good,
successful, innovative, adaptable, and productive human beings in today’s rapidly changing
world … these skills include: ... environmental awareness including water and resource
conservation, sanitation and hygiene.
[NEP 2020, 4.23]
Keeping in the mind this mandate of NEP 2020, the Curriculum Framework for Environmental
Education strives to offer a well-researched set of guidelines that will provide strategic direction
to the development of the curriculum, as well as tangible means by which these guidelines can
be implemented on the ground.
Section 3.1
History of and Rationale for Environmental
Education in India
Nature is an integral part of Indian life and traditions — the lives of communities and the
environment around them are unconditionally interconnected. This intricate link between
nature and society imposes upon us a moral and existential imperative to understand it, stand up
for it, and protect it for its and our own survival.
Interventions at all levels are required, but, perhaps, the most foundational and enduring among
them is harnessing the power of education to create awareness and develop an empathetic
disposition towards the natural system that sustains us all. In fact, the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals identify Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a key enabler in
building a sustainable society that protects life now and in the future. In the Indian context, an
awareness of, and sensitivity to, India’s local/traditional approaches towards respecting and
conserving nature and the environment, and some of the major practices that resulted from
these approaches, must be harnessed, and included in any holistic development of ESD.
3.1.1 India and Nature: Concepts and Practices

Extensive literature in India has, from ancient times, emphasised the intimate connection
between nature and humanity and the interconnectedness of all creatures. Thus, the Rigveda,
India’s most ancient text, addresses earth and heaven as ‘twins’ or a single being (dyavaprithivi)
and compares the universe to a thousand-branched tree (a fine symbol for endless diversity
united by one trunk). Similarly, in the Yajurveda, another one of the four most ancient Indian
texts, the hymns advocate for a peaceful coexistence with every component of nature and ask
people to look at one another and all aspects of the natural system through the lens of ‘friendship’.
The hymns wish for no harm or injury to any of these ‘relatives’, and their well-being is tied to
humans’ well-being. Mountains, rivers, forests, trees, animals, and plants are seen as imbued
with sacredness and become cosmic symbols of it; thus, the ashwattha (peepal) tree, the same
tree under which the Buddha will attain enlightenment, is said to symbolise the whole universe.
Rivers are mothers (and often goddesses) as they make it easy for us to grow food. The Tirukkural
declares that ‘Sparkling water, open space, hills and forests constitute a fortress’ (that is, our
Part B
171
defence and protection), while Subhasitas (wise sayings) remind us that ‘Trees are like good
people. While they themselves stand in the scorching sun, they provide shade and fruit for others.’
Countless texts paint pictures of the beauty and generosity of nature, our mother which feeds
and nurtures us.
These lofty concepts inspired widespread practices. A whole branch of Ayurveda, Vrikshayurveda,
was dedicated to the treatment of trees and other plants, including crops before and after the
sowing of seeds. While some forests were cleared for agriculture, others were protected just as
today’s wildlife sanctuaries (as prescribed in the Arthashastra). Vegetarianism spread, largely
promoted by the practice of ahimsa or ‘non-hurting’. Water management systems, from simple to
highly sophisticated ones, took care of the people’s needs in different regions with diverse
climates. In texts and inscriptions, people were promised punya (religious merit) if they dug
ponds — the simplest way to recharge the water table. Urban planning took care to include
parks; reservoirs were added to temples and monuments across India, fulfilling cultural as well
as environmental needs; sacred groves, where hunting and the collection of wood were
prohibited, were created in the vicinity of villages in many parts of India. Indeed, many of these
traditions survive to these days, though diminished and often endangered.
Owing to their lifestyle in proximity to the natural environment, numerous rural and tribal
communities developed a huge corpus of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants, agriculture,
water conservation, metallurgy, zoology, survival techniques, and resilience in the face of natural
calamities. Indian systems of medicine, agriculture, metallurgy, water management, and more
have amply borrowed from this corpus, codifying, and classifying it.
Box 3.1i
The Bishnoi’s Sacrifice

In 1730 at Khejadli (Rajasthan): 363 women, children
and men laid down their lives to protest cutting of
Khejadli trees. Led by Amrita Devi and her three young
daughters, they died chanting one of their Guru’s teach-
ings: Sar Santey Rookh Rahe To Bhi Sasto Jaan — ‘If a
tree is saved even at the cost of one’s head, it is worth it.’
The Maharaja of Jodhpur apologised and prohibited the
cutting of trees and hunting of animals in all Bishnoi
villages.
The Khejarli Massacre cenotaph to commemorate the
sacrifice of the Bishnois (Wikipedia)
These ancient, tribal, and other local traditions to conserve and live in harmony with our
environments have been practised and advocated throughout India for centuries. In more recent
times, many poets, novelists, environmental thinkers, and activists, such as Mahatma Gandhi,
Rabindranath Tagore, Premchand, Ghanashyam Raturi, and R K Narayan, to name just a few, have
stressed this inextricable link between nature and human society.
The Constitution of India also emphasises this connect — one of its Fundamental Duties enjoins
citizens to ‘protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and
Part B
wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures.’
172
3.1.2 Today’s Context

In more recent times, the pressures of modern life have fractured the bonds between the natural
environment and human beings. What was once revered as a mutually sustaining relationship is
now steadily falling into an intense competition between two conflicting entities. As India’s
future generations inherit the challenges of life in the modern era, it is important to pass on this
ancient knowledge and reverence, the mandate from our Constitution, and, most importantly,
the modern knowledge and tools from the Science and Social Sciences. Ideally, knowledge from
ancient times to the modern should converge towards sustainable solutions to the growing
environmental challenges.
Environmental Education constitutes an important step in this direction. By incorporating topics

from various subject areas, students will learn to appreciate the nuances and complexity of the
human-nature equilibrium and the impact and trade-offs of different decisions taken at a societal,
or even individual, level. They will develop important skills, such as keen observation, critical
thinking, pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and problem solving, all of which are important
to finding remedies to the environmental issues we face today to avoid far more serious problems
in the future. At the same time, such a cross-disciplinary approach that opens students’ eyes to
different realities and perspectives will help students be less rigid in their outlook and more
compassionate in their attitude towards those around them.
At this time, the world is undoubtedly at a crisis point due to environmental concerns, which
include but are not limited to scarcity of water, ground, air and water pollution, waste overload,
loss of natural habitats through deforestation, accelerating loss of biodiversity, rising sea levels,
and increasingly severe weather due to climate change. It is equally clear that encouraging
students to develop sensitivity towards the environment, build an understanding of the
environment, and find ways to demonstrate care through action about their environment is a
critical responsibility of school education.
As committed to in NEP 2020, developing sensitivity to and care for the environment must thus
be a central theme throughout school education in this NCF.
Section 3.2
Aims of Environmental Education
The aims of Environmental Education in the school curriculum are listed below.
a. Create a strong foundation of environmental literacy, which includes understanding the

interlinkages between ecological, social, economic, and political factors.
b. Develop a more compassionate attitude towards the natural environment, drawing upon
teachings from ancient Indian traditions and practices, the Indian Constitution, as well as
scientific research on the effects of modern human activity on the environment.
c. Develop an action-oriented mindset and skillset to promote environmental causes, with a
solid understanding of how individual, societal, national, and global actions can help us
restore the balance between humans and nature and thereby save our planet and ourselves.
Part B
173
Section 3.3
Approach to Learning about and Caring for
the Environment in the NCF
Environmental Education is best imparted through a combination of in-class and experiential
learning.
Previous approaches of teaching facts without an opportunity to discuss and debate open-ended
questions rendered Environmental Education a perfunctory subject that was only important as
far as school assessments were concerned. On the other hand, introducing a more immersive,
experiential learning component will ensure that students internalise conceptual knowledge
gained in the classroom.
Below are some of the salient features of Environmental Education that will enable learning for
children:
a. Familiar: Content should be customised to children’s surroundings and environment so

that it is accessible and familiar to them. Local/regional flavour to the content will also
make it easier for educators to include experiential learning elements in the learning
process, e.g., ‘show and tell’ of natural resources found locally, field visits to nearby sites of
topical importance, and guest lectures by regional experts on local flora/fauna/
environmental issues.
b. Cumulative: Learning must build on the foundations laid in previous classes. Related to
this point, content must be appropriately curated for each pedagogical Stage — neither too
easy (which makes the subject uninteresting) nor too difficult (which makes it daunting).
For instance, teaching a complex concept about ecological communities could be broken up
into smaller parts that build up across Stages. In the Foundational Stage, the focus could
be on plants and animals found in an area. Teachers could use a combination of in-class
teaching, field visits, and museum tours to explain this concept to students. In the
Preparatory and Middle Stages, the material can build on what was previously taught and
include concepts such as the role of different plants and animals — producers, consumers,
scavengers, and decomposers — in the ecological community. As students grow older, their
ability for logical and abstract thinking develops as well. In the Secondary Stage, the same
ecological community concept can be expanded to include more complex components, such
as predator-prey relationships, food chains, food webs, and energy transfer. Such a
cumulative approach to teaching holds true even for the socio-emotional and behavioural
dimensions of learning. In the Foundational and Preparatory Stages, students can be
taught to develop a curiosity and interest towards the environment. By the time they reach
the Secondary Stage, their attitudes and behaviours evolve beyond interest to respect and
acceptance of different perspectives with a desire to understand the nuances of human-
environmental relationships. Students in the Secondary Stage can independently deepen
their environmental knowledge, analyse issues across various areas, make informed
judgements on statements and debates in media and society, and use a wider range of
techniques to investigate, analyse, synthesise, question, critique, and draw their own
conclusions. At this Stage, it is best to offer them cases to study, and critique existing
Part B
policies and practices.
174
c. Participative: Students should be encouraged to engage with the content at an intellectual

level through active participation in the classroom (e.g., asking questions, engaging in
debates) and also at an experiential level by undertaking hands-on community projects
(e.g., participating in environmentally sustainable activities at school, composting,
minimising waste and maximising recycling/ upcycling, raising a small plot or bed of
medicinal plants, fundraising for important causes, community service in and around the
school locality). Students’ questions — related to the social and physical environment and
of social processes around them (including schools and family) — must be given space. In
the classroom, students must be provided opportunities to explore the relationship
between questions and responses, rather than limiting to ‘yes/no’ or fact-based answers.
This helps them connect their thinking process with their exploration and findings. This
process leads to the development of the ability for critical thinking. Use of different modes
and methods that are interactive, observation and dialogues, and the communication of
ideas, help students strengthen this ability. It also helps them relate present content to
previous knowledge.
d. Continuous/integrated: Learning continues beyond the classroom when Teachers lead by
example. Learning in Environmental Education in the early years is largely through
interaction with adults and peers, in alignment with learning theories of social
constructivism. Interaction with adults, peers, and experts forms an important part of
learning in Environmental Education. The culture of the school with respect to its
surroundings and the environment also has a deep impact on the lifelong attitudes of the
members of the school including its students.
e. Diversified: Content that spans spatial and temporal breadth will open students’ eyes to
various perspectives on environmental issues. Also, by making the dissemination of the
content more multi-modal in nature, students can engage with the topics/content in a
manner that most appeals to them, e.g., documentaries, field trips, guest lectures, class and
group projects, essay writing. Depending on each student’s bent of mind, different activities
will resonate differently. For example, getting students to participate in task-oriented work,
such as the creation of simple models and toys may facilitate better conceptual
understanding for some students who prefer learning by doing.
Other considerations that must be considered when developing TLMs and pedagogy in
Environmental Education:
a. Students are naturally inclined to observe their natural and social environments. They
participate in several interactions with nature, living and non-living things, and
relationships within families and communities. They experience emotions related to these
experiences. Further, personal, and cultural identities are often tied to the local
environment. School education must build on this natural ability and interest.
b. Learning about the environment helps students discover its beauty and take pride in,
ownership of, and responsibility for its care. This also helps in developing specific values,
e.g., dignity of all beings, respect for all living beings, appreciation of diversity, respect for
resources and their judicial use, and equitable distribution of available resources.
c. India has a long history and rich traditions of environmentally sustainable practices. It is
important for our students to understand this and learn about such practices from different
regions of our country. They can also research why the modern context often causes these
Part B
175
practices to be abandoned. (Illustratively, they may research the accumulation of plastic

waste in their village or street, and discuss, among themselves as well as with the
concerned neighbourhoods, how this could be reduced or eliminated.)
d. As students grow, school education must enable them to be environmentally literate. This
includes the students developing environmental values, dispositions, and capacities to
investigate the environment and make intelligent, informed decisions about individual and
collective solutions to the current problems, and the prevention of new ones.
An important aspect of environmental literacy is the ability to sift through information, news,
views, and opinions to arrive at authentic conclusions. This must lead them to advocate for
and participate in necessary action at the level of their local communities, since collective
action is a key in mitigating environmental challenges.
e. Students must also develop awareness of and concern for the interdependence between the
natural and human-made environments and the economic, socio-cultural, political,
historical, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of human societies. They must appreciate the
need for balance between the environment and human society.
f. The knowledge base for Environmental Education comes from both, research, and practice.
Environmental Education draws from many different fields, such as Biology, Ecology,
Philosophy, Geography, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, Economics, Sociology, Natural
Resources, Agriculture, Management, Law, and Politics. Environmental problems must be
seen in all their complexity. They involve issues of public health, social justice, behaviour
towards nature, science, policy, rights, and ethics. They must, therefore, be examined
through the lens of multiple disciplines and perspectives.
g. Pedagogy must use different modes and methods, including observation of nature,
interaction and dialogue, completing small projects, reading, and writing. Students’
questions and experiences must be given space. Older students should work on specific
issues and examine their impact using an interdisciplinary lens. All this will require
sufficient time, which is provided for in this NCF.
h. While it is important that students acquire a conceptual understanding of environmental
issues and challenges as well as an appreciation of the magnitude of the problem, it is
equally important to ensure they do not get discouraged or despair for their future. Indeed,
information on the environmental crisis tends to be overwhelming and distressing, at times
resulting in depression (now called ‘eco-anxiety’); students should be shown how to
convert such trends into positive action, in effect turning despair into hope. To do this, the
NCF focusses on presenting possibilities and positive examples of actions to contain or
reverse environmental damage. At the same time, it is emphasised that the onus for
mitigation is not only on individuals, but on communities and nations as well.
Part B
176
Section 3.4
Learning about and Caring for the
Environment across School Stages
Learning about and caring for the environment is an integral part of this NCF across all School
Stages. This is reflected in different ways — as part of Learning Standards at every Stage (as
reflected in Curricular Goals and Competencies), as part of pedagogical processes across Stages,
conceptually integrated into Curricular Areas, and as a separate Curricular Area.
a. There are 13 Curricular Goals and 20 Competencies that directly address learning about
and caring for the environment in this NCF across curricular areas and School Stages.
b. Having Curricular Goals and Competencies focussed on this area of will ensure that all
students attain environmental literacy and sensitivity through school education.
c. Some illustrative Curricular Goals on the environment at the Foundational, Preparatory, and
Middle Stages in this NCF are as follows:
i. Foundational Stage: Children develop a positive regard for the natural environment
around them (CG-6)
ii. Preparatory Stage: Students develop sensitivity towards their social and natural
environment (CG-4 — The World Around Us)
iii. Middle Stage: Understands the spatial distribution of resources (from local to global),
their conservation, and the interdependence between natural phenomena and human
life (CG-5 — Social Science)
d. At the Secondary Stage, Environmental Education is a subject that all students must study.
This has a set of Curricular Goals and Competencies focussed fully on learning about the
environment.
Some other key points for each of the Stages follow.

a. In the Foundational Stage, Curricular Goals and Competencies are organised around
domains of development and not as Curricular Areas. Developing a positive regard for the
environment, caring for all life forms, and finding joy in engaging with nature are part of the
Learning Standards at this Stage.
b. Spending time in nature is an integral part of pedagogy at this Stage, encouraging children
to observe and interact sensitively with plants, animals, insects, and birds.
c. Children listen to stories, poems, and songs that often have elements of the environment
(e.g., birds, animals, plants, flowers, mountains, rivers) woven in. Sources of sound around
them include the buzzing of bees, the cooing of the koyal, or rain on a window. Toys are
made from local materials and often take the shape of animals and birds.
Part B
177

a. In the Preparatory Stage, learning about the environment is integrated into The World
Around Us, one of the Curricular Areas at this Stage. The focus is to begin with the
immediate environment of students and gradually broaden it by the end of the Stage. An
interdisciplinary approach enables learning and ensures that students do not receive a
fragmented view of the world around them.
b. In this Stage, there are Learning Standards related to observing, understanding, and
engaging with nature. Pedagogical processes that emphasise caring for nature (e.g., growing
plants, observing animals, using water carefully) are also the focus at this Stage. For
students to become environmentally literate, they must learn through ‘doing by themselves.’
c. Students also begin to appreciate the interdependence of human society and the natural
environment at this Stage. They make connections between cultural practices within the
community and the environment, appreciate how natural systems support their lives and
those of other living beings, and begin to understand how life changes as the environment
changes. They carry out small investigations, surveys, field trips, and observations to
understand these connections.
d. Content in this Stage is selected to ensure maximum interaction with the environment,
reflecting diversity in geographical features, flora, and fauna. Folklore, folk songs, oral
histories, and small case studies connected to the environment continue to be used to
develop among students a love for the environment.
3.4.3 Middle Stage

a. In the Middle Stage, concepts related to the environment are integrated into Science and
Social Science. This is to ensure that students engage with the basic ‘knowledge of the
environment’ to enable a deeper understanding of ideas around the environment at the
next Stage.
b. Learning Standards in Science and Social Science include those on understanding the
environment (e.g., Explores the living world around us, and its interaction with the
inanimate world in scientific terms; Understands the spatial distribution of resources, their
conservation and the interdependence between natural phenomena and human life).
c. Content and pedagogical processes continue to emphasise sensitivity to and care for the
environment. Students engage with the environment through as much direct engagement as
possible in Science, examining diversity of living beings — both those that are in their
surroundings as well as those at a smaller scale — and how they interact with their
environment. They examine the conditions necessary for sustaining life. In Social Science,
students examine the spatial distribution of resources, and disparity in availability for
people from different sections of society. They illustrate attempts at conservation,
restoration, and regeneration — and advocate the critical importance of these efforts.
Part B
178

a. In the Secondary Stage, Environmental Education is part of Interdisciplinary Areas, a
separate Curricular Area at this Stage, offered in Grade 10. Students will focus on
developing a holistic understanding of key concerns and issues related to the environment,
drawing upon their understanding across other Curricular Areas.
b. In this Stage, students can independently deepen their environmental knowledge, assess
issues, and analyse their causes, make informed judgements on statements and debates in
the media and in society, and use a range of techniques developed in earlier grades to
investigate, analyse, synthesise, question, critique, and draw their own conclusions. They
can use multiple perspectives to develop an integrated understanding, and advocate actions
for certain environmental phenomena.
c. The capacities mentioned in the preceding point are developed through Individuals in
Society, offered in Grade 9. This course aims to develop capacity for ethical and moral
capacities with a specific focus on the environment, among other domains. Students
systematically examine issues/events related to the environment to identify key ethical and
moral questions and then present an informed position for specific actions.
d. Students will view Environmental Education from the perspective of a social-ecological
perspectives, as opposed to a perspective informed primarily by either Science or Social
Science. The social-ecological perspective emphasises interdisciplinarity, integrating
conceptual frameworks and methods from the Natural and Social Science for a holistic
understanding of interlinkages between society and the environment. Central to the idea of
the social-ecological framework are ideas of equity, environmental justice, and human
well-being — all fundamental to the development of sustainable societies.
e. In this Stage, Environmental Education will also encourage students to develop knowledge
about traditional practices across communities for prevention of environmental
degradation, issues related to the survival of animal species, and sustainable use of
resources, such as forests and rivers.
Across School Stages, students’ continuous engagement with and care for their environment is
emphasised. From a direct engagement with nature in earlier Stages, students move towards
deepening their environmental knowledge, assessing issues, showing initiative, creativity,
perseverance, and problem-solving skills for environmental action.
Environmental values include, but are not limited to, aesthetic appreciation of beauty and
sensitivity — they also include the ability and motivation to identify and raise questions related
to the environment. Therefore, these values related to the environment have to be demonstrated
by adults in the school so that students develop them as well.
This NCF progressively builds capacities, values, and dispositions for learning about and caring
for the environment in students across the School Stages.
Part B
179
Chapter 4
Inclusion in Schools
Inclusive and equitable education — while an essential goal in its own right — is also critical to
achieving an inclusive and equitable society in which every citizen has the opportunity to dream,
learn, thrive, and contribute. NEP 2020 aims to create an education system where all of India’s
children get equal opportunity to learn and excel, regardless of circumstances of birth or
background.
Existing inequalities create several roadblocks in the process of achieving inclusive and equitable
education across all Stages. Studies show that a large percentage of students who either drop out
of school or discontinue their education after school belong to Socio-Economically Disadvantaged
Groups (SEDGs). Many among these groups who manage to continue their education struggle to
achieve appropriate Learning Outcomes due to a lack of adequate support, nutrition, access to
learning resources, or various sorts of social and/or economic distress.
The commitment to inclusive education is an integral and important part of the design of this
NCF. Schools must ensure that every student gets full opportunity and access to learn and
experience a sense of belonging. To ensure this, schools and the overall education system must
take many actions. The curriculum must be truly equitable and inclusive in practice for all
students.
Part B
180
Education is the single greatest tool for achieving social justice and equality. Inclusive and
equitable education — while indeed an essential goal in its own right — is also critical to
achieving an inclusive and equitable society in which every citizen has the opportunity to dream,
thrive, and contribute to the nation. The education system must aim to benefit India’s children so
that no child loses any opportunity to learn and excel because of circumstances of birth or
background. This Policy reaffirms that bridging the social category gaps in access, participation,
and learning outcomes in school education.
[NEP 2020, 6.1]
This Chapter outlines the basic principles of inclusion and illustrates some practices of inclusion
that is appropriate in schools. This is followed by a Section on practices appropriate for students
with disabilities and another Section for students with special talents.
Section 4.1
Principles of Inclusion
The practices for inclusion in school education is driven by some fundamental principles. These
are articulated below.
a. All education begins with the foundational principle that every child is capable of learning.
Children learn best when they are respected, valued, and involved in the learning process.
b. Student success and failure are often determined by the nature of school culture and the
learning environment.
c. Inclusion is an integral part of school culture that manifests in the relationships in school,
organising of school processes, accessibility of resources, and fundamentals of classroom
pedagogy and assessment. The School Principal is critical for setting the vision and culture,
and ensuring its translation into practice.
d. There should be equitable and non-discriminatory access to, both physical and curricular
resources. Schools must make necessary infrastructure and learning resources available to
help every student learn better, and this can happen with appropriate provisioning at the
school level. For example, TLMs have to be reviewed for biases against any category of
people or culture, and different aids for learning for students with visual, speech, or hearing
impairment must be procured. Physical spaces too would require assessing with these
disabilities in mind.
e. Schools should develop safe environments with credible mechanisms to ensure there is no
discrimination, harassment, or bullying. Classrooms must be safe spaces for students to ask
questions, make mistakes, and try out ideas.
f. Having adequate number of Teachers is necessary but not sufficient. Teachers need to be
able to respond to the context such that principles of equity and inclusiveness are of the
highest priority — this should be a fundamental ingredient of teacher professional
development.
Part B
181
g. All members of the school will need to be sensitised to the requirements of all students, the
notions of inclusion and equity, and the respect and dignity of all persons. Aspects of the
curriculum that emphasise equity and inclusion and the values that underlie this must be
significantly strengthened.
h. Schools must engage with the local communities around them. An educational institution
cannot meaningfully engage in its educational endeavour while being insulated from the
communities around it.
i. This NCF is in consonance with the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
(RPWD) Act 2016 and endorses all its recommendations regarding school education. The
Act clearly states that children with disabilities shall enjoy their rights equally with others.
j. These principles of inclusion are equally applicable for any and all students whose
differences may require specific attention. While the sections below detail measures for
students with disability and those with special talents, the principles must also be practised
in schools and school systems for any other form of difference, for example, transgender
students, temporary migrants, physical differences, amongst others.
Section 4.2
Illustrations of Inclusive Practices across
Stages
This Section gives illustrations of appropriate practices based on the principles of inclusion
stated in the previous section. Illustrations of inclusion are categorised in terms of physical
infrastructure provision, language usage, safety measures adopted, use of curricular content,
and inclusive pedagogy.
a. Physical access
i. There is barrier-free access into and inside the school for all.
ii. Toilets are well maintained, functional, safe, and suitable for all including people with
disabilities, and there are separate toilets for boys and girls.
iii. Common spaces and common property on the school campus meant for students and
Teachers are equally accessible to all students and Teachers without discrimination
(e.g., furniture, stationery, plates used for meals, glasses used for drinking water).
b. Language
i. There is extensive use of home language/familiar language in the classroom and in
curricular material, especially at the Foundational and Preparatory Stages.
ii. All languages, including regional variations in accents and vocabulary, are given equal
dignity and status.
iii. Indian Sign Language is used wherever necessary.
c. Safety
i. Students feel safe enough to take intellectual risks, make mistakes, experiment, and
freely express their opinions without the anxiety of being ridiculed, reprimanded, or
Part B
punished.
182
ii. Inequity on the basis of caste, gender, religion, socio-economic conditions, physical
characteristics, or performance of students is not tolerated and actively discouraged.
iii. Bullying, harassing, intimidating, and use of derogatory or demeaning language with or
by students is not tolerated.
iv. Threats or physical punishments are never used.
v. Confidentiality of sensitive information (regarding a student’s background and
circumstances) is maintained.
d. Curricular Material
i. All backgrounds, genders, and abilities are represented in a manner that upholds their
dignity and empowers them.
ii. Special care is taken to avoid promotion of stereotypes.
iii. Experiences from the lives of all people and children from SEDGs are represented. NEP
also recommends that curriculums should be free of all forms of bias and stereotypes
and ‘more material will be included that is relevant and relatable to all communities.’
iv. Images and illustrations also reiterate inclusion.
e. Pedagogy
i. Classroom processes are flexible and inclusive, and reflective of diverse needs.
ii. School timetable/calendar is adjusted to suit the needs of students and the local
community.
iii. There is heterogeneity in seating arrangement and fixed seating arrangements on the
lines of background, gender, abilities, or performance are discouraged.
iv. Assessments use multiple modes to ensure that all students can meaningfully
demonstrate their learning.
Section 4.3
Inclusive Practices for Students with
Disabilities
To be truly inclusive, all schools must be prepared to give meaningful and effective educational
opportunities for students with disabilities.
a. The RPWD Act 2016 defines inclusive education as a ‘system of education wherein students
with and without disabilities learn together and the system of teaching and learning is
suitably adapted to meet the learning needs of different types of students with disabilities.’
b. Physical access for all students with disabilities is enabled through barrier-free structures
as per the RPWD Act. Adequate attention must be paid to the safety and security of children
with disabilities.
c. Early identification and early intervention for children with developmental delays,
disabilities, and children at risk is a strong focus at the Foundational and Preparatory
Stages.
Part B
183
d. Curricular and pedagogical accommodations:

The idea of accommodations is different from modifications. While modification is about
altering or changing the difficulty levels of the content or the expectations of learning of the
student, accommodation is about making changes to assist a student to work with the
conditions of disability and be able to demonstrate their learning achievement on the same
standards. With accommodations, neither what is being taught changes nor does the grading
criteria for students with disabilities.
i. Illustrative content accommodations: Use of bigger fonts of the printed material with
adequate spacing, sharing printouts of summarised notes of the class, using assistive
technologies (e.g., text-to-speech read aloud, speech-to-text software), repeated and
reinforced ideas and concepts in the TLM are important support mechanisms.
ii. Illustrative pedagogical accommodations: Teaching strategies will require a Universal
Design in their planning and structure for equitable access. This is an important
accommodation that will help meet learning challenges that students face. Allowing
students to use word processors with/without spellcheck (through the use of assistive
devices to practise spelling, grammar, and computing), creating a system of peer
support, and organising special educator support in the classroom whenever necessary
would make for an inclusive pedagogy.
iii. Illustrative assessment accommodations: This typically involves changing or
reorganising the order of tasks or questions for assessment, making assessment
question papers or worksheets with large font print for ease of reading, allowing
extended time for completion, organising for a scribe/writer or reading assistant,
allowing the use of word processing software on a computer, organising a distraction-
free room, allowing for the use of a calculator or a tablet, permitting more frequent
breaks in the course of the assessment, and providing alternative furniture.
iv. Assistive devices and appropriate technology-based tools, as well as adequate and
language-appropriate TLMs (e.g., textbooks in accessible formats, such as in large print
or Braille) are made available. This applies to all school activities, including art, sports,
and Vocational Education. More details on aspects of using technology for students with
disability is addressed in Part B, Chapter 6 on Educational Technology in Schools.
The core intention of accommodations is to ensure equity in learning opportunities in the
classroom. This means enabling equal access for all students. It also means effectively assisting
learning for students with specific learning needs because of disabilities of any kind that they
may have.
Part B
184
Section 4.4
Inclusive Practices for Students with Special
Talents
There are innate talents in every student, which must be discovered, nurtured, fostered, and
developed. These talents may express themselves in the form of varying interests, dispositions,
and capacities. Those students that show particularly strong interests and capacities in a given
realm must be encouraged to pursue that realm beyond the general school curriculum. Teacher
education will include methods for the recognition and fostering of such student talents and
interests. The NCERT and NCTE will develop guidelines for the education of gifted children. B.Ed.
programmes may also allow a specialisation in the education of gifted children.
[NEP 2020, 4.43]
The commitment to inclusion in schools also implies accounting for the educational needs of
students with special talents. Identifying students with special talents is often easier when they
excel in their academic performance in some subjects in the classroom than those who excel
across the spectrum of Curricular Areas.
Special talents can independently exist in intellectual, creative, social, musical, and psychomotor
domains. Care must be taken to identify special talents in students in all areas of the curriculum
and to plan for enriching their learning in depth and breadth. This will ensure these students do
not get frustrated and lost in the class, and that their enthusiasm and motivation to learn are
maintained.
Some key considerations for the inclusion of students with special talents are as follows.
a. Special attention and special support: Contrary to popular belief, students with special
talents may need special attention and support with their school learning experience and
cannot be left to their own devices. This may include using richer reading material, as well
as assigning more challenging exercises.
b. Inclusion of students from across the socio-economic spectrum: Students with special
talents who come from economically-advantaged backgrounds tend to get better overall
support than students from economically-disadvantaged backgrounds. Schools need to
ensure equal opportunities for all students in this realm.
c. Differences in behavioural traits: These students are often reported to have certain
social/emotional traits in common, including heightened sensitivity, emotional intensity
and reactivity, perfectionism, and uneven development of intellectual and emotional
capacities. Teachers and parents/families need adequate orientation to understand and
deal with these needs.
d. Rethinking pedagogy: Teaching strategies/practices require review and redesign based on
the degree and kind of special talents students display across the Stages.
Part B
185
e. Supportive and democratic school culture: Peers and other adults in the school must
also be oriented to support these students which requires the development of a school
culture that values special talents while acknowledging other students’ talents as well.
Schools must guard against giving undue attention to students with special talents at the
cost of others.
As stated in NEP 2020, a good educational institution is one where every student feels welcomed
and cared for, a safe and stimulating learning environment exists, a wide range of learning
experiences are offered, and good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive
to learning are available to all students. The fundamental principle that guides good education is
that all children are capable of learning. Thus, equity and inclusion are the cornerstones of our
education system.
Part B
186
Chapter 5
Guidance and Counselling in
Schools
One of the key principles of good education also stated clearly in NEP 2020 is that care is central
to learning.
Care is demonstrated by detailed attention to the content, pedagogy, structure, and processes
used in teaching and learning. It is visible in the way Teachers and students interact with and
amongst each other, the way tasks are constructed and organised, the physical accessibility of
learning resources, the organisation of the timetable, the distribution of responsibilities, and the
participation of students in a host of arrangements and actions that schools undertake for
student learning.
In addition, individual students or cohorts of students may have particular needs which the
school may meet through a system of Guidance and Counselling provided by the school.
Part B
187
Section 5.1
Defining Guidance and Counselling
Guidance can be broadly defined as the process of assisting individuals to enable themselves. It
is a supportive engagement that enables a person to find direction for making their own decisions
and take actions — all with the objective of moving towards personal well-being and useful
social participation. Often, it involves a trustful relationship where the person guiding is in some
position of trustworthiness, seniority, or authority or is deemed insightful or knowledgeable.
Counselling as a process involves an individual consulting another for advice. Much like the
process of guidance, it involves helping individuals understand and act upon their attitudes and
decisions. Except that, here, this change-seeking aspect takes a more central feature and often
requires a skilful (and well-trained) individual to engage and challenge individual patterns of
belief and behaviour.
In the school environment, Guidance and Counselling can be seen as paired activities and not
separate ones. Here, it refers to the process of supporting the learning and maturation of students
and not as a standalone or a separate part of the school curriculum. It must be seen as
complementary to the overall curriculum. Another important point to note is that the school
curriculum is almost wholly designed for student groups. The pointed focus of Guidance and
Counselling is on an individual student’s needs of learning, health, and well-being.
Having a system of Guidance and Counselling would also help Teachers, parents, and
administrators meet the academic and psycho-social well-being needs of different students, e.g.,
difficulties in learning, career and higher education choices, maturation-related issues
(adolescence, autonomy, social cohesion), and mental health and well-being.
Section 5.2
Approach to Guidance and Counselling in
Schools
In schools, Guidance and Counselling can be seen as supporting the attainment of educational
aims. It contributes to creating an ethos of overall well-being, teaching individuals an ethic of
care and mutual respect.
The scope of Guidance and Counselling support in schools may be seen as follows:
a. Health and well-being for members of the school community: Providing basic Guidance
and Counselling to students, parents, and administrators in the context of the school
community in the following areas:
i. Physical health and wellness: This is one of the most crucial needs of growing up that
requires careful addressing by schools. Designing programmes that contribute to good
health and physical fitness for all students across the Stages of their school life is a
central goal.
Part B
188
ii. Psychological health and wellness: With a primary focus on students, Guidance and
Counselling work must teach strategies for emotional regulation and positive
motivation. While mild to moderate challenges with mental health can receive
counselling support within the school, it would be necessary to direct students and
families to more qualified professionals outside the school system for clinical diagnosis
and support.
iii. Social participation and cohesion: This would involve teaching strategies for healthy
adherence to social norms, expectations, and valuable social participation in the school.
Schools would need to be equipped to meet the challenges of resistance, aggression,
isolation, and bullying.
iv. Cognitive health and growth: Identifying students who are struggling to meet cognitive
developmental milestones, advising their parents with supportive strategies, and
planning for additional teaching support.
v. Learning needs and diversity: Identifying challenges of attention and learning,
attending to challenges that arise from any disability in students, and creating
Individualised Education Plans (IEPs).
b. Academic and Career counselling: Helping students make choices across Stages of their
school life whenever newer Curricular Areas are introduced and also helping with making
decisions about academic and career choices after the Secondary Stage.
c. Providing support for administrative and systemic improvements: Individuals involved
in Guidance and Counselling support must also be consulted while making decisions about
the school’s functioning, policies, programmes, and activities. Enabling systemic
improvements in schools such that these are cognizant of the diversity of learning needs
and support required by all members of the school.
Section 5.3
Who Can Guide and Counsel in School
In formal and informal ways, School Teachers and School Principals have long been naturally
vested with the responsibility of guiding and counselling students and families. These members
of the school community are best placed to do this because of their continuous contact and
connection with students.
Considering the ground realities of a vast majority of schools across the country, it is important
and reasonable to acknowledge that school systems will have their limitations in addressing
many challenges that come up concerning Guidance and Counselling. A successful plan for such
support would require an understanding of what kinds of challenges Teachers and Principals
can manage to address and the kinds of events or issues they cannot manage themselves but
must direct to professionals outside the ambit of the school.
While Teachers and Principals will continue playing the role of guides and counsellors and
should get basic capacity building in this regard so that they have the required skills and
capacities, a professional/specialist at the cluster or school complex level must be appointed as
soon as possible, as suggested by NEP 2020. Schools that have the resources and access to
Part B
professionals can simply take the lead and follow what NEP 2020 suggests.
189
Section 5.4
Expected Outcomes of Quality Guidance and
Counselling
A good quality Guidance and Counselling support process in schools over time will ensure that
the following outcomes are achieved.
a. Students are physically and mentally healthy as individuals and comfortably practise
positive learning habits.
b. Students are retained in school and the number of school dropouts in all Stages of schooling
is lowered significantly.
c. Students with diverse learning needs find equitable opportunities for support and growth.
d. Individual students are able to make good subject, vocational, and career choices based on
the advice they receive during Guidance and Counselling.
e. Teachers and parents are able to meaningfully communicate and support student learning.
f. Administrative policies and practices keep students’ achievement of Knowledge, Capacities,
and Values and Dispositions at the heart of all decision-making processes.
g. The school environment is experienced as safe, and all members of the school are protected.
h. The school environment is seen as a space that allows for creative expression.
i. The school year is well-planned and designed with good-quality learning processes that
demand rigour and discipline in students.
j. The school receives adequate support and respect from the local community.
Guidance and Counselling in school help students recognise and understand their own abilities,
enhance their coping skills, promote better decision making, improve their relationships, and
help them become self-directed in adapting to life and its challenges.
Part B
190
Chapter 6
Educational Technology in
Schools
Technology is a broad term used for all types of tools, methods, and processes created by human
beings to improve their lives. In this Chapter, the reference is specific to Information and
Communication Technology (ICT). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is a wider
term and encompasses in it ‘Technology of Education’ and ‘Technology in Education’. Whereas
the first term talks about human touch and human role, the second one talks about technology
(machines, engineering, and industry) in the field of education which is popularly known as ICT.
It includes a wide range of software and hardware tools and technologies, including devices such
as computers and mobile phones, networks such as the Internet, and software applications.
These technologies enable us to store, process, and access information in digital form. This
information can be stored in both textual and audio-visual forms. These technologies have also
enabled us to communicate information with each other effectively, efficiently, at scale, and at
great distances. In the past few decades, ICT has transformed the way in which humanity engages
with information.
Part B
191
While education will play a critical role in this transformation (India’s transformation into a
digitally empowered society and knowledge economy), technology itself will play an important
role in the improvement of educational processes and outcomes; thus, the relationship between
technology and education at all levels is bi-directional.
[NEP 2020, 23.1]
In this chapter, we will explore the potential of ICT in school education, the possibilities of its use,
the precautions of use and abuse, and finally the principles of use of ICT in school contexts.
Section 6.1
Context of ICT in India
India is rapidly becoming a society where technology is part of everyday life. People use ICT for
daily transactions such as payments, shopping, and communication. Farmers use technology to
learn and make decisions on farming practices. Various services such as finding work or finding
a marriage partner are also offered through ICT.
Digital platforms are being used to learn new skills and hobbies and even to clarify doubts. There
is increasing use of technology in various shapes and forms by both children and adults alike.
Technology tools evolve and will continue to do so, it grows integral to life, social interactions
and transactions, communication, and livelihood. The adoption of technology is a bottom-up
process — people adopt the tools that benefit them and will use technology if it serves their
needs and matches their purpose.
The relationship between education and technology is ‘bi-directional’ in the sense that many
innovations in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) world have found effective
application in education and are making large differences. Similarly, education develops the
capacities amongst our young that drives India’s vibrant technology sector.
Technology evolves and changes every generation, as it has been witnessed with radio, television,
computers, internet, mobile devices, and, more recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) including
generative AI. Introduction of technology by itself does not radically improve school education,
unless it complements, supplements, and fundamentally supports the growth and learning of the
Teacher and students.
It is abundantly clear that no technology can fix fundamental problems of resource provision,
Teachers’ capacities and motivation, and students’ readiness for schooling. The centrality of the
presence of a motivated and capable Teacher in every classroom in achieving educational goals
needs continued emphasis. However, with the availability and appropriate use of these
technologies, the effectiveness of Teachers and the experience of learners can be enhanced.
Technology can be a significant enabler of improvement on multiple dimensions of the education
system.
Part B
192
Box 6.1i
Key Highlights of Recent Digital Education Initiatives

School closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected an estimated 286 million children
(aged 3-18 years) in India. During closure of educational institutions, ‘continuity of
learning’ was a key challenge, and now post-pandemic, the need to respond to ‘learning loss’
is the key challenge.
There were several ICT-based responses across the country. The key enablers that emerged
for ubiquitous access across the country were Direct to Home (DTH) channels such as
PMeVidya DTH TV channel, Swayam Prabha DTH Channel, Radio, Community Radio
stations, Podcasts, and tele-classes on local TV channels and podcasts. Almost every State/
UT has shared experience of using these media during the pandemic.
Data-led decision making has been a key possibility at State level using data analytics
through Control and Command Centre (CCC) for education for tracking and monitoring of
learning and administrative tasks. The learnings are being tracked with a view to identify
the gaps in Learning Outcomes (LOs) at the level of schools so that suitable remedial action
can be taken. This initiative accrues benefits to all stakeholders from different perspectives
— administrators, Teachers, students, and parents.
For e-content, DIKSHA provides video lessons, worksheets, assignments and e-Textbooks for
school curriculum across Boards and in multiple languages. States/UTs took initiatives to
make learning content accessible through YouTube Channels of SCERTs and toll-free call
centres for students to clear their doubts in critical topics.
Several States distributed Tablets/Laptops/Smartphones to Teachers and students with
preloaded content.
To enhance the teaching versatility and smooth visualisation of lesson content, a CRT TV is
being converted into a Smart class with lesson plans, teaching videos, assessments, and fun
zones to make teaching easy and learning easier.
None of this takes away from the fact that inequitable access to technology is a real challenge,
— the digital divide is real. Not everyone can have access to the same technology. For instance,
India has users of smartphones and feature phones, as well as people who have no access to
phones. When we are thinking of solutions and scale solutions in a digital world, this fact cannot
be ignored.
Technology tools are ‘good slaves,’ but ‘bad taskmasters’ — a balanced approach to the selection
and use of tools needs to be taken, including respecting the digital rights of children. As we move
towards becoming a more digitised society, data of individual actions, choices, and behaviours
are generated and also perhaps more accessible. This data, when used to serve the user, is a
convenience, but the same data can make the individual vulnerable. Technology tools need to be
used with caution, especially around data in an increasingly digital society and inappropriate
usage in the teaching-learning processes.
Part B
193
6.1.1 Evolving and Emerging Technology

6.1.1.1 Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Virtual
Reality
The emergence of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, as well as big
data analytics and visualisation will definitely find innovative applications in the education
domain. There are enormous possibilities to use emerging technologies such as Artificial
Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Science, as well as immersive (AR/ VR/ virtual labs),
interactive, and gamified contents to improve the teaching-learning and assessment processes,
supporting Teacher preparation and professional development, enhancing educational access,
and streamlining educational planning, management, and administration. For this, an ecosystem
of digital education needs to be created where Teachers, students, parents, as well as
administrators are well oriented about the appropriate use of technology while taking necessary
safety and security measures.
These technologies being used and implemented without discerning their impact is a danger of
adding to the digital divide. However, their potential to be used to enhance and support the
capabilities of Teachers and students should not be ignored. Teachers and students as users/
contributors/beneficiaries of these technologies must be made aware of the inherent function of
such technologies. At national, State, and school level, students must be made aware of these
technologies, their role, and how to discern its use and impact on them. For example, Responsible
AI for Youth (YUVAi) is a national programme for government schools to empower the young
generation to become AI-ready. Established by the National e-Governance Division of MeitY, the
platform aims to help students develop a new-age tech mindset and relevant skill sets.
6.1.1.2 Generative AI
The evolution of technology is not entirely predictable. However, in the foreseeable future, the
growth of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and consequently Generative and responsive
AI appears inevitable. Irrespective of the nature of technology, the skill sets of Teachers and
students to develop a basic understanding of how these technologies work and therefore to
channel these emerging and disruptive technologies in a manner that serves the need and helps
the Teacher and student in the Indian context is critical.
Generative AI is a type of AI that creates original content by learning from existing data; it uses
patterns and structure from existing data to produce new content. It can generate new text,
images, or music without explicit programming. Some examples of Generative and responsive AI
are Chat GPT and Bard. However, these can be leveraged to create technology solutions, such as
TaraBot, on DIKSHA. They can be used to discover ideas, create innovative content, and enable
exploration and problem solving across design, music, art, and storytelling.
In education, generative AI can be a valuable tool for Teachers. It enables the creation of engaging
educational materials such as interactive lessons, videos, and personalised exercises. It also aids
in content generation in multiple languages, promoting inclusivity. However, caution must be
exercised to ensure that the generated content aligns with the curriculum and avoids biases. By
responsibly incorporating generative AI, Teachers can enhance creativity and innovation in the
classroom, offering unique learning experiences to students.
Part B
194
Generative AI has the potential to play a complementary role in learning by significantly reducing
the time and effort involved in generating content — quizzes, lesson plans, learning materials,
adaptive assessments, interactive simulations, and virtual environments for engaging learning.
However, it is important to note that generative AI is a rapidly evolving field, and there are ethical
considerations and challenges associated with its use. Issues such as bias in generated content,
data privacy, and validity and veracity of generated content are issues that have come up, and
more are being discovered. Also, there may arise real challenges and disruptions in education by
(mis)use of AI, including students and educators ‘outsourcing’ the most fundamental process of
educational work — of thinking — to AI. This could be in the form of homework and assignments
being done by AI, or lesson plans and content being developed entirely by AI. In the long term,
such behaviour starts stunting the growth of the capacities outsourced — in this case, thinking
— and this would be deeply damaging.
Only deeply thoughtful and well-researched integration of AI in the process of education will let
us use its potential fully while not succumbing to its more serious risks. This must be one of the
most important areas of research and attention for the entire education system — eliminating
the risks of AI and using it to its fullest extent. At the time this NCF is being written, nothing more
definitive can be said.
Section 6.2
Potential of ICT in School Education
Technology in education has the potential to play the role of a significant extension of human
capabilities, and ways of making teaching and learning more effective. Here are a few scenarios
to examine what technology can enable:
a. Can break down barriers and constraints. For example: The student is not limited only to
classroom experiences. They can explore and access content beyond the constraints of the
book, Teacher, and the classroom.
b. Enables exploring worlds, ideas, and places beyond that which can be physically accessed.
For example: a student or even the Teacher may not have travelled to see a planetarium or a
museum, but if a video or a link to an augmented reality experience can be provided, they
would be able to explore any space in the world.
c. It does not discriminate by itself. For example: the user’s ability or location does not matter
to technology. Technology opens up access to people of different abilities. Video content
with subtitles and supported by sign language is critical for the hearing impaired; similarly
audio content is critical for the visually and print impaired. Text with audio would be a life
changer for learners with learning disabilities.
d. It makes it possible to exercise choice, make connections, and find what they need and want
to learn. For example: Teachers undergo training programmes on predetermined topics;
while this is useful, it can be supplemented by the Teacher accessing training on the web.
Part B
195
6.2.1 Access
This NCF has consistently mentioned learning should not be limited to what is presented in
textbooks. ICT makes it possible for students and Teachers to have access to a wide variety of
content. With the spreading network access to the internet and the ubiquity of digital devices
that can connect to the internet, access to educationally valuable content has become more
equitable and democratised, thereby enabling learning anytime and anywhere.
6.2.1.1 For Students

Direct access to digital content on the internet might not be appropriate for very young children.
Access to digital content should be moderated and mediated by adults in this case.
a. Students can be encouraged to access and engage with relevant digital material that
complements and supplements the content in their curriculum, syllabus, textbooks, and
other materials they are typically unable to access in their physical environment.
b. Students can use ICT to deepen understanding, learn at their own pace, engage with
additional practice, and do self-assessments. More than anything else, ICT can be of
immense value to discover and explore new areas and topics, and as is becoming common
— to become creators and makers (for example, creating ‘how to ….’ videos and
demonstrations).
c. Students can utilise technologies such as peer forums and chatbots to clarify their doubts or
just to ask a question through voice or text to clarify or develop understanding and satiate
curiosity.
d. The agency to learn and find spaces for learning without fear or judgement can be enabled
through ICT.
6.2.1.2 For Teachers

More than the students, it is for the Teachers that the use of ICT becomes significantly enabling
and empowering.
a. Teachers can use digital content available on the internet for complementing and
supplementing the textbook material. Such content can enable different pedagogical
approaches, as well as provide different forms of engagement through audio-visual
material. Textbook chapters and Teachers’ handbooks can embed appropriate QR codes,
which guide them to relevant complementary and supplementary content.
b. Resources for suggested and illustrative lesson plans for specific content areas and textbook
chapters aid the Teachers in preparing for classroom instruction.
c. Well-designed Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) packages for specific concepts can
orient and prepare Teachers conceptually for teaching.
d. Additional assessment tools and readily available worksheets can enable Teachers to create
formative assessments to understand the learning of the students.
e. More in-depth courses can allow Teachers to deepen their perspectives of education as well
as specific content areas. Teachers can enrol in these online courses and develop their
capacities at their own pace and convenience.
Part B
f. Teachers can use tools that can simplify administrative tasks to unburden themselves.
196
6.2.2 Content Creation

ICT has not only eased access to content, but it has also enabled the creation of content. ICT has
the potential to enable a wide variety of practitioners to create educationally valuable and
relevant content.
a. Locally relevant content to be used in classrooms can be created with the assistance of ICT
at the school cluster/complex level by Teachers and resource persons.
b. Teachers can create content dynamically, based on the specific needs of their classroom.
They can access existing digital content and modify it to their specific needs.
c. ICT has made it possible for content to be created and presented in various forms. Videos,
audio clippings, graphic simulations, animated presentations — all these forms of content
can now be easily created by a motivated and capable Teacher with the use of simple tools
in ICT. These different forms allow for a variety in the content used in the teaching-learning
process.
d. ICT also enables students to express themselves beyond a simple textual form. They can
capture their educationally relevant understanding in various audio-visual forms for
Teachers to assess.
e. With this NCF’s emphasis on Art, Physical , and Vocational Education, it is not hard to
imagine the central role played by digital content. Instructional videos would be far more
effective than textbook chapters for these Curricular Areas.
f. Teachers can use Generative AI technologies to create content that is localised to their
contexts and specific to their immediate pedagogical needs.
6.2.3 Individual Attention

ICT can help Teachers provide greater individual attention to students and to their specific needs.
a. ICT can enable the recording of the learning achievements of the students at a fine level of
granularity. This information can assist the Teacher in creating useful learning profiles for a
subset of students in their care. These learning profiles can help Teachers in creating
individualised learning plans, which could also be developed with the aid of relevant
technology solutions. The Teacher is central to this process to assess if the plan is relevant
and of use to their students.
b. Students can engage with personalised content through digital devices, moderated by the
Teacher in the classroom. ICT can assist in personalising this content by using the students’
specific profiles, which includes their prior knowledge and preferences.
c. In higher grades, students can access digital content that explains the concepts in different
languages and multimedia formats. Students can engage with these materials at their own
pace. Thus, this facilitates the slow shifting of the responsibility of learning to the students
and makes them independent learners.
d. Teachers too can receive individualised training plans to suit their needs and for
improvements in areas of difficulty for them.
Part B
197
e. Technology can bridge gaps and enable independent learning to support the diverse needs
of students with disabilities. Technological aids in the form of diverse tools for early
detection and intervention will be needed. In addition, specially curated e-content to
address the learning needs of students with disabilities should essentially follow Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) principles and the end products should be available on audio,
video, ISL, and other digital formats such as EPUB, flipbooks, interactive Digitally Accessible
Information System (DAISY). Mobile applications can be used to cater to the specific needs
of students with learning disabilities. Audio modes, such as radio and audio books, and
television for hearing impaired with subtitling and ISL can be leveraged for students with
disabilities .
6.2.4 Interactive Content

The use of ICT allows for the possibility of dynamic and interactive content that a textbook cannot
manage. Such use of ICT might be appropriate from the Middle Stage, where students engage
with interactive content through digital devices.
a. In Curricular Areas such as Science and Mathematics, digital simulations can make
engagement with concepts more hands-on and dynamic, thus improving conceptual
understanding.
b. With advanced voice recognition and natural language processing techniques, ICT can assist
in oral language development through interactive software.
c. Digital textbooks can have assessments embedded in them and students can check their
understanding immediately.
6.2.5 Teacher Empowerment — Emerging Innovative

Pedagogical Practices and Skills
There are many pedagogic practices, strategies, and ideas that are being tried that have achieved
various degrees of success. These include flipped classrooms, blended learning, personalised
learning, game-based learning, edutainment, computer-assisted learning, and several others. All
of these may be effective in some contexts and not so in other contexts. There is no one method
or use of technology that fits all.
Thus, preparation of Teachers to engage with technology and make the best choices for their
students and schools becomes a critical step in making effective use of ICT in classrooms.
Capabilities of ICT can be used in such capacity building of Teachers at scale. The PRAGYATA
[Pragyata Guidelines, Government of India] guidelines for digital education articulates the kind
of preparation necessary for Teachers to be able to deliver digital education as being a twofold
process.
a. The first is the requirement of Teacher preparation for adopting digital technology for
teaching their students more efficiently.
b. The second is to use digital medium to keep abreast of new development, in education for
their own professional growth.
Part B
198
Teachers must be ready to harness the potential of digital technology to keep them professionally
up to date. The Teacher may:
c. Explore digital technologies such as LMS (Learning Management System), apps, web
portals, digital labs, and repositories of Open Educational Resources (OERs) at national/
State/global levels.
d. Attend webinars, online training programmes, online courses on ICT — Pedagogy and
Content integration.
e. Use appropriate technology for teaching and learning and conducting assessments.
f. Use digital resources embedded in Alternative Academic Calendars (AAC) developed by
NCERT for different Stages.
g. Be part of forums, interest groups, and online communities to interact with peers and know
how the rest of the world is doing with digital education.
h. Get acquainted with copyrighted as well as Free and Open Source (FOSS) e-content and
tools for learning. Teachers can be made aware to use open resources as everything on the
Internet is not available for free download or sharing.
Section 6.3
Possible ICT Solutions for School Education
The above section broadly outlines the potential of ICT to have a positive impact on school
education; this section explores various ideas and solutions that are in use and may be envisaged.
However, this is not by any means an exhaustive list of ideas or solutions, it is merely indicative.
Technology will evolve and adapt as is its nature, the attempt is to provide a framework for
Teachers, educationists, and administrators to think of and leverage these tools (and also what
may come in the future) to suit the needs of learners. For instance, a policy framework for
developing education technology is National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR).
6.3.1 National Digital Education Architecture

To fully achieve the potential of ICT in enabling the vision of NEP 2020, NDEAR was launched in
July 2021. ‘The core idea of NDEAR is to facilitate achieving the goals laid out by NEP 2020,
through a digital infrastructure for innovations by, through and in the education ecosystem.’
NDEAR is a blueprint for the future of education in India. It aims to create a unified national
digital infrastructure that will enable the use of technology to improve educational outcomes for
all students. NDEAR creates standards and principles for technology solutions in education. This
will help Teachers find and use solutions that help meet the learning needs of students. NDEAR
will encourage an ecosystem of digital contributors who can develop and use technology in
school education. It follows some core principles for developing technology in a manner such
that it enables open access, agency, and choice for usersas well as diversity and inclusion. It
endeavours to meet the special needs of students with disabilities.
Part B
199
The NDEAR addresses the following aspects of ICT in education:
a. Core Interactions: NDEAR identifies two core interactions in education — learning inter-
actions and administrative interactions. Learning interactions are those that take place
between students and Teachers, while administrative interactions are those that take place
between Teachers and administrators.
b. Scenarios: NDEAR defines three scenarios for the use of technology in education — learn,
help learn, and manage learn.
i. Learn scenario refers to the use of technology to enable learning directly
ii. Help learn scenario refers to the use of technology to provide support to learners
iii. Manage learn scenario refers to the use of technology to help administrators manage
the educational process
c. Key Personas: NDEAR identifies five key personas — students (any learner), parents (any
caregiver), Teachers (anyone who is a Teacher, formal or informal), administrators (anyone
who can help manage), and community members (society in its widest term including
market players).
Digital resources for learning and for use by the five different personas have a very important
role to play in leveraging technology in a manner that is contextual and relevant to learners.
6.3.2 Digital Books and Libraries

Textbooks, stories, novels, articles, and non-fiction in various languages in digital form are very
important resources for school education.
6.3.2.1 Relevance
Digital books would be relevant across all subjects including vocational training. One example is
to address the issue of low literacy levels requiring more resources for the development of
language. Digital resources can aid in more listening, reading, expansion of vocabulary, and
meaning making. The class and home need to be print rich, but it is also essential to be print rich
digitally and have access to diverse digital content in the form of stories, books for various levels
of readers, audiobooks, read-along digital content, vocabulary builders, digital dictionaries,
word games, video content and online courses in multiple languages, and have access to tools to
get a sense of one’s own learning level in language.
6.3.2.2 Benefits of Digital Books

a. Overcomes physical barriers to access — Many books can be accessed by the individual
even if they do not have access to physical books in their local environment.
b. Portable — They can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, and across devices.
c. Extendable — Textbooks particularly can be extended, modified, and updated quickly when
in digital form.
d. Delays — Delivery delays can be overcome.
e. Inclusive — Digital books lend themselves to accessibility, options to enlarge size of the
Part B
font, change the page colour, use the read-aloud, and access the audiobook formats can be
enabled.
200
6.3.2.3 Resources
There are several platforms and resources available that enable access to digital books. NCERT
has made all its textbooks available online across various platforms, such as SWAYAM, DIKSHA,
ePathshala. In addition, IIT Kharagpur has the national digital library platform. Several private
publishers are enabling access to digital versions of their publications, be it fiction or non-fiction.
6.3.3 Videos, Animations, and Audio

Digital material in the form of videos, animations, and audio is useful to explain topics, and
concepts, and demonstrate through ‘how to…’ for both students and Teachers.
6.3.3.1 Relevance
Across all subjects and domains ranging from an explanation and demo video for Teacher (and
student) on ‘How to teach/learn place value using sticks and stone’ to watching a video on ‘Force
in action in a cricket game.’ Videos and animations are excellent learning aids for both students
and Teachers. The creation of contextual content is as relevant as the consumption of content in
the teaching-learning process. This form of digital content is particularly relevant for the
Curricular Areas of Art Education, Physical Education and Well-being, and Vocational Education.
6.3.3.2 Benefits
a. Deepens understanding — Helps understand the subject matter better by engaging multiple
senses (seeing and hearing) of the learner and also enables visualisation of the topic or
concept.
b. Connection — A video helps establish a human connection to the learning process unlike
engaging only with text.
c. Shareable — The Teacher can send a video to the parent via messaging and students can
share with each other.
d. Independence — Enables independent study by students and this becomes relevant as the
learner evolves across Stages.
e. Repeatability and pacing — Videos also give Teachers the opportunity to demonstrate an
aspect or subject repeatedly. The student can go back to ideas and concepts they have not
understood and watch and learn again: it helps a student ‘personalise’ their pace of
learning.
f. Builds on an existing habit — Engagement with videos across various platforms is an
integral part of evolving learning habits, be it watching a cooking video to learn how to
make an unfamiliar dish or a Teacher watching a video on how to teach place value using
sticks.
g. Makes interdisciplinary learning easier — A well-crafted video on the topic can connect
domains of learning in shorter time periods and a more efficient way. For example,
connecting topics of physics to playing cricket; cooking to chemistry; carpentry to math.
Part B
201
6.3.3.3 Resources
Creating and sharing these videos and animations are possible across several platforms.
Television, OTT platforms, and radio (including community radio) can play a big role — imagine
being able to watch a movie or listen to a play based on a story in the language textbook.
Platforms such as SWAYAM and DIKSHA are regarded as well-curated spaces for curriculum-
linked content, in addition to several private platforms. Using the curation along with sourcing
tools (such as VidyaDaan) available on these platforms, the quality of curriculum-linked content
can be increased. The learning experiences from SWAYAM and DIKSHA can help evolve a body of
knowledge of digital pedagogy which, in turn, can help craft a common set of guidelines that will
enable the creation of better quality and relevant content.
6.3.4 Online Courses

These are micro-courses and courses with certification available online.
6.3.4.1 Relevance
This NCF will open up the need for training and capacity building of Teachers and administrators
across the country. A cascade approach or only an in-person method of training will not be
sufficient. The NCF also focusses on new Curricular Areas such as Vocational Education and
Interdisciplinary Areas. Neither students nor Teachers should be limited by geographical
barriers, language barriers, or any other constraints to develop skills or explore interests outside
of the school framework. Digital courses with or without credentials can enable exploration and
capacity development.
6.3.4.2 Benefits
a. Anytime, anywhere learning.
b. Choice of topics to learn and develop skills.
c. Digital credentials for both students and Teachers enable them to build and showcase their
abilities and body of knowledge.
d. Opportunities to revisit and relearn.
e. Micro-courses as a concept will provide just-in-time, bite-sized learning. For Teachers, ‘How
to teach mathematics connecting to day-to-day living?’, ‘How to conduct read-aloud with
stories to make them engaging’ and ‘Tips on how to link sports and physics’. For students,
‘How to make pots,’ ‘How to build a wooden table’, ‘How to build a biogas plant’, ‘How to
compost organic waste’, ‘How to play a musical instrument’, ‘How to develop the skills to be
a sportsperson’, ‘How to pursue a certain career, e.g., police official’ are useful educational
resources.
6.3.4.3 Resources
SWAYAM, DIKSHA, NISHTHA platforms, and several State training programmes will be available
for skill development, capacity building, and issuance of verifiable credentials.
NCERT’s and State SCERTs’ experience in rolling out large-scale online training programmes are
Part B
available to be leveraged to evolve digital pedagogy that will work for the context, scale, and
constraints of India.
202
Sourcing content for specific demands from the wider ecosystem through NDEAR VidyaDaan
would enable the ecosystem to contribute to the needs of these courses.
6.3.5 QR Codes and Other Technologies that Connect the

Physical to Digital — Phygital
6.3.5.1 Relevance
Across all Curricular Areas, access to a wide range of digital resources is needed. These resources
could be in the form of further explanation of content, demonstration videos, worksheets,
Teacher education courses and assessments. QR codes act as the access point to the wider array
of resources starting from a familiar learning resource — either a textbook or any physical
teaching-learning material.
6.3.5.2 Benefits
a. Bridging — Bridges the physical and digital teaching-learning environments. For example,
in a multilingual classroom, children whose home language is not the MOI may need access
to some basic translation of content in their home language. QR-coded textbooks that
connect the student to the explanation of key terms of each chapter in different languages
will help build vocabulary and better understanding.
b. Extendibility — QR codes on physical books make it possible to ‘extend content’ and
supplement in a seamless way.
c. Connection — Due to the limitation of physical space on the materials, it is easier to make
connections in the digital space — the QR code can provide access to linked materials in the
form of text, audio or video, or any other format.
d. Inclusive — Across all subjects and educational materials, QR codes or similar phygital
technology can become the gateway to access diverse content relevant to different learners,
making inclusive classrooms a reality. Audio added to books helps print-impaired learners
similarly, ISL content can be made available through the same QR codes or similar phygital
technology.
6.3.5.3 Resources
Digital infrastructure available in the form of NDEAR-compliant DIKSHA DIAL code (a registry of
QR codes linked to topics) and content repository enables the generation of taxonomy-linked QR
codes to be used on TLMs. In addition, content repositories such as DIKSHA or any other NDEAR-
compliant content repositories can be leveraged to source content.
6.3.6 Virtual Labs and Simulations

ICT allows for democratising access to environments for experiential learning and makes scarce
resources available for all through technology. Virtual Labs and simulations are examples of such
access; however, these need to be used in conjunction with physical teaching methods. Access to
some basic physical labs will enhance the ability of students to leverage Virtual Labs better.
Part B
203
6.3.6.1 Relevance
Practical application of concepts and the ability to conduct experiments in a virtual environment
will deepen learning. While used more often in Mathematics and the Sciences, it can also be
developed to teach Languages and other subjects.
6.3.6.2 Benefits
a. Access anytime anywhere: Students in remote locations get access to labs and enable
anytime anywhere learning for all.
b. Quality: Better quality of labs without being restricted to challenges of funding,
procurement of materials, and equipment.
c. Immersion: Visual aids to teach complex theoretical topics and concepts creates an
immersive learning experience.
d. Repeatability and flexibility: Time and space to repeat experiments and try new
experiments without resource constraints.
e. Feedback loops: Faster feedback and learning loops where dependence on the Teacher may
be reduced.
f. Equitable: As a shared common resource, Virtual Labs as a common infrastructure provide
equitable access to a scarce resource and remove constraints that apply to setting up
high-quality physical labs.
6.3.6.3 Resources
The Virtual Labs project of the Ministry of Education has participation from many institutes of
repute from higher education. However, more labs need to be created with a focus on the
requirements of school education. One example of such a programme is the Amrita Virtual Lab.
There are many such virtual labs being developed and will evolve to meet the requirements of
Teachers and learners as technology evolves.
Leveraging open-source tools and adapting them to the Indian context, such as the PhET
Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder, creates free interactive
Math and Science simulations. These are based on extensive education research and engage
students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration
and discovery.
6.3.7 Content Creation Capabilities

ICT enables easy creation and sharing of educationally appropriate content for the local context
and ensures equity by enabling the creation of accessible content.
6.3.7.1 Relevance
a. Across Curricular Areas, there is a need for the creation and distribution of contextual local
content. Teachers and administrators are routinely creating and curating TLMs. This
capability is demonstrated through the digital habit of Teachers creating video content and
sharing their work through messenger services.
Part B
204
b. Ideas on how to create and generate local content should be made available to all DIETs and
Teachers across the country. The Social Science Curricular Area requires 20% of the content
to be locally specific to that panchayat or district. Such content should be created and made
available through NDEAR-compliant platforms such as DIKSHA.
c. Local content creation can be implemented as a decentralised process throughout the year
and uploaded onto SWAYAM, DIKSHA, and other platforms, including local TV and radio,
and made available to all Teachers.
d. Micro-courses that guide content creation processes should be made available to Teachers
and other content creators.
e. The NDEAR ecosystem should enable community members to create relevant content,
particularly in the areas of Art and Vocational Education.
f. There is a need to ensure equitable access to accessible content that has been developed
following Universal Design for Learning and made widely available.
6.3.7.2 Benefits
a. Enabling content creation and building local capabilities will ensure contextual content
development.
b. Self-sufficiency in resource regeneration at various levels will result in a diversity of
teaching and learning resources.
c. Nuances, such as addressing learning gaps and dealing with multilingual classrooms which
are very specific, can be addressed.
d. Enabling personalisation and access to contextual, relevant content for diverse learners.
6.3.7.3 Resources
a. There are multiple digital content creation tools across a multitude of platforms for various
purposes, and there are a wide variety content platforms. As formats of content have
evolved, tools have been evolving, including AI tools.
b. For open and easy access, NDEAR guidelines should be followed by content creators.
c. DIKSHA provides the capability of multilingual content support and creation support at the
local level.
d. NCERT guidelines for digital content creation and the creation of inclusive content are
useful resources in this journey.
6.3.8 Assessments, Question Banks, and Practice Materials

Easy access to a portfolio of assessment tools and question banks that address and test a range
of skills (including conceptual understanding and provoke critical thinking and problem sets)
enables Teachers to use them appropriately in their classroom teaching.
6.3.8.1 Relevance
For achieving several competencies, repeated practice becomes a necessity. At the same time,
this practice work should not be routine and mechanical. To create a set of worksheets that
Part B
allows for in-depth practice and, at the same time, sustains the learners’ interest is not an easy
205
task. ICT can enable Teachers to easily create appropriate practice tasks keeping in mind the
learning levels of the students and their local contexts.
Teachers need question banks and problem sets linked to the curriculum to be able to do
formative assessments of their students. Students can take charge of their own learning if
assessments are non-threatening quizzes.
Assessments and quizzes can be done in many ways — online at scale, online at a local level, and
in an offline manner. Question banks and practice questions appropriate for different levels of
learners will be required across subjects and languages. To accommodate student diversity,
assessments in many forms are to be facilitated, e.g., paper-pencil tests, oral assessments, project
work, and group assignments.
6.3.8.2 Benefits
a. Online assessments give Teachers and administrators data instantly.
b. Teacher aids: Access to question banks to curate regular formative assessments will be a
supportive Teacher aid.
c. Student aids: Access to practice questions across levels and access to quizzes would be
helpful to students to do independent practice.
d. Inclusion by levelling and enabling formats of assessments — curated levelling of questions
in different languages and enabling various methods of assessment — oral, video, and
project work — would allow the assessments to be within the Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD) of the learners.
e. Digitisation of assessment responses can help determine gaps across regions and necessary
remedial action to be taken. This needs to be done at the class and school level but is also
necessary for large scale assessments and surveys.
6.3.8.3 Resources
Digital infrastructure may be leveraged to create question banks aligned to Competencies and
Curricular Goals. Tools for assessments may be developed and, where appropriate, the quiz
creation capability of DIKSHA can be leveraged or also sourced from various solution providers
across the ecosystem via NDEAR. For example, NCERT has conducted several national-level
quizzes on the DIKSHA platform for students. While this is not an assessment tool as such, the
same infrastructure can be used by Teachers at a school, district, or State level to generate short
assessments and quizzes on a daily basis for their students.
Part B
206
Section 6.4
Precautions in the use of ICT in School
Education
a. Safety
Students in schools have not reached adult age. Safety is thus paramount in any decision re-
lated to technology use. While students can be physically protected within the boundaries of
the school, allowing them to access the internet during school hours creates avoidable risks.
It is the responsibility of the school to protect children from predatory and abusive behaviour
often found on the internet.
The effect of screen time and the use of digital devices on the well-being of young children is
still not fully understood. This implies a cautious approach to the use of digital technology by
students, at least till the end of the Preparatory Stage.
b. Privacy
It is the responsibility of the school to protect the privacy of students when they are expected
to use ICT for educational purposes.
c. Inappropriateness
Controlling access to all content available on the internet is not an easy task. Even inadvertent
access to inappropriate content can cause serious harm to young minds. Schools should be
extremely mindful of this possibility and access to the internet should be under adult super-
vision in schools. For students in the Secondary Stage, norms of behaviour in the digital world
should be explicit as the norms of behaviour in the school.
d. Distraction
Several large-scale studies have shown that digital technology can be as much of a distraction
as a useful tool for learning. Schools and Teachers should be very cognizant of this possibility.
It should not be forgotten that the purpose of the use of ICT is for the achievement of Learn-
ing Standards and not for the general entertainment of students or Teachers.
e. Commercialisation
In recent years, rampant commercialisation of educational content has resulted in very pred-
atory practices of commercial interests. These profit-seeking enterprises have preyed upon
the anxieties of parents and are promoting ICT-based educational solutions with doubtful
efficacy.
f. Deep Risks
As mentioned in the section on AI, we are still discovering the risks of many technologies. For
example, there is growing evidence of the mental health impact of social media on teenagers,
and of its impact on attention spans on children, which then affects all aspects of education
and life. Not using or experimenting with technology in education because of the apprehen-
sion of such deep risks would stop progress. At the same time, using technology at the core of
how children develop and grow (education being one such key process) without addressing
Part B
the deepest of such risks can profoundly alter human well-being. Rigorous research and very
thoughtful use of technology is the only way forward.
207
Part B
208
2. Part C
2. School Subjects
Part C
209
The first chapter of this part is about the Foundational Stage (up to Grade 2)
— drawing the links of this NCF to the NCF-FS. The next eight chapters cover
the subjects to be taught in schools from Grades 3 to 10, across all Curricular
Areas, namely, Languages, Mathematics and Computational Thinking,
Science, Social Science, Art Education, Interdisciplinary Areas, Physical
Education and Well-being, and Vocational Education.
Each subject chapter is organised with the details of its aims, nature, principles
of the approach, and most crucially, the Learning Standards with Curricular
Goals and Stage-wise Competencies to be achieved. Stage-wise pedagogical and
assessment strategies have also been highlighted.
The last chapter of this part is about the second phase of the Secondary Stage
— which outlines the design and curricular approach in Grades 11 and 12.
Part C
210
Chapter 1
5. Learning in the
Foundational Stage
The Foundational Stage envisions an integrated approach to Early Childhood Care and Education
for children between ages 3-8. This is the first Stage in the 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical
restructuring of school education as envisioned in NEP 2020. Children start schooling in
this Stage.
This chapter summarises the characteristics and importance of this Curricular Stage, and the
Learning Standards, suggested content, pedagogy, and assessment for this Stage. The National
Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) deals with all these in detail.
For a better understanding of the curriculum for this stage, readers should refer to that.
Part C
211
Section 1.1
Introduction
1.1.1 Early Childhood
The first eight years of a child’s life are truly critical and lay the foundation for lifelong well-being
and overall growth and development across all dimensions — physical, cognitive, and socio-
emotional.
The pace of brain development in the first eight years is more rapid than at any other stage of a
person’s life. Research from neuroscience informs us that over 85% of an individual’s brain
development occurs by the age of 6, indicating the critical importance of appropriate care and
stimulation in a child’s early years to promote sustained and healthy brain development and
growth.
The most current research also demonstrates that children under the age of 8 tend not to follow
linear, age-based educational trajectories. It is only at about the age of 8 that children begin to
converge in their learning trajectories. Even after the age of 8, the non-linearity and varied pace
continues to be inherent characteristics of learning and development; however, up to the age of
8, the differences are so varied that it is effective to view the age of 8, on average, as a transition
point from one stage of learning to another. In particular, it is only at about the age of 8 that
children begin to adapt to more structured learning.
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) is generally defined as the care and education
of children during this period, from birth to eight years.
1.1.2 ECCE Primarily at Home: Ages 0-3

Up to 3 years of age, the environment in which most children grow up is in the home with families,
while some children do go to creches. Up to age 3, the home environment is (and should remain)
almost the sole provider of everything that constitutes and forms the basis for ECCE.
This includes not only health, safety, and nutrition, but also cognitive and emotional care and
stimulation of the infant through talking, playing, moving, listening to music and sounds, and
stimulating all the other senses, particularly sight and touch so that at the end of three years,
optimal developmental outcomes are attained in various development domains, including
physical and motor, socio-emotional, cognitive, communication, and emergent literacy and
numeracy. It must be noted that these domains are overlapping and indeed deeply interdependent.
The guidelines and/or suggested practices to enable high-quality ECCE at home for ages
0-3 would be developed and disseminated by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development (MWCD).
Part C
212
1.1.3 ECCE in Institutional Settings: Ages 3-8

After the age of 3, a large proportion of children spend significant time in institutional settings.
Hence, during the ages of 3 to 8, appropriate and high-quality ECCE provided in institutional
environments must be available to all children.
From ages 3-8, ECCE includes continued attention to health, safety, care, and nutrition, but also,
crucially, self-help skills, motor skills, hygiene, the handling of separation anxiety, physical
development through movement and exercise, expressing and communicating thoughts and
feelings to parents and others, being comfortable around one’s peers, sitting for long periods of
time in order to work on and complete a task, ethical development, and forming all-round good
habits.
It is important during this age range to nurture and develop the child’s innate abilities and
capacities of curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, cooperation, teamwork, social interaction,
empathy, compassion, inclusiveness, communication, cultural appreciation, playfulness, and
awareness of the immediate environment, as well as the ability to interact with Teachers, fellow
students, and others successfully and respectfully.
ECCE during these years also entails the development of early literacy and numeracy, including
learning about the alphabet, languages, numbers, counting, colours, shapes, drawing/painting,
indoor and outdoor play, puzzles and logical thinking, art, craft, music, and movement. This
becomes particularly important during the ages 6-8, forming the basis for the achievement of
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). The importance of FLN to overall education is well-
understood and fully emphasised in NEP 2020.
Section 1.2
Foundational Stage
1.2.1 Aims
Considering all the above, NEP 2020 has articulated the Foundational Stage as a single curricular
and pedagogical phase which comprises five years of flexible, multilevel, play and activity-based
learning for children between ages 3-8 years.
Due to the critical importance of the Foundational Stage for the development of an individual,
and for the long-term benefit to society as a whole, NEP 2020 articulates a clear goal — that
every child in the age range of 3-8 years must have access to free, safe, high quality,
developmentally-appropriate ECCE by the year 2025.
Regardless of the circumstances of birth or background, quality ECCE enables children to

participate and flourish in the educational system throughout their lives. ECCE is thus perhaps
one of the greatest and most powerful equalisers. High-quality ECCE in the Foundational Stage
gives the best chance for all children to grow into good, ethical, thoughtful, creative, empathetic,
and productive human beings.
Part C
213
NEP 2020 specifically calls for the attainment, by all children of optional outcomes in the domains
of physical and motor development, cognitive development, socio-emotional-ethical development,
cultural/artistic development, and development of communication and early language, and
literacy and numeracy.
1.2.2 Current State, Challenges

In India, where ECCE in available in institutional settings for ages 3-8, it is typically carried out
as follows:
3-6 years: Early childhood education programmes in Anganwadis, Balvatikas, or preschools
6-8 years: Early primary education programmes in school (Grades 1 and 2)
ECCE has evolved significantly over the past several decades. While early childhood has always
had a special cultural and social place in India, it has gained greater focus in education systems
and policies over the years. The Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) launched in 1975,
the 1986 National Education Policy, the National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy in
2013, National Early Childhood Care and Education Curriculum Framework in 2014 have all
been significant milestones. In 2019, the NCERT developed a Preschool Curriculum for three
years of preschool education along with Guidelines for Preschool Education.
Despite the progress and the great potential, challenges exist:
a. Many children directly enrol or enter Grade 1 with limited experience due to a lack of
suitable preschool options, especially among disadvantaged groups.
b. Due to deficiencies in supplies, infrastructure, and trained Teachers in ECCE, Anganwadis
generally focus less on the educational aspects of ECCE.
c. Low enrolment and attendance remain significant challenges, even with the implementation
of the ICDS scheme.
d. Out of the total number of sanctioned posts in Anganwadis, 5% are vacant, and for the posts
for Anganwadis helpers, 7% are vacant.
e. The private preschool sector remains largely unregulated despite the National ECCE Policy
(2013). In the private sector, some preschools have better infrastructure and learning
resources but often prioritise formal teaching and rote memorisation, with high Pupil-
Teacher Ratios and limited play-based and activity-based learning.
f. The number of teacher education institutions offering programmes preparing Teachers for
preschool is extremely low, with the North-Eastern States having none.
g. While India has made progress in key nutritional indicators for children, significant
challenges persist, including high rates of chronic under-nutrition, acute under-nutrition,
and underweight children under the age of five, which impacts their holistic development in
the short and long term.
h. Moreover, there has been inadequate focus on the achievement of educational outcomes in
ECCE institutions, which tends to cumulate through later school years.
i. Most children lack readiness Competencies when they join school. The challenges during
ages 6-8 — pedagogical, curricular, systemic, and more — are the key roots of India’s
Part C
educational challenges.
214
Section 1.3
Learning Standards
There has been a long tradition of inquiry both in India and in other cultures on the various
domains of development that have been observed in young children that are both natural and
desirable. The Panchakosha concept in the Taittiriya Upanishad is one of the earliest articulations
of the different domains of development of the human being. These descriptions remain relevant
along with the more modern understanding that has emerged through Developmental Biology,
Psychology, and Cognitive Neurosciences.
Physical Development or annamaya kosha and pranamaya kosha understood together, includes
bodily awareness and embodied learning through active engagement of all sensorial perceptions.
Emotional and spiritual development or the manomaya kosha involves becoming aware of and
skilfully regulating our emotions. The domain of Socio-emotional and Ethical Development
thus emerges as an important domain of development both from the Indian traditions and
current research.
The development of the intellect, or vijnanamaya kosha, is emphasised to engage meaningfully

with the cognitive and conscious aspects of human experience. The domain of Cognitive
Development captures this aspect of development.
Anandamaya kosha, or experience of transcendence, is best addressed for this age group through
Art and culture. Thus, including the domain of Aesthetic and Cultural Development, makes the
educational experience holistic and complete.
NEP 2020 has emphasised on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy as an ‘urgent and necessary
prerequisite to learning.’ This emphasis has been realised by giving special attention to
Foundational Literacy through the domain of Language and Literacy Development and
Foundational Numeracy through the domain of Cognitive Development.
Finally, the Foundational Stage is also seen as setting the foundations for formal schooling. The
development of Positive Learning Habits that are more appropriate for a formal school
environment becomes another important Curricular Goal for this Stage.
Thus, the Curricular Goals for the Foundational Stage have been derived by giving equal
consideration to the vision and details of NEP 2020, and the domains of development.
Part C
215
Section 1.4
Curricular Goals and Competencies
The Curricular Goals for the Foundational stage and the Competencies against each of the
Curricular Goals have been outlined in this Section. Curricular Goals been numbered as CG 1, CG
2 and so on; Competencies have been numbered as C-1.1, C-1.2 and so on.
Domain: Physical Development

Table 1.4i
C-1.1 Shows a liking for and understanding of nutritious food and

does not waste food
C-1.2 Practises basic self-care and hygiene
CG-1
C-1.3 Keeps school/classroom hygienic and organised
Develops habits that keep them
C-1.4 Practises safe use of material and simple tools
healthy and safe
C-1.5 Shows awareness of safety in movements (e.g., walking,
running, cycling) and acts appropriately
C-1.6 Understands unsafe situations and asks for help
C-2.1 Differentiates between shapes, colours, and their shades

C-2.2 Develops visual memory for symbols and representations
C-2.3 Differentiates sounds and sound patterns by their pitch,
CG-2
volume, and tempo
Develops sharpness in
C-2.4 Differentiates multiple smells and tastes
sensorial perceptions
C-2.5 Develops discrimination in the sense of touch
C-2.6 Begins integrating sensorial perceptions to get a holistic
awareness of their experiences
C-3.1 Shows coordination between sensorial perceptions and body

movements in various activities
C-3.2 Shows balance, coordination, and flexibility in various
CG-3 physical activities
Develops a fit and flexible body C-3.3 Shows precision and control in working with hands and
fingers
C-3.4 Shows strength and endurance in carrying, walking, and
running
Part C
216
Domain: Socio-Emotional and Ethical Development

Table 1.4ii
C-4.1 Starts recognising ‘self’ as an individual belonging to a family and

community
CG-4 C-4.2 Recognises different emotions and makes deliberate efforts to

regulate them appropriately
Develops emotional
intelligence, i.e., the C-4.3 Interacts comfortably with other children and adults
ability to understand C-4.4 Shows cooperative behaviour with other children
and manage their own
C-4.5 Understands and responds positively to social norms in the
emotions, and classroom and school
responds positively to
C-4.6 Shows kindness and helpfulness to others (including animals, plants)
social norms when they are in need
C-4.7 Understands and responds positively to different thoughts,
preferences, and emotional needs of other children
CG-5
Develops a positive
attitude towards C-5.1 Engages in age-appropriate work at school and/or at home
productive work and
service or ‘Seva’
CG-6
Develops a positive
regard for the natural C-6.1 Shows care for and joy in engaging with all life forms
environment around
them
Domain: Cognitive Development

Table 1.4iii
C-7.1 Observes and understands different categories of objects and the

CG-7 relationships between them
Makes sense of the C-7.2 Observes and understands cause and effect relationships in nature
world around through by forming simple hypotheses and uses observations to explain their
observation and logical hypotheses
thinking C-7.3 Uses appropriate tools and technology in daily life situations and for
learning
Part C
217
C-8.1 Sorts objects into groups and sub-groups based on more than one
property
C-8.2 Identifies and extends simple patterns in their surroundings, shapes,
and numbers
C-8.3 Counts up to 99 both forwards and backwards, and in groups of 5s,
10s, and 20s
C-8.4 Arranges numbers up to 99 in ascending and descending order
C-8.5 Recognises and uses numerals to represent quantities up to 99 with
the understanding of decimal place value system
C-8.6 Performs addition and subtraction of 2-digit numbers fluently using
flexible strategies of composition and decomposition of both
CG-8 numerical and word problems
Develops mathematical C-8.7 Recognises multiplication as repeated addition and division as equal
understanding and sharing
abilities to recognise C-8.8 Recognises, makes, and classifies basic geometric shapes and their
the world through observable properties, and understands and explains the relative
quantities, shapes, and relation of objects in space
measures C-8.9 Selects appropriate tools and units to perform simple measurements
of length, weight, and volume of objects in their immediate
environment
C-8.10 Performs simple measurements of time in minutes, hours, day,
weeks, and months
C-8.11 Performs simple transactions using money up to INR 100
C-8.12 Develops adequate and appropriate vocabulary for comprehending
and expressing concepts and procedures related to quantities,
shapes, space, and measurements
C-8.13 Formulates and solves simple mathematical problems related to
quantities, shapes, space, and measurements
C-8.14 Feels confident and sees Mathematics as doable and worthwhile
Domain: Language and Literacy Development

Table 1.4iv
C-9.1 Listens to and appreciates simple songs, rhymes, and poems

C-9.2 Creates simple songs and poems on their own
CG-9 C-9.3 Converses fluently and can hold a meaningful conversation
Develops effective C-9.4 Understands oral instructions for a complex task and gives clear oral
communication skills instructions for the same to others
for day-to-day C-9.5 Comprehends narrated/read-out stories and identifies characters,
interactions in two storyline, and what the author wants to say
languages1 C-9.6 Narrates short stories with clear plot and characters
C-9.7 Knows and uses enough words to carry out day-to-day interactions
effectively and can guess the meaning of new words by using existing
vocabulary
Part C
1
This should be the goal for most classrooms given the need for multilingualism, but in circumstances where Language 2 is very unfamiliar to the children,
many of the Competencies (from C-9.1 to C-9.7) can be in the emergent stage for Language 2 by the end of the Foundational Stage and consolidated in the
early Preparatory Stage.
218
C-10.1 Develops phonological awareness and blends phonemes/syllables

into words and segments words into phonemes/syllables
C-10.2 Understands the basic structure/format of a book, idea of words in
print and direction in which they are printed, and recognises basic
punctuation marks
C-10.3 Recognises all the letters of the alphabet (forms of akshara) of the
script and uses this knowledge to read and write words
CG-10 C-10.4 Reads stories and passages with accuracy and fluency with
appropriate pauses and voice modulation
Develops fluency in
reading and writing in C-10.5 Reads short stories and comprehends their meaning - by identifying
characters, storyline and what the author wants to say - on their
Language 1
own
C-10.6 Reads short poems and begins to appreciate the poem for its choice
of words and imagination
C-10.7 Reads and comprehends the meaning of short news items,
instructions and recipes, and publicity material
C-10.8 Writes a paragraph to express their understanding and experiences
C-10.9 Shows interest in picking up and reading a variety of children’s books
C-11.1 Develops phonological awareness and is able to blend phonemes/

CG-11 syllables into words and segment words into phonemes/syllables
Begins to read and C-11.2 Recognises most frequently occurring letters of the alphabet (forms
write in Language 2 of akshara) of the script and uses this knowledge to read and write
simple words and sentences
Domain: Aesthetic and Cultural Development

Table 1.4v
C-12.1 Explores and plays with a variety of materials and tools to create
CG-12 two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks in varying sizes
Develops abilities and
C-12.2 Explores and plays with own voice, body, spaces, and a variety of
sensibilities in Visual objects to create Music, role-play, Dance, and Movement
and Performing Arts
C-12.3 Innovates and works imaginatively to express a range of ideas and
and expresses their emotions through the Arts
emotions through art
C-12.4 Works collaboratively in the Arts
in meaningful and
joyful ways C-12.5 Communicates and appreciates a variety of responses while creating
and experiencing different forms of art, local culture, and heritage
Part C
219
Positive Learning Habits

Table 1.4vi
C-13.1 Attention and intentional action: Acquire skills to plan, focus

attention, and direct activities to achieve specific goals
CG-13
Develops habits of C-13.2 Memory and mental flexibility: Develop adequate working memory,
learning that allows mental flexibility (to sustain or shift attention appropriately), and
self-control (to resist impulsive actions or responses) that would
them to engage assist them in learning in structured environments
actively in formal
C-13.3 Observation, wonder, curiosity, and exploration: Observes minute
learning environments details of objects, wonders, and explores using various senses,
such as a school tinkers with objects, asks questions
classroom
C-13.4 Classroom norms: Adopts and follows norms with agency and
understanding
Section 1.5
Pedagogy
Children are natural learners. They are active, eager to learn, and respond with interest to new
things. They have an innate sense of curiosity — they wonder, question, explore, try out, and
discover to make sense of the world. By acting on their curiosity, they continue to discover and
learn more.
Children learn best through play — through activity and doing. They like to run, jump, crawl, and
balance, they enjoy repetition, respond spontaneously to rhythm, talk, ask, reason, and answer
questions posed to them. They learn through first—hand experiences involving manipulation,
exploration, and experimentation.
Engaging with materials, ideas, thoughts, and feelings during play helps in developing children’s
creativity, flexible thinking, and problem-solving abilities, and enhances their concentration,
attention, and perseverance. Children also improve their thinking, vocabulary, imagination,
speaking, and listening skills through play, whether they are reconstructing real situations or
creating imaginary worlds.
Learning at this Stage is, therefore, an active and interactive process in which children learn
through play and through interaction with other children and more experienced others. Children
are actively engaged in their social and cultural experiences, and they constantly adjust and use
new information to make sense of their perceptions and their experiences.
Children’s playfulness can be nurtured and strengthened through experiences of active

participation with others, and with natural, real-world materials that provoke and enhance
learning, imagination, creativity, innovation, and problem-solving in diverse and unique ways.
It is vital that the learning of children at this Stage be anchored by nurturing relationships with
those around them. These relationships help children feel safe, and become more optimistic,
curious, and communicative.
Part C
220
1.5.1 Building a Positive Relationship between Teachers

and Children
When we walk into our classrooms, we see wide-eyed children who are bright, quick to observe,
and interested in everything around them. They constantly ask questions. Sometimes they can
quietly observe something for a long time. At other times, they lose interest in a matter of minutes.
Sometimes they need to jump and move around. At other times, they enjoy a quiet story.
Sometimes they cry and clamour to go home. At the same time, they like to be comforted and
cajoled, and are willing to be convinced to stay back! They can be curious and considerate,
delightful, and determined, affectionate, and adventurous, funny, and fearless.
At this Stage, for many children, it could also be their first experience of spending several hours
away from their homes. Children require tenderness, nurturing and love. Working with them,
being with them, caring for them means enjoying all the different personalities that they have.
Teachers need to be warm and genuine, patient and calm, understanding and empathetic. We
need to give our children unhurried time and attention.
Children must feel that they belong, that they can trust, and they are free to try out and explore
and, therefore, learn better.
It is our job as Teachers to ensure that children settle and enjoy their time at school. A safe,
positive relationship between Teacher and child is enriching for emotional and cognitive
development. To build such a relationship, Teachers should get to know each child individually,
listen to them, observe them, encourage their intuitional responses, recognise, and respond to
their moods, and visit their homes regularly.
1.5.2 Learning through Play

Play is a child’s work. Play, by its very nature, is something young children like to do and actively
engage in. We can say that play and learning are two-way reciprocal processes. Play enables
learning by allowing children to remain active, engaged, and involved in social interaction with
other adults and children, thus meeting all the necessary conditions for learning to occur.
In this active playing process, children are learning — to make sense of the world, solve problems,
about themselves, others, Language and Mathematics. Choice, wonder, and joy are key aspects of
children’s play, and our classrooms would do well to be organised around these three aspects.
The play unfolds in the classroom when Teachers use conversations, stories, toys, music,
movement, art, craft, and games. All these can be free, guided, or structured.
1.5.2.1 Conversations
Language is the medium through which children talk to themselves and to others, and it is with
words that they begin to construct and get a grip on their reality. The ability to understand and
use language clearly and cogently is essential for learning.
Conversations are very important for children’s ability to connect with people and things around
them. Continuous conversations with children in the classroom help build relationships of trust.
Part C
221
Teachers can engage with children through free conversations where children can sit with the
teachers and discuss any interesting things that have occurred throughout the day, on their way
to school or anything they wish to share. In structured conversations, the teacher can plan and
organise a session in the morning hour where they talk and think through a topic together. Topics
are often about children’s daily life events and happenings, and their feelings.
1.5.2.2 Storytelling
Stories are a particularly good medium for learning about social relationships, ethical choices,
understanding and experiencing emotions, and becoming aware of life skills. While listening to
stories, children learn new words, thus expanding their vocabulary, and learn sentence structure
and problem-solving skills. Children with very short attention spans concentrate for a longer
time when engrossed in a story. Through culturally contextual stories, we can acquaint children
with their culture and social norms and create awareness about their surroundings.
Teachers can use picture books, story books with or without pictures, or story books in multiple
languages. Flash cards that have story scenes drawn or printed on them can also be used to tell
stories.
Besides listening to stories, children must also have the opportunity to tell stories. Stories told by
children can be the same ones they have heard or something they have created. The Teacher can
begin to tell a story and ask the children to complete it.
1.5.2.3 Toy-Based Learning

Young children learn from first-hand experiences and working with actual objects. They try out
and explore and learn. The classroom environment should cultivate this spirit of exploration
through play with toys and manipulatives.
Many local toys are available in every child’s surroundings. These should be used as important
resources for teaching and learning. Whether a toy is simple or complex, it has a lesson for the
child to learn. When a child holds a toy and manipulates it, she is practicing her motor skills and
strengthening her hand-eye coordination.
When a child builds a tower with blocks and eventually watches it fall to the ground, she learns
concepts and thinks about a solution to stop this fall. A puzzle helps a child explore patterns.
When children use blocks, dolls, animal toys, balls, mini-cars, or pretend toys, they start creating
stories and living out scenarios in their minds. Board games teach children to follow simple rules
and enhance their understanding of Language and Mathematics.
Toys can also be made from readily available items such as fabric, bottles, cardboard boxes, yarn,
cooking pans, bangles, pipe cleaners, and pinecones.
NCERT’s handbook on Toy-Based Pedagogy is an excellent guide for this.

Part C
222
1.5.2.4 Songs and Rhymes

Children love singing songs and rhymes and dancing to music. Songs are also a wonderful means
of learning language. Children understand different concepts through songs and their vocabulary
also expands. Physical movements accompanying the songs enhance gross and fine motor
movements, and body movements and gestures help children understand concepts. Songs
promote interaction among children and lead to cooperation.
Local context-specific songs and rhymes are another good way to increase vocabulary,
imagination, and expression. Songs in different languages provide children with the ability to
infer and make connections between common and different words in a language. Most of us in
India are multilingual, and it is important that the songs and rhymes promote children’s ability
to remain multilingual.
The Teacher could select a few rhymes or songs in two or three local languages, practise them
and sing with children. Grandparents, parents, and community members can be wonderful
resources for this.
1.5.2.5 Music and Movement

Music is joy. Music is also a strong stimulant for brain development and the formation of synaptic
connections. So, following the rhythm, playing simple musical instruments, and singing should
be encouraged. Body movements can accompany claps or rhythm played on a tin box or a khanjira
(tambourine) or manjira (cymbals).
Music and movement activities can also be done in different ways. Children could quietly listen
to instrumental music or dance freely to rhythm or make body movements accompanied by
rhythm. A range of instruments, which are either local, homemade, or purchased, should be
made available to children for first-hand experiences in sound exploration and music-making.
Teachers could include a variety of music, dances, sound sources, rhymes, chants, and songs with
different moods, contexts, and languages for children to listen to and perform in the classroom.
Dancing, singing, rhymes, folk songs, action songs, and finger plays provide opportunities for
children to learn musical concepts.
1.5.2.6 Art and Craft

Children enjoy playing with colours and creating something that is of interest to them. Art and
craft provide another medium for children to express their ideas, emotions, and feelings.
Teachers can encourage children to draw using paper and crayons, sketch pens, coloured or
black pencils, or charcoal. Children can also draw on slates, blackboards, or floors; every corner
of the classroom can be utilised. Similarly, painting, pasting, and clay moulding are great ways to
engage children. All these should be open-ended, with minimal direction from the Teacher.
Notions of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of artistic expression must be avoided.
Instead, different viewpoints, experiences, expressions, and imaginations should be encouraged
and celebrated. Within each Art discipline too, children need to be encouraged to discover their
own methods and techniques of using instruments and materials, in addition to conventionally
accepted methods. Children not only need to observe their surroundings visually, but also
Part C
223
become keen observers of their own thoughts, feelings, emotions, expressions, actions, and
overall behaviour. The Teacher should ensure that the Art classroom is always an inclusive
environment.
1.5.2.7 Indoor Games

Just as exercising the body is important to keep it fit and healthy, so too is exercising the mind.
Games of strategy, logic and word puzzles, and recreational Mathematics are the best way to
excite children about Mathematics and to develop the logical skills that are so critical throughout
their school years and indeed throughout life.
Jigsaw puzzles, playing with blocks, and solving mazes help to develop a child’s spatial reasoning.
Different games of strategy (e.g., tic-tac-toe, and leading up to deeper games such as chess)
develop strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
Playing games (e.g., Chaupad, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo) is fun — it also teaches counting,
strategy, collaboration, healthy competition, and bonding with peers. Word and logic puzzles are
another fun way to teach deductive reasoning. Simple puzzles such as those in the box above help
develop children’s skills of logical and creative thinking in an enjoyable manner. The puzzles can
get more challenging, and incorporate arithmetic and other elements, as children get older.
Arithmetic puzzles and games can help develop a comfort with numbers and develop quantitative
reasoning.
Making learning enjoyable through fun exercises, games, and puzzles can be a key aspect in
ensuring that children stay engaged and, at the same time, develop mental capacity and creativity.
1.5.2.8 Outdoor Games

Children in their early years cannot sit in one place for a long period of time — they need to move
around. Playing outside gives them a chance to explore the natural environment, test their
physical limits, express themselves, and build self-confidence. Most importantly, it helps to build
gross motor skills, physical fitness, and balance.
Children enjoy the space, the freedom to run and jump, to climb, kick and fall. Playing outside
also helps many children relax and calm down.
1.5.2.9 Spending Time in Nature

Children are naturally curious and need opportunities to explore, experiment, manipulate,
create, and learn about the world around them. Children start exploring their environment
through their senses by scanning their environment, touching, holding, and handling whatever
they see, listening to and responding to sounds, music, and rhythm, and getting excited by
unusual noises.
Children’s thinking evolves as they construct an understanding of people, objects, and real-life
situations through first-hand experiences. Children bring their own ideas, interests, and beliefs
based on their own experiences and contexts as well as their own abilities.
Part C
224
Teachers and families must provide opportunities to children to explore the world around them,
experiment and discover, compare, ask questions, make close observations, think, and talk about
their observations and predictions. Through this process, they are helped to satisfy their
curiosities and make more discoveries. Sustaining children’s natural curiosity to explore the
world through first-hand experiences at home and in school lays the foundation for learning.
Spending time with plants and trees and birds and animals or just being quiet around nature can
develop the basis for Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE).
1.5.2.10 Field Trips

Small, local field trips as part of the learning process reinforce the knowledge the children have
gained in the classroom and push them to ask more questions and build further connections
with things that they already know. Children also learn to manage themselves and to be with
others through these experiences.
The local vegetable market, doctor’s clinic, bus depot, post office, and police station could all
introduce children to an unfamiliar but interesting world, teaching them many new things.
1.5.3 Strategies for Literacy and Numeracy

A significant component of structured learning should be added for literacy and numeracy,
especially for Grades 1 and 2. It is important to ensure that the curriculum for children of ages
3-6 onwards must be planned in a way that builds on children’s capacities of that particular age
and leads to formal learning instead of a downward extension of the curriculum from Grade 1.
i. Classroom Strategies for Literacy

The teaching of language and literacy should provide children with ample opportunities to
explore themselves as readers and writers, along with providing a balance of learning ‘lower-
order’ skills (e.g., phonological awareness, decoding, writing letters and words correctly) and
‘higher-order’ skills (e.g., oral language development, engaging with books, drawing, and
original writing) which are meaning-focussed.
There are four major components in language and literacy instruction — oral language, word
recognition, reading, and writing. While activities for the four blocks may be implemented in
an integrated manner, it is important that children spend time working on each of the blocks
on a regular basis.
Figure 1.5i
Part C
225
ii. Classroom Strategies for Numeracy

Learning goals for Mathematics can be categorised into higher goals such as mathematisation
of a child’s thought processes (e.g., ability to handle abstract thinking, problem-solving,
visualisation, representation, reasoning, and making connections of Mathematics concepts
with other domains) and content-specific goals (those related to different concepts in
Mathematics (e.g., understanding numbers, shapes, patterns).
To become mathematically proficient, children need to build conceptual understanding,

procedural understanding, strategies competence/application, communication and reasoning,
and a positive attitude towards Mathematics.
All these strands of mathematical proficiency can be designed in the following four blocks for
the daily classroom process.
Figure 1.5ii
1.5.4 Creating a Positive Classroom Environment

As children enter school, their worlds expand, they make friends, begin connecting with adults
beyond the family, and become more and more mobile and verbal. They want to explore and
learn about everything. The role of the Teacher is very important in guiding children in their
behaviour and in forming strong positive relationships.
Teachers, therefore, must be thoughtful and responsive to the needs of children. Caring for
children is complex and important work. It is complex because there are many parts involved in
establishing relationships with children and their families.
1.5.4.1 Classroom Environment and Norms

A safe, secure, comfortable, and happy classroom environment can help children learn better. It
is important that the necessary facilities such as learning materials, equipment, and space for
doing activities, working together, and playing, to help each child learn better, are available. Care
is central to the classroom environment at the Foundational Stage — an attitude of concern and
responsibility for children and relationships. The classroom must be an inclusive, enabling
learning environment that provides every child freedom, openness, acceptance, meaningfulness,
belonging and challenge.
Part C
226
Introducing children, gently but clearly, to agreed norms of being in a classroom together should
be done as early as possible. This gives them both clear direction and a way to settle well in class.
It is best to have conversations with children and agree on norms with them. This leads to an
enhanced sense of ownership and responsibility while helping nurture and build a positive
classroom culture. Norms should be short, clear, and easy to understand with positive phrasing.
1.5.4.2 Managing Difficult Behaviour

Teachers will also have to learn to manage difficult behaviours as behaviour is often the unspoken
language through which children act out feelings and thoughts. It is also often because they are
unaware of behaviour norms or alternative ways of behaving.
Teachers should help children settle and guide their behaviour positively. Positive guidance is
crucial because they promote children’s self-control, teach children responsibility, and help
children make thoughtful choices. Caring and respectful adults create a supportive atmosphere
to help young children explore alternative behaviours, develop social skills, and learn to solve
problems. This is called a positive approach to guidance. An effective guidance approach is
interactive. Adults and children both learn to change as they interact with one another towards
a common goal.
Understanding the development of a child will help us set appropriate standards of behaviour/
expectations from children, think of appropriate alternatives, as well as age-appropriate
explanations or ways to explain to the child.
Actions that insult or belittle are likely to cause children to view their Teachers, parents, and
other caregivers negatively, which can inhibit learning and can teach the child to be unkind to
others. However, actions that acknowledge the child’s efforts and progress, no matter how slow
or small, are likely to encourage healthy development.
1.5.4.3 Discipline
Discipline is a part of the guidance strategies adults use to help children become responsible for
their actions, learn self-control, and behave appropriately. Discipline does not mean punishing
and preventing behaviours.
One of the major goals of a good guidance process is to help children achieve self-discipline. This
happens only if adults lead in ways that support children’s developing ability to control
themselves. By gradually handing over to children, the opportunity to govern their actions, adults
communicate trust.
1.5.4.4 Language Used by Teacher

As Teachers gain experience in handling problem behaviours, they learn to use the right kind of
language. Teachers discover how potent the voice can be and what words will work best and
when. They become aware of facial expressions and what a touch or a look will convey to children.
How they use their body reflects a distinct attitude and approach to discipline. Through
experience, new Teachers learn how to use these tools in ways that will work best for them and
the children. Teachers should talk to children in the same way they talk to other people. Learn to
control the volume of their voice and use good speech patterns for children to imitate. To be
Part C
heard, get close enough to speak in a normal tone; get down to the child’s physical level. Often,
lowering volume and pitch is effective. Use simple, clear statements, spoken once, will have more
227
impact. The child will be able to focus on the real issues involved. When working with small
children, the Teacher must be aware of body height and position and get down to the level of the
child. The way Teachers use their body invites or rejects close relationships and familiarity. A
child will find Teachers more approachable if they are seated low, with arms unfolded, rather
than standing, with arms folded. Non-verbal behaviours of a Teacher such as gestures, posture,
and eye contact must be such that a child can approach them without any hesitation.
The Teacher has to examine the way she was disciplined and acknowledge her experiences and
feelings about it, particularly assumptions she may have on how children behave depending on
their context and background.
The most effective methods of guidance are clear, consistent, and fair rules that are enforced in
consistent, humane ways. Children should be aware of the consequences if the rules are broken.
Good guidance practices emphasise the positive aspects of a child’s behaviour, not just problem
behaviours. Guidance measures have greater meaning to children if they are encouraged to take
responsibility for their actions and are part of the problem-solving process.
Section 1.6
Content for Teaching
Teaching at the Foundational Stage must be informed by the Curricular Goals, Competencies, and
Learning Outcomes. The content to be used in the teaching-learning process includes the learning
environment, TLMs, and books.
The syllabus must contextualise the Learning Outcomes, guide Teachers through handbooks on
the sequence of learning planned in the syllabus and provide broad guidelines for assessments.
Content chosen should be sensorially engaging (e.g., activate the child’s senses, have aesthetic
appeal) and/or be practically relevant in the context of the child’s experiences. It should be
derived from children’s life experiences and reflect the cultural, geographical, and social context
in which the child is developing and growing, move from familiar to unfamiliar, simple to complex,
and from self to others, and accommodate the diverse interests of children.
The texts for Language should be a good balance of stories and poems, along with content on the
local natural and human environments. While stories and poems enhance the imaginative and
linguistic capacities of young children, content on both flora and fauna as well as social and
cultural aspects allow children to gain understanding of the world around them. Content could
be in the form of textbooks, workbooks, children’s literature, materials such as flashcards, games,
and puzzles, and various audio-visual materials.
Similar to Language, content in Mathematics can reflect engagement with the local environment.
Mathematical activities, whether understanding shapes or counting, can be integrated with
engagement with the natural and human environments. The content in textbooks and workbooks
should be complemented with appropriate manipulatives in the classroom.
Art learning experiences are to be planned as activities focused on specific Learning Outcomes
and the content is drawn from the local context of the school.
Part C
228
1.6.1 Teaching-Learning Materials

Teaching-Learning Materials (TLMs) at this stage should engage children in multi-sensorial
activities and encourage them to actively use their hands; this incudes simple toys to manipulatives
for counting and numeracy, children’s books, picture books, activity books, worksheets, and
audio-visual materials support learning.
The Teachers should develop the capacity to prepare TLMs using locally available materials.
Engaging children in the process of creating TLMs such as toys, puzzles, and boards using locally
available products helps engage all aspects of their development. Some resources that are
attractive, safe, and provide adequate opportunities for the children to explore and experiment
with curiosity, which are not locally available, can be purchased from the market.
The use of TLMs can enhance the learning of the children by providing them concrete experiences.
For Mathematics, Teachers can create simple TLMs such as counters, bundle-sticks, ganitmala,
arrow cards, flats-longs-units, shapes cut-outs, straw models, and polyominoes using locally
available materials such as seeds, sticks, pebbles, paper, cardboards, and beads.
The idea of a library being not merely a collection of books but an attractive display of good
books which changes periodically is essential for the library to be an active place and to generate
motivation and interest in reading. The Teachers and other adults can model reading behaviour,
read-aloud, and plan other engagements with texts in the library. The library or designated
reading corners should provide children access to good children’s literature, and the Teachers
should encourage them to ‘borrow’ books from the library and place them back in the classroom
or the library.
As a part of pedagogic practice, Teachers should model careful use of materials. A culture of care
and responsibility in using and sharing material should be an essential Learning Outcome for
this Stage and should be carried through the later Stages of schooling.
With a balanced approach between protection and participation, different types of technology,
digital, and audio-visual material can also be used as a TLM. Children should have access to a
diverse range of content and material that is contextual for the child, age-appropriate, and
available in range of languages and materials. They should contain diverse forms, spaces, and
formats to ensure access and inclusion of children with disabilities. The key should be to create
an enjoyable experience for the learner and feed the child’s innate curiosity and agency, for
which the capacity development of Teachers, parents, and the community should be supported.
1.6.2 Books and Textbooks

Children at the Foundational Stage need to engage with texts in a variety of forms (e.g., picture
books, storybooks, graded readers, and worksheets). A wide variety of books that are appropriate
for all children including 3-year-olds should be made available to schools. Large picture books,
colourful graded readers, books with engaging stories and poems, all these would make reading
books an exciting and engaging experience for children. Our country has a rich heritage of stories,
folklores and legends that vary from region to region. These stories need to be translated into all
languages and good children’s literature can be produced from these sources and be made
available to all. By making a variety of books available in schools, a sense and taste of sahitya can
Part C
be encouraged in young minds.
229
Textbooks should be designed specifically to achieve the Competencies as articulated for the
Foundational Stage. For the ages 3-6, learning environment, TLMs, and worksheets are sufficient
to meet their Curricular Goals and pedagogical needs. They should not be burdened with the
textbooks. For the ages 6-8, simple and attractive textbooks should be considered, which should
also act as a workbook but should not be limited to the textbooks only.
Textbooks are often the only books many children will engage with. Their understanding of the
world beyond their immediate surroundings is built through the illustrations in the textbooks,
the activities and assessments introduce them to the expectations of them, and the content of the
textbook, as well as the language it uses, motivates them.
When developing and design a textbook, one should be guided by the underlying principles of
curriculum, discipline, pedagogy, technology, context, presentation, and diversity and inclusion.
Applying these principles, the process could include the creation of a syllabus document, panels
of textbook writers, reviewers, and designers/illustrators, choice of content, pedagogy, and
assessment, structure of the textbook and language used, presentation and design, writing,
review, and pilot run, and textbook orientation of the Teachers.
Textbook developers should have sound knowledge of applied linguistics and Mathematics, a
clear understanding of the pedagogy that is appropriate for the competency and content, and
also be aware of the current technology and audio-visual materials available for enhancing the
learning experience of children. Local context and environment are also important considerations.
The textbook must provide Teachers with concrete ways of integrating assessment with teaching
and learning. If practicable, a Teacher’s manual can be developed as a companion to the textbook,
aligned with both its approach and content. While the Teacher manual is primarily intended for
the Teacher, its use will benefit children as well.
1.6.3 Learning Environment

An inclusive, welcoming, colourful, and joyful learning environment that supports every child’s
participation is very critical for achieving the Competencies outlined in the NCF.
a. The indoor environment needs to be well-lit and well-ventilated.

b. It should feel safe and inviting for the children.
c. It needs to be inclusive.
d. It should have a balance of both familiar and novel experiences for the child.
e. It should have a balance of materials that encourage different domains of development.
f. It should allow for both individual work and cooperative work.
g. It should include displays of children’s work and also allow for children’s work-in-progress
to be preserved.
Considering the points mentioned above, the classroom environment can be optimised for
engagement and learning by implementing some of the fundamental principles of ECCE. Some of
the points are mentioned below.
Part C
230
1.6.3.1 Indoor Environment

a. Running Blackboard: The running blackboard should be at children’s reach as it allows
them to express themselves artistically and engages them in activities.
b. Circle Area: Clean and organised circle area on the floor should be designated for circle
time activities.
c. Corner Set-up: Corners can be planned inside the classroom to enable a variety of activities
– including a dramatic play corner with masks and puppets, a blocks/puzzles and Math
corner, an art/drawing corner, a tinkering corner, and a books/Language corner. These
corners encourage imaginative play, sensorial development, creativity, problem-solving, and
language skills
d. Classroom Display: To make a classroom dynamic and vibrant, an area should be allocated
to display both children’s and Teacher’s work. This can include a weather chart, a timetable,
Teacher-prepared charts, and norm charts.
e. Portfolio Bag: For easy access and visibility of children’s work and to keep records
and store children’s work, the portfolio bags, neatly labelled with their names, can be
hung on a wire/rope.
f. Every classroom should have basic elements such as a mirror, a clock, space to keep
footwear, and a dustbin.
The labelling of these locations, the text in the displays, and the reading corners should make the
environment print rich, colourful and a happy place.
1.6.3.2 Outdoor Environment

a. Sand pit: Sand pit is an excellent play area for children, which can also be used during free
play. This can also be setup with the use of bricks and filled with sand or mud.
b. Clay box: To develop gross and fine motor abilities, mixing, kneading, and making clay
figures and toys is a very good exercise. This can be made using a small box built with bricks
containing claying soil.
c. Water: A simple arrangement of buckets, mugs, and a tub for water activities should
be kept alongside the sand and clay areas. Children find it calming and these activities
help coordination of multiple muscles and increase attention.
d. Kitchen garden: A small kitchen garden gives children sensorial experiences, opportunities
to work with their hands and concepts about the natural environment. Group work, physical
labour, and other such positive attitudes towards work can also be achieved by children
working in a kitchen garden.
e. Outdoor play equipment: Slides, see-saws and swings are some essential outdoor play
equipment. Ladders give opportunities for very young children to climb, which is an
important developmental activity. In later years, simple rope ladders can be set up for a
more demanding climbing experience.
Part C
231
Section 1.7
Assessment
Assessment should be well-designed and aligned to the Learning Outcomes and Competencies of
the Foundational Stage. While analysing the evidence from an assessment, Teacher should be
unbiased and open-minded. The assessment should be formally and informally integrated
through the course of the day in the classroom and out-of-classroom activities. Teacher should
have a proper mechanism to collect and document evidence. While analysing the assessment,
Teacher should focus on what children know, identify the gaps, and utilise them in plans.
In the Foundational Stage, assessment is through observation and analysing artefacts. Observation
across time provides the Teacher with a comprehensive understanding of the child’s learning.
There can be several contexts where children exhibit their behaviour, attitudes, and their
learnings. Objects/Artefacts are created by a child during the teaching-learning process. These
artefacts provide clues about the level of Learning Outcomes of the child and are a source of
information about the child’s abilities and strengths.
The Holistic Progress Card would include this analysis, general information about the child’s
family, and the Teacher’s narrative summary of the child’s progress.
Section 1.8
Addressing Developmental Delay
and Disability
The Foundational Stage is critical to learning and development. We should aim to provide a safe,
supportive, and responsive environment that upholds the dignity of every child learning with us.
It is important for Teachers and educational institutions to identify and address any risks
pertaining to the children as early as possible so that all children attain their learning goals and
make sure that our children are safe and secure while they learn.
Recognising and addressing developmental delay and disability in the Foundational Stage is very
important because these years are vital for the pathways on which future learning is based. The
sooner we recognise and address any challenges to learning and development, the better the
chance for redressal and success. Optimal nutrition and a caring and stimulating environment
are crucial to learning and development at this Stage. We need to support children in such a way
that there are bridges, rather than gaps, between early and later school learning. Developmental
delay refers to very noticeable lags in achieving developmental milestones, beyond the individual
differences that exist among children. The delay could be in any developmental domain.
Developmental disability — e.g., autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability,
visual impairment, hearing impairment — usually becomes apparent during infancy or childhood
and is marked by delayed development and functional limitations in learning, language,
communication, cognition, behaviour, socialisation, or mobility. Children often catch up or
outgrow developmental delays with continuous support and stimulation. Developmental
disabilities are long-lasting, though children can make a lot of progress in managing them as well
Part C
with similar support.
232
Educational institutions and Teachers are not authorised to make any diagnosis of developmental
delay or disability. That is the job of authorised medical professionals. However, if a Teacher
notices a concern or persistent issue, she must observe the child across all developmental
domains and keep a regular record to support proper diagnosis of the issue and appropriate
action.
All our educational settings are committed to providing an environment that is not only
stimulating and joyful but safe and secure as well. Schools and Teachers must take care of Physical
and Emotional Safety and create a culture of zero tolerance of Child Sexual Abuse.
Part C
233
Chapter 2
Language Education
Language lies at the centre of human cognitive, social, and cultural experiences. Proficiency in
languages gives individuals the capacity to comprehend, analyse, and relate to their locality,
nation, and the world. It enables effective communication, which is integral to the formation and
functioning of societies and cultures. Language additionally serves as an indispensable tool for
the acquiring, accumulating, and advancing of knowledge. Thus, issues related to Language are
some of the most fundamental in education. The effects and benefits of Language learning go far
beyond proficiency in the languages themselves.
Language learning is, therefore, an important aspect of this NCF. Multiple studies show that
individuals knowing many languages not only gain the ability to communicate with a wider
range of people, but also develop expanded cognitive abilities. In addition, they demonstrate
improved capacities of cultural awareness and expression, which is among the major competencies
considered important to develop in students. This provides them with a sense of their own
identity and belonging, as well as an appreciation of other cultural identities.
Part C
234
Learning multiple languages enriches children intellectually and culturally, enabling them to
think in more than one way by being equipped with the structures of expression, vocabulary,
idioms, and literature of more than one language. A multilingual India is thereby better educated
and also better nationally integrated. Moreover, India’s languages are some of the richest, most
scientific, and most expressive in the world, with a huge body of ancient as well as modern
literature that helps form India’s cultural unity and national identity.
The science of child development and language acquisition clearly demonstrate that young
children become literate in and learn best through their mother tongue. Moreover, young children
who become literate in their mother tongue gain a greater ability to learn multiple languages as
students in their later years with its associated benefits.
This NCF thus gives central importance to learning in the mother tongue in the initial Stages, and
to Language learning across all Stages, with a commitment to multilingualism. This multilingualism
promotes, both socio-emotional and cognitive capacities at the individual level as well as cultural
unity at the local and national levels.
Section 2.1
Aims
Learning Languages enables students to access the understanding, knowledge, and skills
available in written or spoken forms in a society. It develops students’ abilities to express ideas
and feelings, be creative, think rationally, make well-informed choices, and act on those choices.
Proficiency in Languages is essential for a democratic society in which individuals participate

and contribute to its political, economic, social, and cultural life. Proficiency in multiple languages,
including mother tongues and regional languages, promotes a society which respects and
appreciates one’s own as well as others’ cultures. Such multilingualism also has direct benefits
for the individual in terms of cognitive development and flexibility.
Language Education in schools must specifically aim to achieve:
a. Oracy and literacy: Oracy and literacy are fundamental to school education. Achieving
oracy means students develop fluency in expression and understanding of spoken
Language. Literacy means that all students demonstrate fluent and critical reading, writing,
and comprehension capacities in the Language. The capacities to use Language in spoken
and textual form are critical not just for Language Education They are also a foundational
capacity for all other curricular areas.
b. Effective communication skills: Students should develop their Language capacities to
think critically, identify real-world problems, analyse them, make rational arguments, and
work out solutions. The capacity to use language to think and communicate well in a variety
of situations is critical for effective democratic, social, and cultural participation.
c. Literary and creative capacities: Language teaching in schools must aim at building
capacities in students towards an appreciation of the literary aspects of Language. It should
also allow for an exploration of how to be creative and imaginative in their spoken and
Part C
235
written expressions. Language serves as a vehicle for aesthetic and creative expression
across cultures. Appreciation of the creative and aesthetic aspects of Language can be
accomplished through creative prose, poetry, storytelling, word games, puzzles, jokes,
riddles, and more.
d. Multilingual capacities: Language Education in schools should aim to make a student an
independent speaker, reader, and writer in at least three languages, as laid out in NEP 2020.
These three languages are denoted R1, R2, and R3 in this document. (See §2.4, Box 2.4i for
definitions of R1, R2, and R3)
It should aim to achieve this in R1 by age 8 (Grade 3), in R2 by age 11 (Grade 6), and in R3
by age 14 (Grade 9). Schools must ensure the development of the capacity for basic
communication for social purposes and linguistic proficiency for academic use in the
classrooms in R1 and R2, and to the extent possible in R3 as well by age 15 (Grade 10).
e. Appreciation and engagement in culture: Learning a language is learning a culture. Thus,
language plays an important role in the immersion and participation in culture. Given the
wide range of languages and the richness of their cultures in India, students must be given
the opportunity to understand and appreciate the rich linguistic cultures of India. This can
be achieved through introducing samples of various kinds of literature from languages
across the country, including some of the great classical literature of India.
Section 2.2
Nature of Knowledge
In its most basic function, Language is a system of the use of words and sentences when speaking,
writing, or making gestures for communication among human beings.
a. Language is a rule-governed system. The spoken and written components of language are
governed by rules that are often a set of conventions or practices. Learning relevant sounds,
shapes, words, sentence structures, and grammar rules as well as understanding the
functional and situational aspects of language use requires understanding and engagement
with these rules.
b. Language is an integral part of culture. Language does not operate in isolation but is
related to social interaction, context, and culture. Thus, language development among
students is an act of cultural development; it invariably requires learning about an
associated culture and society.
c. Language evolves constantly. Languages evolve over time, learn from other languages, and
adapt to the varying contexts in which they are spoken. They constantly add to their
vocabularies as new concepts arise. Learning any language thus involves being able to
appreciate and engage with such evolution.
Such specific characteristics of Language guide the framing of the curriculum for Language and
its teaching. Other aspects such as the aims of Language Education (described earlier) and how
children learn languages (described at the beginning of §2.6) guides the curriculum as well.
Part C
236
Section 2.3
Current Challenges
Language learning in schools across the country currently faces a few challenges which need
urgent addressing.
a. Low levels of literacy: India is currently in a crisis of learning, where a large proportion of
students currently in elementary school have not attained foundational skills in literacy, i.e.,
the ability to read, comprehend, and write basic text.
b. Low-quality learning materials: The learning materials used for Language teaching across
the Stages are currently of uneven quality, with a lot of them being of low quality. Good
quality materials need a careful selection of relevant content (words, context, illustrations,
layout) that is age appropriate and interesting for students to learn from. Relying only on
the content in textbooks is very limiting for Language learning. The lack of availability of
age-appropriate children’s literature in Indian languages has posed a severe constraint in
Language classrooms across the nation.
c. Inadequate levels of Teacher preparation: Too often, an assumption is made that anyone
can teach Language to students without adequate training in the subject and/or without
adequate time for preparation. This contributes to underachievement in Language learning
and classes becoming ineffective. There has been a severe scarcity of skilled Language
Teachers in India, despite various measures being taken. Teachers with appropriate
preparation, flair, and practice in the subject are essential for a meaningful and enjoyable
student experience in Language learning.
d. Ineffective pedagogic strategies: Many often-used teaching practices are not based on a
sound understanding of how Language works and how students learn Language across
various age groups. Teachers need to take stock of the strategies they have been using till
now for their enjoyability, effectiveness, and ability to engage students meaningfully.
e. Focus on content-completion rather than Competency-based teaching: In Language
Education, gaining Competencies is far more important than mastering content. In practice,
this is too often not considered by Teachers or assessment developers. Effective Language
teaching must be driven by the achievement of Competencies and Learning Outcomes by
students, rather than a focus on merely finishing the content given in the textbook.
f. Memory-based assessment: Language Education intends to achieve Language proficiency,
communication and functional ability, and appreciation of literature. Most assessments tend
to focus on assessing recall of content given in a textbook rather than assessing Language
abilities. While the recall of details of the content may be one way of demonstrating
learning, it is not the core aim of teaching and learning Language.
Part C
237
Box 2.3i
Use of Contemporary Language in the Indian Language Context

Many Indian languages have literary traditions spanning thousands of years. Often,
vocabulary and sentence structures used in such literature are not in contemporary use
anymore. In addition, there is a significant difference between the spoken and written forms
in many Indian languages.
Content in Language textbooks, in terms of vocabulary and sentence structures, should aim
to reflect the contemporary use of the language, particularly in the Foundational and
Preparatory Stages, while also attempting to bridge it over time to the more literary form of
the language so that literature can be read and appreciated. This would make Language
and literature learning more interesting and relevant to students. Understanding and
engaging with the literature of the Language is viewed as a separate Curricular Goal in the
Middle and Secondary Stages. The language used to achieve this goal can have content
drawn from such literature to make students familiar with the literary tradition of that
Language (though the literature studied should also be chosen to be of a kind that is of
contemporary interest to students). The language used in other chapters, or that is used to
teach other Curricular Areas, can continue to adopt contemporary language usage even in
the higher Stages, in accordance with what works best for learning in that context in view of
the overall Curricular Goals.
Vocabulary for new concepts or ideas should be introduced into Indian languages in a way
that is intuitive and relevant to the Indian context, by the appropriate authorities (such as
by the Language Academies proposed in NEP 2020), and such new words should be
employed in a uniform manner across the country to ensure ease and effectiveness of
communication.
Section 2.4
Learning Standards
As mentioned earlier, the approach to language teaching and learning in schools, including the
Learning Standards to be achieved, is guided by the flexible, three-language formula as laid out
in NEP 2020.
In the Foundational Stage, the focus is on building familiarity of students with two spoken
Languages (R1 and R2). At the end of this Stage, students are expected to read fluently in R1 and
comprehend what they read, and begin writing sentences in R1 to express experiences, themes,
and what they see in pictures. They gain some familiarity with reading and writing in R2.
In the Preparatory Stage, students develop proficiency in speaking and Competencies in reading
and writing in both Languages (R1 and R2). While students achieve these faster in R1, they are
expected gain familiarity with R2, gradually progressing from basic communication skills to
greater fluency and proficiency in speaking and writing.
By the end of the Middle Stage, Teachers should aim to achieve similar levels of students’
capacities in both R1 and R2. Some transfer of skills from R1 to R2 enables quicker learning of
R2. By the end of this Stage, students can understand and appreciate the distinctive features of
Part C
238
Box 2.4i
Learning Three Languages

The NCF aims to enable all our students to learn at least three languages, fully leveraging
our socio-cultural context and resources. Our languages are one of our greatest heritages.
This provides a remarkable opportunity for our students to learn multiple languages, when
complemented by the education system.
Proficiency in several languages has a range of benefits, including in practical matters of
communication, expanding cultural richness, and development of multiple cognitive
capacities as suggested by research in Brain Neurosciences and Developmental Psychology.
The three languages that our students will learn in their school years are denoted R1, R2,
and R3 in this document.
R1: This is the Language in which literacy is first learnt in school. For this, it is of critical
importance to be able to use the language that the student already knows, because that
enables the full use of the linguistic and cultural knowledge (and resources) from one’s
home and community that the student already has, resulting in a deeper engagement and
relevance, and a greater effectiveness and efficiency in the attainment of literacy.
Thus, R1 should preferably be the Language most familiar to the students, which would be
the mother tongue. If that is not possible because of practical considerations, then it should
be the State Language, which would be a familiar Language.
Also, since it is in R1 that literacy is first attained, it must be used as the medium of
instruction (MoI) for other subjects, at least until literacy in another language is attained.
R2: Any Language other than R1.
R3: Any Language other than R1 and R2.
Furthermore, at least two of these three Languages — R1, R2, and R3 — must be native to
India. The State or other relevant bodies would decide the choices of R1, R2, or R3 that
would be given to students. An Indian language must be available for students as an option
for the MoI through school education all the way up to Grade 12.
A few other related aspects on Language learning:
• ‘Practical considerations,’ referred to earlier, could be of various kinds, including the
diversity of mother tongues in a class/school/community/region, dearth of written
resources in the language despite rich oral traditions. the complexity and difficulty of
developing written resources for languages that are spoken by relatively small
populations is a part of these considerations as well.
• There may be regions or areas in a state where the linguistic diversity is such that the
most familiar language for students (after their mother tongues) is another widely
spoken local language. These familiar languages may also be different from the State
language. In such circumstances, if (because of practical considerations) the mother
tongue cannot be R1, then the most familiar local language may be used as R1.
• In this NCF, we do not make any distinctions between ‘languages’ and ‘dialects;’ all
variations of a language used for communication or literature in a given region are also
referred to as languages.
• The approach to literacy in R1 is taken up in detail in the chapter on the Approach to
Language Education and Literacy in the Foundational Stage — Chapter 3, §3.2 in
NCF-FS. This includes the wide use of the mother tongue of students in the classroom
and school, even when R1 is not the mother tongue, which will enable literacy in R1.
Part C
239
the language, engage in collaborative discussions, debates, and presentations, analyse and
interpret what they read, and write independently with appropriate structure, grammar,
vocabulary, and creativity.
A new third Language, R3, is introduced in this Stage. Students acquire familiarity with the
spoken form of this Language, along with the basics of reading and writing. They are expected to
read various simple texts with comprehension in R3 by the end of the Middle Stage.
In the Secondary Stage, up to Grade 10, the Curricular Goals in R1 and R2 are almost the same.
The same level of effective communication (both oral and written) in both languages must be
achieved. Students can use these languages for reasoning and argumentation and make effective
presentations. They also read and analyse a variety of texts (from early writing to contemporary
literature), articles, and documents. They further develop their critical reading and listening
skills, their ability to evaluate arguments, and make connections between different texts. Students
refine their writing skills through persuasive essays, literary analyses, researched writing, and
creative writing. Students develop linguistic proficiency for academic use in R1 and R2 by the
end of this Stage. In R3, students engage with different forms and types of literature and learn to
apply the basics of linguistic rules in speech and writing. They also develop linguistic proficiency
for academic use in the classroom to the extent possible. A higher level of familiarity,
understanding, and interpretation of literature is achieved for at least one of the Languages —
R1, R2, or R3 — that is native to India.
In Grades 11 and 12, at least two languages will be studied, at least one of which is native to
India, and would be chosen by students from the pool of language and literature courses that are
offered. In addition to the possibility of continuing study in R1, R2, and/or R3, the choices for
languages would include Sanskrit and other modern/classical languages and literatures of India,
including classical Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Pali, Persian, and Prakrit. This is to
ensure that these languages and literatures stay alive and vibrant, especially in States where they
may be best taught and nurtured. In addition to this, foreign languages, such as French, German,
Japanese, and Korean would also be offered.
As per NEP 2020, opportunities to study Languages, such as those mentioned in the previous
paragraph, will also be given to students in the Middle Stage and in Grades 9 and 10 as optional
additional courses, wherever it becomes feasible as school resources increase.
This section lays out Curricular Goals and Competencies, for R1, R2, and R3 for the Preparatory,
Middle, and Secondary Stages; some variations and permutations may certainly occur across R1,
R2, R3 and across Stages, depending on practical considerations and on the choices offered for
the three languages R1, R2, and R3. Particularly for the learning of Languages, it is important to
keep in mind that Curricular Goals and Competencies must be attained by students in an
integrated manner and not separately — in particular, there should not be separate chapters or
units in textbooks for individual Curricular Goals.
As throughout this NCF, Curricular Goals and Competencies have not been given for the Grades
11 and 12 courses and optional courses described above, due to the wide variety and levels of
courses that would be on offer for students.
Part C
240
Box 2.4ii
Indian Sign Language

Sign Language is a mode of communication used predominantly by/for people with hearing
impairment where there are no spoken words. The Language involves using gestures or
‘signs’ (with both hands) for articulation to communicate meaningfully. There are many
sign languages in the world. The one that is extensively used in India is called Indian Sign
Language (ISL).
ISL has its own specialised hand gestures, grammar, and style. While there are regional
variations in the way the Language is used for communication and the signs themselves
may vary in their signifying (a particular object, idea, or meaning), ISL is useful, well-
known, and standardised in its lexicon and glossary.
In India, students with partial or full hearing impairment often find it difficult to get
admission into regular schools as these are not yet equipped to be inclusive. These students
often drop out of schooling either due to inadequate Teacher training in inclusive education
or ISL to run classes in the higher grades. They also drop out as they do not receive adequate
support for their learning needs.
Schools could consider offering ISL as part of their Language curriculum. The Learning
Standards for ISL could follow those of R1 or R2 illustrated in this document. All students,
even those without hearing impairment, would be given some basic familiarity with ISL and
a few of its basic signs.
2.4.1 Language 1 (R1)

CG-1
Develops oral language C-1.1 Converses fluently and meaningfully in different contexts
skills using complex
C-1.2 Summarises core ideas from material read out in class
sentence structures to
understand and C-1.3 Makes oral presentations (show and tell, short welcome notes,
communicate ideas anchoring of small events, short speeches, class debates)
coherently
CG-2
Develops the ability to read
with comprehension by C-2.1 Applies varied comprehension strategies (inferring, predicting,
gaining a basic visualising) to understand different texts
understanding of different C-2.2 Understands main ideas and draws essential conclusions from
forms of familiar and the material read
unfamiliar texts (such as
prose and poetry)
C-3.1 Uses writing strategies, such as sequencing, identifying

headings/sub-headings, the beginning, and ending, and forming
CG-3 paragraphs
Develops the ability to write
simple and compound C-3.2 Writes clear and coherent paragraphs that convey their
sentence structures to understanding of a given topic/concept or on a reading of a text
express their understanding C-3.3 Creates posters, invites, simple poems, stories, and dialogues
and experiences with appropriate information and purpose
Part C
C-3.4 Uses appropriate grammar and structure in their writing
241
CG-4
Acquires a more C-4.1 Discusses meanings of words and develops vocabulary by
comprehensive range of listening to and reading a variety of texts
words in various contexts
(of home and school C-4.2 Discusses meanings of words and develops vocabulary by
experience) through listening to and reading a variety of texts or other content areas
different sources
CG-5 C-5.1 Borrows books from the Library regularly to read at home
Develops interest and
preferences in reading C-5.2 Demonstrates interest in reading books from the Library

C-1.1 Identifies main points and summarises from a careful listening
or reading of the text (news articles, reports, editorials)
C-1.2 Listens to, plans, and conducts different kinds of interviews
(structured and unstructured)
CG-1
Develops the capacity for C-1.3 Raises probing questions about social experiences using
effective communication appropriate language (open-ended/closed-ended, formal/
using Language skills for informal, relevant to context, with sensitivity)
description, analysis, and
response C-1.4 Writes different kinds of letters, essays, and reports using
appropriate style and registers for different audiences and
purposes
C-1.5 Creates content for audio, visual, or both, for different
audiences and purposes
C-2.1 Identifies and appreciates different forms of literature (prose,

poetry, drama) and styles of writing (narrative, descriptive,
CG-2 expository, persuasive) from various cultures and time periods
Appreciates the language
and literary and cultural C-2.2 Identifies literary devices [simile, metaphor, personification
heritage in and related to (alankaras), hyperbole (athishayokthi), alliteration (anuprasa),
Language by exploring the idioms, proverbs, and riddles] by reading a variety of literature
various forms of literary and uses them in writing
devices
C-2.3 Expresses through speech and writing their ideas and critiques
on the various aspects of their social and cultural surroundings
CG-3 C-3.1 Interprets and understands basic linguistic aspects (rules), such
Develops the ability to as sentence structure, punctuation, tense, gender, and parts of
recognise basic linguistic speech, while reading different forms of literature, and applies
aspects (word and sentence them while writing
structure) and use them in C-3.2 Writes prose, poetry, and drama using appropriate style and
oral and written expression language
CG-4 C-4.1 Reads, responds to, and critically reviews books of varied
Develops the ability to write genres (fiction and non-fiction)
reviews and uses the C-4.2 Uses books and other media resources effectively to find
Library to find references references to use in projects and other activities
Part C
242
C-5.1 Understands the phonetics and script of the language, the

CG-5 number of vowels and consonants, and how they interact and
Develops an appreciation of are used
the distinctive features of
C-5.2 Engages in the use of puns, rhymes, alliteration, and other
the particular language,
wordplays in the language, to make speech and writing more
including its alphabet and
interesting and enjoyable
script, sounds, rhymes,
puns, and other wordplays C-5.3 Becomes familiar with some of the major word games in the
and games unique to the language (e.g., palindromes, spoonerisms, sentences without
language given letters or sounds, riddles, jokes, antakshari, anagrams,
crosswords)

C-1.1 Uses language appropriate to social context, expresses
agreement and disagreement with reasons, and arrives at
CG-1 conclusions through discussion and debate
Uses language for effective
communication through C-1.2 Writes in different styles (narrative, descriptive, expository,
writing various forms persuasive) from their own experiences and experiences of
(essays, letters, articles, others
discussions, interviews, C-1.3 Writes for real-life situations (invitations, speeches, condolence
public speeches) and for messages, notices, creative slogans, advertisements) and for
new media (email, audio, school newsletter/magazine/journal
and visual material)
C-1.4 Scripts to inform and communicate ideas effectively with the
use of technology
CG-2
Develops an appreciation of C-2.1 Describes characteristics of works of literature from different
the aesthetics in different time periods (such as early, medieval, contemporary)
genres (humour, suspense,
tragedy) through analysis of C-2.2 Analyses a literary text by close reading, critiquing form and
style (narrative, descriptive, style, and interpreting possible meanings
expository, persuasive) and
employs these elements in C-2.3 Composes literary texts by using appropriate literary devices
their writing
CG-3
Uses language to develop
reasoning and C-3.1 Analyses and evaluates the different audio and written material
argumentation skills by C-3.2 Argues with proper rationale by carefully evaluating premises
engaging with a variety of
audio and written material
Part C
243
C-4.1 Recognises the multilingual nature of Indian society and

richness of its literary work through reading texts and watching
content of different genres
C-4.2 Appreciates the richness of culture and heritage in the different
works of regional language literature and their connections
C-4.3 Shows an understanding of the role of language in the
CG-4 formation of our identities and culture
Appreciates literary and
cultural heritage in and C-4.4 Demonstrates a basic knowledge of the commonalities among
related to the language and some of the major Indian languages, such as their common
the richness of Indian phonetic and scientifically arranged alphabets and scripts,
languages common grammatical structures, origins and sources of
vocabularies from Sanskrit and other classical languages, as
well as their rich inter-influences and differences
C-4.5 Demonstrates a basic knowledge of which languages are spoken
in which geographical areas, a sense of the nature and structure
of tribal languages, and becomes familiar with a few useful
words and phrases and works of literature from a few Indian
languages from across the country

C-1.1 Listens to poems, stories, and conversations and locates
CG-1 important ideas in them
Sustains effective
communication skills for C-1.2 Comprehends narrated/read out stories and identifies
day-to-day interactions, characters, storyline, and key aspects
enhancing their oral ability C-1.3 Converses meaningfully and coherently
to express ideas
C-1.4 Makes oral presentations and participates in group discussions
C-2.1 Develops phonological awareness further by blending

phonemes/ syllables into words and segmenting words into
phonemes/ syllables
C-2.2 Examines the basic structure of the text and recognises words
CG-2 and sentences in print and basic punctuation marks
Develops fluency in reading
and the ability to read with C-2.3 Reads stories and passages fluently and accurately with
comprehension appropriate pauses
C-2.4 Comprehends the meaning of stories, poems, and story posters
C-2.5 Demonstrates interest in picking up and reading a variety of
children’s books
C-3.1 Writes a paragraph to express understanding and experiences

CG-3
Develops the ability to C-3.2 Creates simple posters, invites, and instructions with
express understanding, appropriate information and purpose
experiences, feelings, and
ideas in writing C-3.3 Writes stories, poems, and conversations based on imagination
and experiences
Part C
244
CG-4
Develops a wide range of
C-4.1 Discusses meanings of words and develops vocabulary by
vocabulary in various
listening to and reading a variety of texts in other content areas
contexts and through
different sources

CG-1
Develops independent C-1.1 Applies varied comprehension strategies (inferring, predicting)
reading comprehension and to understand different texts
summarising skills by
engaging with a variety of C-1.2 Identifies main points, summarises after a careful reading of the
texts (stories, poems, text, and responds coherently
extracts of plays, essays, C-1.3 Identifies and appreciates the main idea in the various texts
articles, news reports) and
shows interest in reading C-1.4 Shows interest in choosing and reading a variety of books
books
CG-2 C-2.1 Uses writing strategies, such as sequencing ideas, identifying

Attains the ability to write headings/sub-headings and forming clear beginning, ending,
about thoughts, feelings, and and paragraphs
experiences of social events
(e.g., village fairs, festivals, C-2.2 Expresses experiences, emotions, and critiques on various
occasions) aspects of their surroundings in writing
CG-3
Develops the capacity for
effective communication C-3.1 Writes different kinds of letters and essays using appropriate
using language skills for style and registers for different audiences and purposes
questioning, describing,
analysing, and responding
C-4.1 Identifies and appreciates different forms of literature (samples

CG-4 of prose, poetry, and drama)
Explores different literary C-4.2 Identifies literary devices, such as simile, metaphor,
devices and forms of personification (alankaras), hyperbole (athishayokthi), and
literature alliteration (anuprasa), by reading a variety of literature and
uses in writing
CG-5
Develops the ability to
recognise basic linguistic
C-5.1 Uses appropriate grammar and structure in their writing
aspects (word and sentence
structure) and uses them in
oral and written expression
Part C
245

number of vowels and consonants, and how they interact and
CG-6 are used
Develops an appreciation of
the distinctive features of C-6.2 Engages in the use of puns, rhymes, alliteration, and other
the language, including its wordplays in the language, to make speech and writing more
alphabet and script, sounds, interesting and enjoyable
rhymes, puns, and other
wordplays and games C-6.3 Becomes familiar with some of the major word games in the
unique to the language language (e.g., palindromes, spoonerisms, sentences without
given letters or sounds, riddles, jokes, antakshari, anagrams,
crosswords)

C-1.1 Uses language appropriate to social context, expresses
agreement and disagreement with reasons, and arrives at
CG-1
conclusions through discussion and debate
Uses language for effective
communication through C-1.2 Writes in different styles (narrative, descriptive, expository,
various oral activities persuasive) from their own experiences and experiences of
(discussions, interviews, others
public speeches) and
writing activities (essays, C-1.3 Writes for real-life situations (invitations, speeches, condolence
letters, articles), including messages, notices, creative slogans, advertisements) and for
new media (email, audio, school newsletter/magazine/journal.
and visual material)
C-1.4 Scripts to inform and communicate ideas effectively with the
use of technology
CG-2
UseslLanguage to develop
reasoning and C-2.1 Analyses and evaluates different audio and written material
argumentation skills by C-2.2 Argues with proper rationale by carefully evaluating premises
engaging with a variety of
audio and written material
CG-3
Develops an appreciation of
the aesthetics in different C-3.1 Describes characteristics of works of literature from different
genres (humour, suspense, time periods (such as early, medieval, contemporary)
tragedy) through an analysis
C-3.2 Analyses a literary text by close reading, critiquing form and
of style (narrative,
style, and interpreting possible meanings
descriptive, expository,
persuasive) and employs C-3.3 Composes literary texts using appropriate literary devices
these elements in their
writing

CG-1
Develops effective C-1.1 Makes conversations relevant to the context
communication skills for
C-1.2 Listens to varied texts (stories, poems, and conversations) and
day-to-day interactions,
summarises core ideas from the material
enhancing their oral ability
to express ideas by C-1.3 Makes oral presentations (class debates, short welcome notes,
describing and narrating anchoring of small events, short speeches)
Part C
events and situations
246
CG-2 C-2.1 Reads stories and passages with accuracy and fluency with
Develops fluency and the appropriate pauses and intonation
ability to comprehend what C-2.2 Comprehends the meaning of stories, poems, conversations,
they read posters, and instructions and the main idea in the text
CG-3
express their understanding, C-3.1 Writes a paragraph to express their understanding and
experiences, feelings, and experiences
ideas in writing instructions,
invitations, and letters

CG-1
Develops reading
comprehension and
summarising skills by C-1.1 Identifies main points, summarises after a careful reading of the
engaging with a variety of text, and responds coherently
texts (stories, poems,
extracts of plays, essays, C-1.2 Uses strategies to organise ideas and information to write for
articles, and news reports) an intended purpose and audience
and uses various strategies
to write for different
audiences
C-2.1 Listens critically and reads different news articles, reports, and
editorials to express opinions
CG-2 C-2.2 Asks a variety of questions on social experiences using
Develops the capacity for appropriate language (open-ended/closed-ended, formal/
effective oral and written informal, relevant to context, with sensitivity)
communication in different
situations (formal and C-2.3 Shares ideas and critiques on the various aspects of their social
informal) and cultural surroundings in oral and written form
C-2.4 Writes different kinds of letters and essays in an appropriate
language for different audiences
CG-3
Explores different forms of
C-3.1 Identifies and appreciates different forms of literature such as
literature (samples from
samples of prose, poetry, and drama (early to contemporary)
early to contemporary
period)
CG-4
C-4.1 Interprets, understands, and applies basic linguistic aspects
recognise basic linguistic
(rules), such as sentence structure, punctuation, tense, gender,
aspects (word and sentence
and parts of speech
structure) and use them in
oral and written expression
Part C
247

CG-5 number of vowels and consonants, and how they interact and
Develops an appreciation of are used
the distinctive features of
C-5.2 Engages in the use of puns, rhymes, alliteration, and other
the particular language,
wordplays in the language, to make speech and writing more
including its alphabet and
interesting and enjoyable
script, sounds, rhymes,
puns, and other wordplays C-5.3 Becomes familiar with some of the major word games in the
and games unique to the language (e.g., palindromes, spoonerisms, sentences without
language given letters or sounds, riddles, jokes, antakshari, anagrams,
crosswords)
Section 2.5
Content
The approach, principles, and methods of selecting content have commonalities across subjects
— those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.2 of this document. This section focusses
only on what is most critical to Language Education in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read
this section along with the above-mentioned section.
2.5.1 Principles of Content Selection

It is important to choose content that is appropriate and relevant to the developmental stages of
language learning in students. Inadequate, age inappropriate, and low-quality materials are
taking away the value of and joy in Language classrooms. Teachers must ensure the use of
good quality TLMs, carefully chosen and curated for students across all age groups. This
will ensure enthusiasm for learning and foster a connection with the languages being learnt.
2.5.1.1 R1 and R2 in the Preparatory Stage

a. For developing oracy: Learning materials that lend themselves to students practicing
conversation with each other should be chosen. Playful language activities remove the fear
of Language and induce the fun element into learning. Content should have a variety of
activities such as read-aloud rhymes, sing-aloud songs, role plays, dramas, and interviews
that allow students to practise these in the classroom.
b. For developing reading skills: Reading material should have variety, including stories,
poems, plays, essays, diaries, comics, cartoons, letters, and travelogues. It should have a
balance of familiar and unfamiliar text and context. Large font sizes, coloured pictures, and
catchy titles of the chapters would arouse interest in the students. The text should be
thought-provoking and generate imagination and interest among students. Content should
lend itself to helping students progress from guided reading to independent reading.
c. For developing writing skills: Chosen content must enable students to learn writing skills
systematically and joyfully. The material must be designed to make students practise simple
sentences on their own. Activities such as the completion of stories, finding suitable titles
for pictures, catchy headlines for incidents, poster making, and banners should be part of
textbooks.
Part C
248
d. For developing values and dispositions: The content chosen should align with the larger
purposes of education and the values and dispositions that are embedded in NEP 2020 and
Constitutional values. This means choosing content that promotes these values, emphasises
the unity in diversity of our country, and includes authors from all walks of life, kinds of
literature that represent local, regional, and linguistic diversity in languages, with the
explicit teaching of appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of the country.
2.5.1.2 R1 and R2 in the Middle and Secondary Stages

a. For developing functional Language skills: Any learning material that is chosen must
allow learners to grow in the functional use of Language. Suggested content in this regard
includes:
i. Choosing themes and topics that are familiar to students and impact their daily life,
allowing them to participate in group activities including discussions, debates, and role
plays on topics such as traffic jams in cities, effective town planning, floods, drought,
and pollution.
ii. Letter writing, whether on paper or by email, is an important skill. Content must have
samples of various kinds of letters, especially formal letters, including samples of
letters for real-life situations such as applying for a new course in a college, a
scholarship, a loan in the bank, or completing/submitting any application in a
government office.
iii. A variety of content including notes, presentations, statements of purpose, and
presentations, articles, features, news items, and reports, and advertisements, posters,
banners, headlines, videos, and scripts for social media should be used in Language
classrooms.
b. For developing literary skills: Students must be introduced to and given adequate
exposure to different genres of literature. In the Middle Stage, introducing nonfiction and
fiction would help students broaden their critical reading and writing abilities. In the
Secondary Stage, students must be taught to enjoy the beauty of literature in greater depth
and breadth. The selection of literature should be from regional, national, and global writers
and varied genres. These can be relevant extracts so that students can engage with close and
critical reading. The content should also have a diversity of experiences from writers from
all walks of life. For example, contemporary Janapada Geete and Janapada Kathe in Kannada
literature, and stories such as Konni Juj in Assamese literature.
c. For developing linguistic skills: The content should help with improving fluency and
accuracy in the Language. Linguistic aspects such as punctuation marks, use of gender,
sentence structures, and tenses must be prominently identifiable in the material to enhance
Language proficiency in reading, speaking, and writing. Similarly, the selected content
should allow students to practise advanced creative writing with greater sophistication
using various literary devices and contexts.
d. For developing an appreciation of linguistic heritage and diversity: Content should
consider the multilingual aspect of the country, making a place for local and regional
language variations in the materials selected. There should be a provision for neighbouring
States’ literature to be read by students of each State in the Middle and Secondary Stages.
Part C
249
e. For art and sports integration in the learning of Languages: Compositions in Art and
Language can share some common aspects in aesthetics of form, style, and content. Using
art to access ideas, to represent feelings and events along with descriptive writing would
only enhance the connection to the learning and the expression of the students. Making
posters, signs, and symbols, and illustrating for narrative and descriptive writing can lead to
an interesting interdisciplinarity of approach in the understanding of Language and
expression (e.g., Utsara in Assamese textbooks talks about various festivals in the state of
Assam and various dance and art forms linked to the festivals). Similarly, using games and
activities in Language classes as springboards to a conversation (and as energisers) can
improve the experience of Language learning significantly.
f. For developing values and dispositions: The content chosen should be aligned with the
larger purposes of education and the values and dispositions that are embedded in NEP
2020 and Constitutional values. This means choosing content that promotes these values,
emphasises the unity in diversity of our country, and includes authors from all walks of life,
kinds of literature that represent local, regional, and linguistic diversity in Languages, and
explicit teaching of appreciation for the rich cultural heritage of the country. It also means
choosing content that lends itself to the development of social, emotional, ethical, and
aesthetic sensibilities in students through effective Language Education.
2.5.1.3 R3 in the Middle Stage

For learning R3, the chosen content should have materials such as letter charts and sentence
cards that introduce the basic script.
a. For reading and writing development in R3, the book should contain small stories and
poems in that Language.
b. Reading and writing materials of R3 should be organised from simple to complex levels of
learning; they should have some basic introduction to simple literature in to start with.
c. The chosen content must lend itself to oral presentations and conversations, such as
continuing a story or completing a conversation.
d. Content should enable the learning of functional skills in the Language of R3 such as basic
letter writing, day-to-day conversations, poster making, and invitations.
2.5.1.4 R3 in the Secondary Stage

The choice of content for the teaching and learning of R3 can follow the same principles given in
§ 2.5.1.2 for content selection in R1 and R2. However, the level of sophistication of content chosen
can include both simple and complex learning material in R3 and move rapidly from one to the
other (given the amount of time available and the quicker transferability of skills from R1 and
R2), thus allowing for the development of linguistic proficiency for academic use in R3.
Part C
250
Box 2.5i
Teaching Print and Digital Reading Skills: Future ‘biliteracy’

One important thing to consider, given the nature of the current social milieu and what is to
likely come, is the daily presence of digital media and screen-based devices in the lives of
students. Reading and writing on smartphones and computers are rising norms among
people. Given this, it is the need of the hour to teach students to be ‘biliterate’ in their
reading skills. This will not only save them from the ‘shallow reading’ that digital media
seems to foster, but also maximise the benefits of digital media in their learning.
Contemporary research suggests the value of ‘deep reading’ in the lives of human beings,
and while well-meaning adults still struggle to switch between printed text and screens,
students could be taught to read each medium and switch easily between the two (much like
switching between two languages) without compromising on focussed attention, the pace of
reading, and good meaning-making. This would mean a planned and deliberate teaching
for students on how to read digital media, instead of treating the two mediums as the same.
Students need to develop a deep reading circuit in the first place, before being flooded with
the distractions that are common to digital media. So, students spending their early years
immersed in print material and then being introduced to digital reading with Teacher
guidance may be a way forward in this realm.
Section 2.6
Pedagogy and Assessment
The approach, principles, and methods of pedagogy and assessment have commonalities across
subjects – those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.3 and §3.4 of this document. This
section focusses only on what is most critical to Language Education in schools. Hence, it will be
useful to read this section along with the above-mentioned section.
2.6.1 Pedagogy for Languages

While all children have an innate and natural capacity to learn languages, it is necessary to know
how Language is learned best by students in the educational context of a school. The following
ideas on how students learn a language will inform effective pedagogic strategies in each Stage.
a. Students learn a Language well through deliberative processes in schools: Language

must be formally and purposively taught through direct instructions and essential rules.
This kind of Language learning is a conscious process unlike ‘language acquisition’ in early
life when a language is absorbed subconsciously. Reading and writing hence involve an
active teaching-learning process as they are not natural or intuitive skills.
b. Students learn better from a balanced approach to literacy: Students become
independent readers gradually when exposed to a balance of instructions for meaning
making and for reading through decoding and spelling. Proficiency in literacy can be
achieved by focussing on both word recognition and accuracy along with language
comprehension and expression.
Part C
251
c. Students need sustained regular practice once early oracy and literacy is achieved:
Early oracy and literacy set the base for students to learn speaking, reading, and writing
well. But this is not enough. Expanding vocabulary through sustained engagement and
systematic repetition of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through the school
years are necessary for mastery of any Language.
d. Students grow in their overall Language abilities from sustained exposure to a variety
of literature: Exposure to a variety of literature and forms appropriate to a student’s grade
level would create an interest in reading. This enables students to graduate from ‘learning to
read’ to the ‘reading to learn’ stage. By the Middle Stage, students are developmentally ready
with the capacity to analyse, synthesise, describe, narrate, and apply their Language skills.
In the Secondary Stage, students can recognise, think about, and express independent
responses to social events and interactions.
2.6.1.1 Strategies for Teaching R1 and R2

2.6.1.1.1 Preparatory Stage
a. Teaching for oracy
Listening to a variety of texts and literature enhances students’ vocabulary, contributing to
proficiency in speaking a language. Students will grow in their oral Language skills and ca-
pacities when they regularly speak about their experiences, describe the texts that they listen
to or read, listen to Teachers talking about books, and read texts from diverse genres them-
selves. Similarly, students listening to/watching the news (radio/TV), movies, serials, educa-
tional channels with subtitles, and audio-video materials gives them an active sense of how
to speak and listen. They must be taught to respond, describe, narrate, summarise, discuss,
and role play from what they listen to. Both free and guided conversations enable develop-
ment of oral Language skills.
b. Developing reading comprehension

There are several steps in this process, starting from making meaning of individual words all
the way to grasping the whole meaning of a text through connecting imagination and experi-
ences. All these steps must be systematically taught for reading comprehension. Teachers
must facilitate reading activities for developing the ability to understand different texts.
Through this, students will acquire the pleasure of reading and continue to explore different
genres of reading encouraged by the Teacher. Dedicated Library hours will ensure that stu-
dents continue to engage with a variety of books on a wide range of topics.
Some classroom strategies to develop reading comprehension are students reading aloud,
reading, and discussing what was read, repeated reading for fluency, doing shared readings,
guided readings, independent readings, relating readings to prior knowledge, and summaris-
ing. (See Box 2.6iv)
c. Developing writing skills

Writing activities require persistent, deliberate, and methodical practice in the classroom for
any significant growth or improvement. Writing activities that are limited to copying a given
text, copying answers to questions, and reproducing what is memorised do not help with the
actual development of writing skills.
Part C
252
Writing can be taught effectively through purposive speaking first. Teachers should then ex-
pose students to different samples of writing forms and styles. They should teach students
planning, drafting, and finally writing a piece based on audience and purpose. Teachers
should also model good writing for them. Teachers’ feedback on draft plans is formative in
developing a good piece of writing. They should help students progress from writing with
their guidance to writing independently.
d. Developing vocabulary
Learning new words and their uses must be integrated with other language skills and should
be part of daily instruction. Some useful strategies for developing vocabulary are helping
students predict the contextual meaning of words, engaging them in word games and
word-building activities, teaching them to use a dictionary extensively, and encouraging them
to use new words they acquire in speech and writing. Students can also develop their range
of vocabulary by engaging with books from the Library. (See Box 2.6iv)
Teacher’s Voice 2.6i
Developing Interest and Preference in Reading

As a Teacher of Grade 4, I believe that it is necessary to give my students regular access to
books, and also give them a chance to connect and engage with them. I do this often.
One such class, I decided to read the book ‘Kali Aur Dhamin Saap’ by Zai Whitaker to my
students. The story is about Kali, who is isolated in school and has no friends because he
comes from a marginalised section of society. He is very good and clever at catching rat
snakes, which other children can’t do.
Before reading from the book, I showed my students the cover of the book and asked
them to read the title aloud. Some of them did so. Then, I briefly introduced the author to
them.
Next, I asked my class, ‘Who is Kali?’
The students said, ‘Kali is the name of the boy who is in the picture…’ and ‘Dhamin is the
name of the snake…’ Students further added, ‘It looks as if the snake and boy are friends.’
Then, I told the class that the Dhamin snake is long, lives in the agriculture fields, and eats
rats.
I continued, ‘Look at this picture, what do you think the story is about?’
Sahiba spoke, ‘There will be a snake near the river. The boy will go there, and they
become friends.’
Muskan surmised, ‘The boy will go and ask the snake to be his friend.’
Lucky guessed, ‘Kali looks very poor. He will earn money by showing the snake to people.’
A few other children also shared their guesses.
I started reading the story, periodically showing pictures, and asking my students to share
about what they saw, what Kali was doing, and what would happen next. My students
answered my questions enthusiastically. I would periodically also ask what they thought
about developments.
Part C
253
Soon, the children could identify the emotions depicted in the pictures. When asked ‘why’
questions, many of my students gave answers that connected to their own life, like that
Kali was sad because his mother/grandmother forced him to go to school. They were able
to make predictions about what would happen next rather accurately also. From this, I
was also getting to know that they were able to understand important concepts/themes
in the book with the help of experiences from their own social interactions.
My students also liked the pictures in the book very much. The class was happy to see the
last picture where many children agreed to be friends with Kali.
I planned four to five activities designed to help my students engage more with the story.
The first activity was a simple one, where my students sat in groups to draw a picture of
Kali and his new friends playing, and then shared and spoke about their drawings with
each other. Some of these pictures are still put up in my classroom.
Subsequent activities included extending the story, enacting Kali’s story, picture
sequencing (and writing a line to describe the picture), and story retelling (by my
students) activities. On finishing all the activities, I showed the class a few other story
books (from the school library) with diverse contexts and talked about how interesting
those stories are. I allowed them to choose books and told them to take them home to
read. A few wanted to explore other books in the Library too.
I have been seeing many small positive changes in my students. They were more inclined
to picking up books to take home. They were also sharing more intuitive points about the
books and pictures in post-reading activities. I felt that this whole process was very
helpful in motivating my students to choose books they were interested in.
2.6.1.1.2 Middle Stage

a. Teaching critical listening and oral presentation skills:
As the functional and literary aspects of Language take on a central focus, students in the
Middle Stage learn to use Language more formally than in the Preparatory Stage. They prog-
ress to learning critical listening skills, listening to a variety of texts, contexts, and varied
kinds of literature that would enhance their vocabulary, leading to proficiency in speaking,
reading, and writing. Listening and speaking activities must occur together in the classroom.
Some specific classroom activities can include panel discussions, debates, interviews, an-
choring, public speaking, and reviews of movies, plays, or short films.
Part C
254
Box 2.6i
Individual Differences in Classroom Participation

It is common to find some students in the Middle Stage communicating more freely in the
classroom than others. In many cultures, boys are encouraged to interact more freely and
assertively than girls, and some students from economically privileged backgrounds express
themselves more confidently than others who come from less privileged backgrounds.
Students who tend to speak with hesitation for various reasons (such as personal and
socio-cultural beliefs) must be encouraged to participate freely in Language class activities.
Language classes can be a space for empowering students and giving them encouragement
and equal opportunities to express themselves through reading, speaking, and writing.
These classes can be a place for understanding and addressing the root causes of such
hesitation, thus instilling the spirit of free speech and democratic participation.
b. Developing reading skills:

This is the stage where ‘reading-to-learn’ would happen to a greater extent.
i. Functional reading skills can be taught through samples of applications, letters,

reports, invitations, emails, essays, posters, and circulars. They learn to recognise and
understand the purpose of each of these with the teacher’s help through questions on
format and target audience.
ii. For developing literary reading skills in this Stage, Teachers can conduct a variety
of literature-related activities (e.g., choosing a genre for the week, or a theme for the
week). In these activities, students must be taught to describe the effect elicited on
reading the words used, identify basic literary devices, and share their overall
experience of reading the text.
iii. For developing critical reading skills, the Teacher encourages independent student
reading of a fiction or non-fiction text and gives space to discuss the intent of the
author, understand the context, identify core content, and interpret possible meanings
thus enabling critical reading.
iv. It is necessary to build interest in reading among students through exciting
activities at school. These activities must be a part of the regular Language classroom.
For example, activities such as ‘book of the day’ (where extracts from a chosen book
are read in the class, and students discuss the plotline, characters, and themes in the
book), ‘author of the day’ (where students read many works of the same author and
discuss their style and broader concerns of the author), making a trip to the local
Library (to learn about book cataloguing, book search, and Library maintenance),
organising for a literature festival (filled with book talks, exhibitions, creative writing
competitions, have exhibits about authors from all walks of life), and a book exhibition
(students display their current readings) would enhance student interest in books and
reading. (See Box 2.6iv)
Part C
255
c. Activities for developing writing skills:

i. Functional Language writing skills: Teachers should provide students with
opportunities to write a variety of forms including essays, reports, emails, blogs, and
social media comments and posts. Pedagogy should include Teachers providing
samples, explaining attributes and strategies for each form, encouraging students to
ideate and write independently, as well as to proofread and revise their own writing.
ii. Literary Language writing skills: This should include experiential writing – i.e.,
where students are encouraged to write based on their own experiences and writing
appreciation or critique of literary works. The pedagogy here also should include
Teachers providing samples, explaining attributes and strategies, encouraging students
to write independently, as well as to proofread and revise their work. Critique of
literature also needs students to read the texts carefully and often repeatedly,
sometimes with the Teacher’s help.
Teacher’s Voice 2.6ii
Learning to Interview
I am a Teacher working with Grade 6 students. Developing interviewing skills is one of
the prescribed Learning Outcomes. I designed a series of activities to help my students
develop this skill — one of them is described here.
To provide students with a preliminary experience of conducting interviews, I gave them
the task of talking with the clerk, Head Teacher, or other staff working in the school, and
asked them to learn more about their work and areas of interest/hobbies. I made four
teams. I told students to go and interview whomever they wished to during the break.
While observing the interviews, I identified some key points to discuss in the next stage.
I asked my students to share their experience. Then, I asked ‘What do you think are the
things that you should keep in mind while interviewing someone?’ I allowed students to
share their thoughts, I wrote their points on the blackboard while appreciating their
efforts.
Drawing the attention of the students to the specific points on the blackboard, including
mutual introduction, statement of purpose, preparation of interview questions,
and documentation, I planned to provide opportunities to strengthen their skills on
these areas.
To start with, I asked my class ‘Imagine that you are interviewing a farmer. How would
you introduce yourself? Let us act out this situation.’ I allowed six students to act out this
scenario. While the children were engaging in the role play, I made sure that they clearly
mentioned the purpose of the interview and that the other students took notice.
To further provide students with the experience of framing interview questions, I asked
the students to create interview questions for a different situation. I reminded them that
the questions should be clear, simple, and relevant to the topic. I also informed them that
the questions should be respectful to the person and their profession. Following this, I
paired my students, and asked them to interview each other with the questions they
prepared. (The interviewee would assume the role mentioned in the situation given.)
In my next class, I asked students again about their experience conducting interviews and
being interviewed. I slowly led my students to realise that while some of their questions
were appropriate, others we not. I gave them some time to review their interview
Part C
questions once more and asked them to conduct their interviews again.
256
In my next class, I told the students about the way to record interviews: I introduced the
two models to record interviews [Recording the Conversation (verbatim) and
Summarising with Key Points], depending on the purpose of the interview. I engaged
my students in a small discussion about how to prepare these reports as well. I then
played a video of an interview, and helped my students prepare a report of the same.
I decided that it was now time to provide my students practical exposure in conducting
interviews. I told the class, ‘Now, we have understood the method of conducting an
interview. Can you conduct an interview with any one person of your choice outside the
school?’
I regularly followed up in my subsequent classes about the progress of the class in
selecting a person to interview, prepare and review their questions, conducting the
interview and preparing the report. After a period of two weeks, my whole class had
completed their interviews and were preparing their reports.
The final activity involved narrating and editing the interview they had done, and their
experience throughout the process.
2.6.1.1.3 Secondary Stage

a. Oral presentations
Students must be given opportunities for sharing their ideas freely and listening to others’
points of view. They must also ask questions, argue for their own views, and accept others’
views with proper justification. Students must be taught focussed dialogue and conversation
which require organising their thoughts for better clarity, the art of raising relevant ques-
tions, brainstorming, and thinking aloud, active participation, and skills of literary apprecia-
tion.
Teachers must use methods such as role play, group discussion, debate, open house dialogue,
and interviews to allow students to ask questions and learn to respond impromptu. Club-
based activities, assembly gatherings, and celebrations in the school should be used as plat-
forms to practise these methods and should not be seen as a separate exercise. Teachers must
also find ways to teach students how to work on their listening skills (paying attention to
details, summarising) and use the same in day-to-day life.
b. Developing reading skills

i. Literary Language skills: At the Secondary Stage, students should be encouraged to
participate in group activities in critically analysing a literary text in the class (by
engaging with questions related to form and vocabulary used, and ideas and feelings
provoked) and participate in the activities of the school literature club, poetry house,
and fiction-reading groups.
ii. Critical reading skills: The Teacher should focus on enabling students to make
meaning of a variety of texts, move from initial impressions to a closer reading of the
text by asking questions related to the effect of words and ideas expressed, and how
the effect of the language used in a text is working for specific purposes.
Part C
iii. Exposure to reading multicultural texts: Teachers must bring a variety of texts from
257
different regions and languages and should encourage students to read and then share
views on them. Activities such as the comparison of literary works of two different
writers can be done effectively by inquiring into the author’s voice, cultural
background, and context of the work, and talking about other similar works in the
genre. Projects, plays, folk music performances, and posters are important ways in
which students in this Stage can be introduced to texts from a different era.
Multicultural texts should be available in the Library for students to read in their free
time. (See Box 2.6iv)
c. Developing writing skills
i. Functional Language writing skills: Students should be given enough opportunity to
practise writing reports, essays, notes, applications, letters to editors, advertisements,
and notices. Students should also be encouraged to write in magazines, newsletters,
newspapers, and blogs.
Teachers must encourage students to make well-planned and scripted videos, plan for
educational YouTube channels and podcasts, and should guide students to pick the
right kind of content for these means. Here, the focus should be on writing the script
for the content (core idea, related ideas, order of ideas to be communicated, and
elements of evocative communication).
ii. Literary Language writing skills: Students must be guided towards independent and
creative writing in this Stage. They must be taught capacities for analysing literature
and connecting it to its historical and socio-economical aspects rather than reading it
in isolation, enabling the writing of a critical review. Teachers must ensure students
practise writing poems, stories, or plays with literary devices (e.g., similes, metaphors,
hyperbole, irony, puns, and oxymorons). Teaching them to identify voice and style of a
writer taking cues from the material they read will help them find their own voice. The
Teacher should give constant feedback to help students improve their writing which
comprises inputs on students’ level of literary skills, proficiency in grammar, and
appropriateness of style in writing.
Box 2.6ii
Teaching an Unfamiliar Language

The teaching of an unfamiliar or less familiar language would require a base of connections
with an already-known language.
The rules of grammar in speech and writing in one language are often the basis for learning
other languages in the life of a student at school. A certain degree of knowledge, skills, and
dispositions required for literacy is transferable to other new languages to be learned.
After initial exposure to listening to the language being used in simple transactions,
developing a basic understanding of what combination of sounds/phonemes are typical
(and permissible) in a language, the patterns of stress and intonation in speaking it, the
shapes of the letters and words (and sounds associated with them) are all important
milestones in learning the unfamiliar language. Once this is achieved, Teachers may
introduce new vocabulary, idioms, and samples of different forms of writing and literature.
The essential principles of how the meaning-making of written texts work, including literary
appreciation (stylistic analysis, the effect of the language used and so on) are often common
Part C
across many languages. The time taken for learning these the first time around in a
258
particular language is often greater than the time taken to learn the same aspects in a
newer language.
This means R2 and R3 in Language Education would require adequate practice time, but
not necessarily an equal amount of initial learning time as R1. A speech-rich and text-rich
class environment will allow for immersive learning of these newer languages.
2.6.1.2 Strategies for Teaching R3

2.6.1.2.1 Middle Stage
Since the students would have already become proficient in their basic skills in R1 and R2, they
will acquire these Competencies much faster given the nature of the transfer of Language skills.
a. Listening and oral development

To develop oral proficiency in R3, students must get a chance to listen and converse in that
language first. This can be done through listening and talking about movies, plays, and short
films. As part of these listening activities, a pre-viewing and post-viewing talk about the mov-
ie/play and its significance can be discussed. Students can also do a detailed review of mov-
ies/plays/short films that can be presented orally in the classroom.
Similarly, students must engage in basic conversations to develop day-to-day speaking skills
in the language. The Teacher can provide relevant imaginary contexts for conversation be-
tween/among students (e.g., interactions between a shopkeeper and a customer, between a
Teacher and a student, between a doctor and a patient, and so on). After acquiring basic con-
versation skills, students may use real-world issues to discuss and debate in the classroom
using R3. This will help the students sustain the conversation in the targeted language.
b. Development of reading skills

Reading skills in R3 can be taught in a systematic manner similar to the teaching of R1 and R2
Languages at an earlier Stage. This would entail the teaching of script decoding and encoding
through practice, and comprehension of new words (with support) from reading short sto-
ries and poems. Students also need to be taught to read in the language purposively for events
such as ‘book for the day’ and ‘author for the day,’ expand their vocabulary with word-build-
ing exercises and the use of a dictionary, as well as read functional material such as recipe
books, formal and informal letters, and invitations. A wide range of books and resources in
R3 must also be available in the Library that students can use to develop their interest in
reading and their reading skills.
c. Development of writing skills

Here, students learn to apply already learned writing strategies (from R1 and R2 Languages)
to write in R3. The Teacher can introduce the R3 script contextually with the help of sign
boards, nameplates, and invitations (this can help in guessing the letters). Immediately after,
the Teacher may give students writing practice with the aksharas and maatras in the lan-
guage. After learning the script, the Teacher can give students basic tasks such as writing
signboards, nameplates, and invitations. Gradually, they can be given the task of writing small
sentences for conversations helping the students use the Language coherently. Writing for
Part C
259
functional use is a necessary skill in R3. This can be achieved through simple activities such
as diary writing, letter writing, and short story writing.
2.6.1.2.2 Secondary Stage

The pedagogic strategies for R3 in this Stage will resemble the techniques employed in the
teaching of R1 and R2 for oral, reading, and writing proficiency in the Secondary Stage . The
degree of complexity of literary texts used may not equal those of the texts used in R1 and R2, but
the essential linguistic and literary skills developed could be aimed at matching those of R1 and
R2 as much as possible.
2.6.1.3 Some Additional Considerations

2.6.1.3.1 Specific Learning Disabilities
The box below (Box 2.6iii) is a brief note on the idea of Specific Learning Disabilities in the
classroom. Students with these disabilities struggle in the Language classroom and face
significant difficulty in completing the tasks assigned to the class independently. Classroom
activities for students with Specific Learning Disabilities require more careful planning and more
support from the Teacher.
Box 2.6iii
Specific Learning Disabilities in the Language Classroom

Specific Learning Disabilities are a group of conditions that obstruct a person’s ability to
listen, think, speak, write, spell, or perform mathematical calculations. One or more of these
abilities may affect a student at a time. Specific Learning Disability interferes with the
developmentally predictable learning process of a student. The term does not include
learning problems that are primarily the result of visual impairment, hearing impairment,
motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or of cultural, environmental,
or economic disadvantage.
As Language classrooms are one of the biggest sites for observation of such learning
disabilities, Teachers must be alert to the presence of any such learning challenges a student
may be experiencing.
The Rights of Persons with Disability (RPWD) Act 2016 defines Specific Learning Disabilities
as a dissimilar group of conditions wherein there is a deficit in processing language, spoken
or written, that may show itself as a difficulty to comprehend, speak, read, write, spell, or to
do mathematical calculations.
Teachers will need to find a professional diagnosis of such disabilities in Grade 3 (or at eight
years of age, whichever is earlier). The School Principal, Teachers, parents, and the clinical
psychologist or doctor will have to collaborate to develop learning strategies for a student
with a learning disability, based on the kind and extent of their learning challenges.
This means framing special considerations in the kind of content selected, the methods of
pedagogy used, and the assessment tools used for the learning of such a student.
Part C
260
2.6.1.3.2 School Library for Language Development

Well-resourced libraries are necessary for students across all the Stages . A wide range of books
must cater to the interests and needs of all the students in the school to promote interest in
reading, as well as address academic demands.
There is a need for students to engage more with books and develop a habit of reading. Therefore,
specific Curricular Goals refer to developing an interest in reading and the regular use of the
Library. These Goals, particularly in the Secondary Stage, would also require the Library to have
literary works in many Indian languages, as also translated works of well-known authors.
Box 2.6iv
Library and Language development

The school Library is of paramount importance in developing language abilities among
students across the Stages. A well-equipped Library provides access to diverse reading
materials, promotes a love for reading, nurtures storytelling skills, fosters critical thinking
and creativity, enhances information literacy skills, and offers a safe and inclusive learning
space. By engaging with the resources and activities provided by the Library, students can
develop invaluable language abilities that serve as a foundation for their academic success
and lifelong learning.
Role of the Library in Language development:
1. Access to a wide range of resources: A school Library could provide students with
access to a wide range of resources, including books, magazines, newspapers, and other
reading materials. If books are sorted according to Grade levels, categorised, and
labelled according to themes and subjects, it would provoke students’ interest and allow
easy access to them.
2. Development of Language abilities: Exposure to reading diverse texts helps improve
language skills, such as vocabulary, comprehension of different forms of text and
language structure, different viewpoints, and overall language proficiency.
3. Opportunities for independent reading: A Library can provide space for students to
choose books that interest them and read at their own pace. Encouraging students to
take books home and conducting activities in assemblies around books promotes reading
among all students.
4. Support for classroom learning: The school Library needs a mapping of Library books
to Learning Standards, so that the Library would not stand in isolation outside the
classroom. Instead, it would be part of classroom resources and processes.
5. Encouragement of a love of reading: By providing a wide range of engaging and
age-appropriate books, students can develop a lifelong love of reading, which can have a
positive impact on their language and overall development.
6. Promotion of literacy skills: The school Library can help promote literacy through
activities such as book clubs, writing workshops, and storytelling sessions, which can
help students develop their language skills and become more confident readers and
writers.
7. Supporting research and inquiry: The Library offers resources such as encyclopaedias,
dictionaries, and reference materials that support students’ research and inquiry-based
learning. By engaging in projects, students improve their reading, writing, and
Part C
261
information literacy skills, enabling them to express themselves effectively and

communicate their findings.
Illustrative Library activities for Language development:
1. Drawing Time: Students can be invited to the Library to select and read a book of their
choice. Following this, they can be provided with stationery to draw a picture based on
their understanding of the text.
2. Book Reviews: Students must be encouraged to process their reading of books through
discussions and presentations. The task of presenting a book review to others helps with
structuring one’s own understanding and response to reading for the sake of clear
communication with others.
3. Storytime: Storytime in the Library would invite students to the space. These sessions
can be interactive and engaging, by incorporating elements such as songs and finger
puppets.
4. R eading buddies: Pairing younger students with older ones can be a fun and effective
way to promote reading and writing skills. The older students can help in reading to the
younger and together learn Language.
5. Book clubs: Setting up a book club for young students can encourage them to read more
and discuss the books they are reading. They could encourage students to express their
ideas in writing. It can be carried out for Middle Stage students in the Library.
6. Writing workshops: Writing workshops can focus on specific types of writing, such as
poetry or creative writing, and can be tailored to the age and skill level of students.
7. Book displays: Visually appealing displays can be created, themed around specific
topics or events. These can also include activities, such as writing prompts or book
reviews.
8. Enrichment programmes: Events, such as author visits, Author of the day, Genre of the
week, and so on, would enhance students’ listening and speaking skills as they engage in
discussions, share their thoughts, and interact with others.
9. Book repairs and book canvassing: These activities teach students the value of good
books and ideas.
2.6.2 Assessment in Languages

Few key principle for assessment in Language are:
Students must be assessed for their fluency and proficiency in the language(s) taught, their
ability to effectively communicate in those language(s), and their skill of reading and writing in
various forms, such as picture descriptions, simple stories, complex essays, literary descriptions,
and research papers.
Students must be assessed for not only their fluency and proficiency in reading and comprehending
a wide variety of texts, but also answering questions based on familiar/seen as well as unseen
passages/unfamiliar text, producing a variety of written materials such as essays, letters, posters,
and other creative writing pieces, oral communication in class discussions, debates, role plays
Part C
and other forms of presentations.
262
A few Teacher Voices illustrate assessment in Language below.
Using Story Sequences to facilitate Independent Writing

I wanted to assess my Grade 5 students’ ability to
express in writing their own thoughts and feelings. I
didn’t want them to just memorise a few sentences on
any matter and reproduce it in writing.
I tried something different this time. I decided to give
them a picture series of The Fox and the Goat to
motivate them to write about it in their own words.
Since all students in my class were not very confident, I
also gave them some clues to start thinking about what
to write.
I distributed copies of the pictures to my class and said,
‘Now, listen, everyone. Let us try a fun task today. First,
does anyone in this class write stories? Have any of you
tried?’ I waited for my class to respond, and I was not
disappointed. Rama, one of the quieter students, slowly
raised his hand. He shared that he had written a story
about a naughty boy and his dog. He had also drawn a
picture to go along with his story.
I drew my students’ attention to the picture series I had given them. ‘Now, look at these
pictures. Which animals can you see?’ A chorus of voices rang across the classroom, ‘Fox!’
and ‘Goat…’
‘Good! Now, Rama, what can you see in the first picture?’
‘Fox is jumping!’ he said.
I gave other students a chance to respond as well, and 2-3 more students offered
responses along the same lines.
‘Very nice!’ I complimented my students. ‘Then, let us write the same story in 6-8
sentences with the help of the given clues. Remember, the clues are not in order, and you
will have to expand on them for your story. When you read all the lines together, it should
be a short story…’
I also wrote some clues on the blackboard to help them organise their thoughts.
Clues: not very deep, could not get out again, thirsty goat, water was good, jump in, began
to drink, jumped on the goat’s back, out of the well, begged the fox, to help him out
I gave my students the rest of the class to try and frame sentences independently. I
walked around, offering support (in the form of words and spellings) to students who
were facing difficulty. Some of them needed support in elaborating the connection
between pictures.
By the end of the class, most of my students had a short story written down in their
copybooks.
Part C
263
This is the criteria I used for grading my students:

Criteria Grade D Grade C Grade B Grade A
Length and Writes 1 - 2 Writes 3 - 4 Writes 5 - 6 Writes 6 - 8
coherence in the sentences with sentences with a sentences with an sentences with a
story limited coherence partially clear and almost clear and clear and coherent
coherent narrative coherent narrative narrative
Clues Used Develops the story Develops the story Develops the story Develops the story
using few to none using 2-3 clues using 4-7 clues using 8-10 clues
of the clues
Writing Skills Demonstrates no Demonstrates Demonstrates some Demonstrates a

variation in limited variation in variation in variety of sentence
sentence sentence sentence structures,
structures, structures, structures, vocabulary, and
vocabulary, and vocabulary, and vocabulary, and appropriate
sequencing sequencing sequencing sequencing
Grammar and Makes more than Makes 7-10 Makes 3-6 Grammar and
Punctuation 10 grammar and grammar and grammar and punctuation are
punctuation errors punctuation errors punctuation errors accurate with less
that impede that impede that impede than 3 errors
understanding understanding understanding
Poem: Understanding verses

I teach Language to Grade 7. I wanted to assess my students’ ability to understand poems.
Students tend to learn the lines of the poem by-heart without understanding it. They also
memorise the answers to the questions provided at the end of the poem.
So, I did something different.
I selected a poem that my students would be able to read and understand from an
external source. I wanted to see if my students could read the poem independently and
respond to questions based on it.
This was the poem that I selected:
Pirate Story
Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing,
Three of us abroad in the basket on the lea.
Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring,
And waves are on the meadow like the waves there are at sea.
Part C
264
Where shall we adventure, to-day that we’re afloat,

Wary of the weather and steering by a star?
Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat,
To Providence, or Babylon or off to Malabar?
Hi! but here’s a squadron a-rowing on the sea--

Cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar!
Quick, and we’ll escape them, they’re as mad as they can be,
The wicket is the harbour and the garden is the shore.
Robert Louis Stevenson
I divided my students into groups of three. I asked them to read the poem, discuss it, and
then answer a few questions. The questions I gave my class were as follows:
---
1. What do you think is the theme of the poem?
i. nature ii. voyage
iii. love iv. friendship
2. The questions in the following stanza convey a sense of:

Where shall we adventure, to-day that we’re afloat,
Wary of the weather and steering by a star?
Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat,
To Providence, or Babylon or off to Malabar?
i. melancholy ii. resolve
iii. woe iv. uncertainty
3. List all the new words that you learnt in this poem. Now pick any 2 words and frame a
new sentence with it.
New words:
Sentence 1:
Sentence 2:
4. Describe any of the stanzas in the poem in your own words. (In 7-8 lines)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
---
Part C
265
The third question was difficult for my students. So, I allowed them to use the dictionary
to find out the meaning of the new words and then frame sentences using it.
After the class answered all 4 questions, this is how I graded them:
Criteria Grade D Grade C Grade B

No. of questions Answers all 4 questions Partially answers all 4 Answers only 1-2
answered correctly questions questions
Identifying new words Identifies new words Identifies new words Identifies new words,
and framing sentences and frames and frames sentences but is unable to frame
grammatically correct with grammatical errors meaningful sentences
sentences
Description of the Describes accurately the Describes the meaning Describes the stanza
stanzas meaning of the stanza in of the stanza, but shows primarily using words
their own words gaps in accuracy from the poem
Use of Vocabulary and Uses appropriate Uses very limited Unable to express
Expressions vocabulary and other vocabulary and themselves
forms of expression to expressions in their meaningfully, makes
enhance their writing writing errors in writing
Teacher’s Voice 2.7iii
Class Debates: Supporting Each Other to Speak

I teach Grade 9. Students are often uncomfortable when they are expected to speak. They
are often unable to put across their points in the class and contribute to discussions and
debates. So, I wanted to create a space for my students to talk. I divided the class into
groups and gave them the topic: Online teaching is the best way for students to learn.
I taught them how to research topics using books from the Library and the internet. I also
explained to them some ways in which they could frame their arguments and present it to
the group, such as:
‘Excuse me, may I please have your attention for a few seconds?’
‘In my opinion, …’
‘I am not convinced about…’
‘I agree with the views expressed by…’
Each of my students made their own points for or against the topic. I gave them time to
share their ideas with the group, discuss their points and then decide whether they
agree/disagree with the topic. By the end of the class, I had taken note of the stance of
each group, and the members in each group. That evening, I prepared two sets of chits —
one with names of students in groups who were for the topic, and the other with names
of students in groups who were against the topic.
In my next class, I walked in carrying the two sets of chits and asked my students to sit in
their groups. Then, I asked all the groups who supported the topic to sit on the right, and
those who were against the topic to occupy the left side of the classroom.
Part C
266
I picked up two chits — one from each pile and asked them to share the points (one point
each, in turns) they had discussed with the rest of the class. If they got stuck at any point
of the debate, I gave them two chances to ask for support from their group members. I felt
that my students were more willing to speak in front of the class when they knew that
they had an option to take support from their group members; this probably made them
feel less ‘put on the spot’.
These are the areas in which I assessed my students and gave them qualitative feedback:
Areas of assessment High Moderate Feedback to student

Relevance of the
argument
Connection and logic
between ideas
Grammatically correct
sentences
Confidence in speaking
The whole activity took approximately 2-3 classes, but all my students made a genuine
attempt to speak in the class. I was very happy with the results of this activity and
decided to try more of such activities in the future.
Part C
267
Chapter 3
Mathematics Education
Mathematics is the art and science of discovering patterns and explaining them. These patterns
are all around us, in nature, in technology, and in the motion of the earth, sun, moon, and stars.
There is Mathematics in everything that we do and see, from shopping and cooking, to throwing
a ball and playing games, to solar eclipses and climate patterns. Mathematics thus gives us the
foundational concepts and capacities required to think about the world around us and the world
beyond us. But most of all, when taught well, Mathematics is truly enjoyable and can become a
lifelong passion. The goal of Mathematics Education is to bring to life these aspects of Mathematics.
Mathematics, including Computational Thinking, has never been more important globally, for
students and for society, with the growing challenges with respect to artificial intelligence,
machine learning, data science, climate modelling, infrastructure development, and the numerous
other related scientific issues faced by India and all nations today. Quality education in
mathematics and mathematical thinking will thus be indispensable for India’s future, and indeed
for ensuring India’s leadership role in these critically important and emerging fields.
Mathematics Education aims to develop capacities of logical thinking, finding patterns, explaining
patterns, making, refuting, and proving conjectures, problem solving, computing fluently, and
communicating clearly and precisely — through content areas such as arithmetic, algebra,
geometry, probability, statistics, trigonometry, and calculus.
Part C
268
Section 3.1
Aims
Mathematics helps students develop not only basic arithmetic skills, but also the crucial capacities
of logical reasoning, creative problem solving, and clear and precise communication (both oral
and written). Mathematical knowledge also plays a crucial role in understanding concepts in
other school subjects, such as Science and Social Science, and even Art, Physical Education, and
Vocational Education. Learning Mathematics can also contribute to the development of capacities
for making informed choices and decisions. Understanding numbers and quantitative arguments
is necessary for effective and meaningful democratic and economic participation.
Mathematics thus has an important role to play in achieving the overall Aims of School Education.
The specific aims of Mathematics Education in this NCF are as follows:
a. Basic Numeracy. Numbers and quantities along with words (language) are the two ways in
which human beings understand and interpret the world. Numbers and quantities also play
a very important role in day-to-day interactions within a complex society. Fluency in
quantifying and performing calculating is essential for basic daily interactions, such as
shopping and banking. Mathematics Education in schools should ensure that all students
are fluent in basic numeracy. This would include not just fluency in numbers and number
operations using Indian numerals, but also the capacities to handle situations that involve
space and measurement.
b. Mathematical Thinking. Mathematical thinking involves systematic and logical ways to
think about and interpret the world. The capacities for identifying patterns, explaining
patterns, quantifying and measuring, using deductive reasoning, working with abstractions,
and communicating clearly and precisely are some illustrations of mathematical thinking.
Mathematics Education in schools should aim for developing such mathematical thinking in
all students.
c. Problem Solving. The capacity to formulate well-defined problems that can be solved
through mathematical thinking is an important aspect of learning Mathematics. Clear and
precise formulation of problems and puzzles, knowing the appropriate mathematical
concepts and techniques that can model the problems, and possessing the techniques and
the creativity to solve the problems are core aspects of problem solving. Mathematics
Education in schools should aim for developing such problem-solving capacities in all
students. Problem solving also develops the capacities of perseverance, curiosity,
confidence, and rigour.
d. Mathematical Intuition. Developing an intuition for what should or should not be true in
Mathematics is often just as important as the more formal ‘paper - pencil’ doing of
Mathematics. Focusing on the common themes and patterns of reasoning across
mathematical areas, guessing correct answers (in terms of, e.g., ‘order of magnitude’) before
working out precise answers, and engaging in informal argumentation before carrying out
rigorous proofs are all effective ways of developing such mathematical intuition in students.
Developing such mathematical intuition in all students should be one of the aims of
Mathematics Education in schools.
Part C
269
e. Joy, curiosity, and wonder. Discovering, understanding, and appreciating patterns and
other mathematical concepts, ideas, and models can require great creativity and often
generates great wonder and joy. To see Mathematics as merely calculations and mechanical
procedures is very limiting. Mathematics Education in schools should nurture this sense of
joy, curiosity, aesthetics, creativity, and wonder in all students.
Section 3.2
Nature of Knowledge
Unlike any other subject, the notion of truth in Mathematics is timeless and absolute. In other
words, once assumptions (sometimes called axioms) are agreed upon, and a mathematical truth
is established based on those assumptions through logical and rigorous reasoning (sometimes
called proof), then that truth cannot be refuted or debated and is true for all time. On occasion,
mathematicians may find completely new logical arguments or proofs to establish the same
truth, and this too is considered a breakthrough; this is because Mathematics is not just a
collection of truths, but is also a framework of methods, tools, and arguments used to arrive at
these truths.
Over thousands of years, the mathematical truths that are known to humans have grown in
number and scope. Quite often, new mathematical truths that are discovered and established
build on previously known truths. For that reason, mathematical education, like mathematics
knowledge, is cumulative — new concepts that are learned often build on those learned
previously.
Mathematical knowledge is built through finding patterns, making conjectures (i.e., proposed
truths), and then verifying/refuting those conjectures through logical and rigorous reasoning
(i.e., through explanations/proofs or counterexamples). The process of finding patterns, making
conjectures, and finding proofs or counterexamples often involves a tremendous amount of
creativity, sense of aesthetics, and elegance. Often, there are many different ways to arrive at the
same mathematical truth and many different ways of solving the same problem. It is for that
reason that mathematicians often refer to their own subject as more of an art than a science.
Mathematics often uses a formal, stylised, and symbolic language for communication — in order
to be abstract and provide rigorous explanations of claims. In reality, mathematical discovery is
characterised by informal arguments based on the development of reliable intuition. It is for this
reason that developing intuition is described as an important aspect of learning and doing
Mathematics.
Section 3.3
Current Challenges
Our current education system has faced multiple challenges with respect to Mathematics
learning.
a. Currently, a large proportion of students in the early grades are not achieving Foundational
Part C
Literacy and Numeracy. This makes it difficult for students to achieve any further higher
learning in Mathematics and excludes them from effective economic and democratic
270
participation in later years as described in earlier sections. Attaining Foundational Literacy

and Numeracy for all students must therefore become an immediate national mission and a
central goal of the Foundational Stage curriculum.
b. Mathematics learning has traditionally been more ‘robotic’ and ‘procedural’ rather than
creative and aesthetic. This is a misrepresentation of the nature of Mathematics and must be
addressed in the school curriculum.
c. Very often, the content presented in textbooks to illustrate mathematical concepts is far
removed from the contextual realities of the learners. Young students find some
mathematical concepts easier to absorb when they are directly connected to their
experiences. Textbooks, classroom activities, and examples should aim to be motivated by
and related to students’ lives whenever possible.
d. There has also been a mistaken and exclusive emphasis on symbolic language and
formalism in Mathematics teaching and learning, rather than on the informal argumentation
and development of mathematical intuition that is so important for mathematical discovery.
e. Methods of assessment, too, have encouraged rote learning and meaningless drills and
exercises, which in turn have promoted the perception of Mathematics as highly mechanical
and computational. Assessment must move towards encouraging genuine understanding of
core mathematical capacities, competencies, and creativity rather than mechanical
procedures and rote learning.
f. Ultimately, many students in the current system have unfortunately developed a real fear of
Mathematics. Tackling this will require some changes in how society perceives and talks
about Mathematics but can also be addressed through the use of teaching-learning methods
that encourage students to find meaning and joy in Mathematics and assessment methods
that do not kill this joy. Interactive teaching-learning methods involving play, exploration,
discovery, discussion, games, and puzzles may also help counter this fear.
Box 3.3i
Fear of Mathematics
There are two major aspects that cause fear of Mathematics: (1) the nature of the subject
and how it is taught and assessed; and (2) how it is perceived in society.
1. The nature of Mathematics and how it is taught:
a. Concepts in Mathematics are often cumulative in nature. If students struggle with
place value, then certainly they will struggle with all four basic operations and
decimal numbers, and hence in word problems. In early grades, the Teacher must
provide differentiated learning experiences to ensure that each student has mastered
the foundational concepts in Mathematics.
b. When symbols — part of the ‘language’ of Mathematics — are manipulated without
understanding, after a point, boredom and bewilderment dominate many students,
and dissociation develops. Hence, it is important for the Teacher to start teaching the
concept by making connections to real life using the local language (especially up to
Preparatory Stage), providing exposure to explore using concrete objects or examples,
and gradually shift to more algebraic language.
Part C
271
c. Most of the assessment techniques and questions focus on facts, procedures, and
memorisation of formulas. However, assessment should focus on understanding,
reasoning, and when and how a mathematical technique is to be used in different
contexts.
2. Societal perceptions and expectations:
a. A large number of parents expect their children to choose a career in the Science
stream, regardless of their children’s individual passions and interests — this inhibits
them from the enjoying the process of mathematical discovery.
b. Similarly, mathematical ability is seen as central to ‘cracking’ competitive entrance
exams for professional courses, such as those in engineering. Due to immense
competition in these exams, parents sometimes end up burdening their children with
immense pressure to go to coaching classes and get a high score in Mathematics,
instead of allowing them to proceed at their own pace and appreciate its joy and
wonder.
Hence, we must rethink the approach of teaching to one where students see Mathematics as
a part of their life, and enjoy it with a greater focus on reasoning and creative problem
solving. As with Language learning, students should not be allowed to fall behind in
Mathematics and should be immediately supported to catch up if they do fall behind. NEP
2020 already has suggested delinking competitive entrance exams and the ‘coaching
culture’ from the scheme of studies in schools. These measures should help redress this
situation.
Section 3.4
Learning Standards
In the Foundational Stage, attaining foundational numeracy represents the key focus of
Mathematics. Foundational numeracy includes understanding Indian numerals, adding and
subtracting with Indian numerals, developing a sense of basic shapes and measurement using
non-standard tools, and early mathematical thinking through play.
In the Preparatory Stage, while the focus is on to work on building conceptual understanding of
numbers, operations (all four basic operations), shapes and spatial sense, measurement
(standard tools and units) and data handling, the objective is to develop capacities in procedural
fluency, and mathematical and computational thinking to solve problems from daily life.
In the Middle Stage, the emphasis moves towards abstracting some of the concepts learned in
the Preparatory Stage to make them more widely applicable. Algebra, in particular, is introduced
at this stage via which students are able to, for example, form rules to understand, extend, and
generalise patterns. More abstract geometric ideas are also introduced at this Stage and relations
with algebra are explored to solve problems and puzzles.
Finally, the Secondary Stage focusses on further developing the ability to justify claims and
arguments through logical reasoning. Students become comfortable in working with abstractions
and other core techniques of Mathematics and Computational Thinking, such as the mathematical
Part C
modelling of phenomena and the development of algorithms to solve problems.
272
Across the Stages, students develop mathematical skills such as problem solving, visualisation,
optimisation, representation, and communication, and thereby develop the capacities of
Mathematics and Computational Thinking. Through creating and solving puzzles, pictorials,
word problems, and optimisation problems, various values and dispositions such as perseverance,
curiosity, confidence, rigour, and honesty would be developed across grades.
Finally, Mathematics has an extremely rich history in India spanning thousands of years. India is
where the place value number system (including zero) — that we all use today to write numbers
— was first developed and used and is where many of the key foundations of algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, and calculus were laid. By learning about the development of Mathematics in India
as well as throughout the world, the rootedness in India can be enhanced, along with a more
general appreciation of the history of Mathematics, and of the remarkable evolution and
development of mathematical concepts through time (and India’s critical roles in these
developments).
3.4.1 Curricular Goals & Competencies

C-1.1 Represents numbers using the place value structure of the
Indian number system, compares whole numbers, and knows
CG-1
and can read the names of very large numbers
Understands numbers
(counting numbers and C-1.2 Represents and compares commonly used fractions in daily life
fractions), represents whole (such as ½, ¼) as parts of unit wholes, as locations on number
numbers using the Indian lines and as divisions of whole numbers
place value system,
understands and carries out C-1.3 Understands and visualises arithmetic operations and the
the four basic operations relationships among them, knows addition and multiplication
with whole numbers, and tables at least up to 10x10 (pahade) and applies the four basic
discovers and recognises operations on whole numbers to solve daily life problems
patterns in number
C-1.4 Recognises, describes, and extends simple number patterns such
sequences
as odd numbers, even numbers, square numbers, cubes, powers
of 2, powers of 10, and Virahanka–Fibonacci numbers.
C-2.1 Identifies, compares, and analyses attributes of two- and

three-dimensional shapes and develops vocabulary to describe
CG-2
their attributes/properties
Analyses the characteristics
and properties of two - and C-2.2 Describes location and movement using both common language
three-dimensional and mathematical vocabulary; understands the notion of map
geometric shapes, specifies (najri naksha)
locations and describes
spatial relationships, and C-2.3 Recognises and creates symmetry (reflection, rotation) in
recognises and creates familiar 2D and 3D shapes
shapes that have symmetry
C-2.4 Discovers, recognises, describes, and extends patterns in 2D and
3D shapes
Part C
273
C-3.1 Measures in non-standard and standard units and evaluates the

need for standard units
C-3.2 Uses an appropriate unit and tool for the attribute (like length,
perimeter, time, weight, volume) being measured
CG-3 C-3.3 Carries out simple unit conversions, such as from centimetres to
Understands measurable metres, within a system of measurement
attributes of objects and the
C-3.4 Understands the definition and formula for the area of a square
units, systems, and
or rectangle as length times breadth
processes of such
measurement, including C-3.5 Devises strategies for estimating the distance, length, time,
those related to distance, perimeter (for regular and irregular shapes), area (for regular
length, weight, area, volume, and irregular shapes), weight, and volume and verifies the same
and time using non- using standard units
standard and standard units
C-3.6 Deduces that shapes having equal areas can have different
perimeters and shapes having equal perimeters can have
different areas
C-3.7 Evaluates the conservation of attributes like length and volume,
and solves daily-life problems related to them
C-4.1 Solves puzzles and daily-life problems involving one or more

CG-4 operations on whole numbers (including word puzzles and
Develops problem-solving puzzles from ‘recreational’ areas, such as the construction of
skills with procedural magic squares)
fluency to solve
C-4.2 Learns to systematically count and list all possible permutations
mathematical puzzles as
or combination given a constraint, in simple situations (e.g., how
well as daily-life problems,
to make a committee of two people from a group of five people)
and as a step towards
developing computational C-4.3 Selects appropriate methods and tools for computing with whole
thinking numbers, such as mental computation, estimation, or paper-
pencil calculation, in accordance with the context
CG-5
Knows and appreciates the C-5.1 Understands the development of zero in India and the Indian
development in India of the place value system for writing numerals, the history of its
decimal place value system transmission to the world, and its modern impact on our lives
that is used around the and in all technology
world today
Part C
274

C-1.1 Develops a sense for and an ability to manipulate (e.g., read,
write, form, compare, estimate, and apply operations) and name
(in words) large whole numbers of up to 20 digits, and expresses
them in scientific notation using exponents and powers
C-1.2 Discovers, identifies, and explores patterns in numbers and
describes rules for their formation (e.g., multiples of 7, powers of
CG-1
3, prime numbers), and explains relations between different
Understands numbers and
patterns
sets of numbers (whole
numbers, fractions, integers, C-1.3 Learns about the inclusion of zero and negative quantities as
rational numbers, and real numbers, and the arithmetic operations on them, as given by
numbers), looks for Brahmagupta
patterns, and appreciates
relationships between C-1.4 Explores and understands sets of numbers, such as whole
numbers numbers, fractions, integers, rational numbers, and real
numbers, and their properties, and visualises them on the
number line
C-1.5 Explores the idea of percentage and applies it to solve problems
C-1.6 Explores and applies fractions (both as ratios and in decimal
form) in daily-life situations
C-2.1 Understands equality between numerical expressions and learns

to check arithmetical equations
CG-2
Understands the concepts of C-2.2 Extends the representation of a number in the form of a variable
variable, constant, or an algebraic expression using a variable
coefficient, expression, and
C-2.3 Forms algebraic expressions using variables, coefficients, and
(one-variable) equation, and
constants and manipulates them through basic operations
uses these concepts to solve
meaningful daily-life C-2.4 Poses and solves linear equations to find the value of an
problems with procedural unknown, including to solve puzzles and word problems
fluency
C-2.5 Develops own methods to solve puzzles and problems using
algebraic thinking
C-3.1 Describes, classifies, and understands relationships among

different types of two - and three-dimensional shapes using
their defining properties/attributes
C-3.2 Outlines the properties of lines, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals,
and polygons and applies them to solve related problems
CG-3
C-3.3 Identifies attributes of three-dimensional shapes (cubes,
Understands, formulates,
parallelepipeds, cylinders, cones), works hands-on with material
and applies properties and
to construct these shapes, and also uses two-dimensional
theorems regarding simple
representations of three-dimensional objects to visualise and
geometric shapes (2D and
solve problems
3D)
C-3.4 Draws and constructs geometric shapes, such as lines, parallel
lines, perpendicular lines, angles, and simple triangles, with
specified properties using a compass and straightedge
C-3.5 Understands congruence and similarity as it applies to geometric
shapes and identifies similar and congruent triangles
Part C
275
C-4.1 Discovers, understands, and uses formulae to determine the area

of a square, triangle, parallelogram, and trapezium and develops
strategies to find the areas of composite 2D shapes
C-4.2 Learns the Baudhayana-Pythagoras theorem on the lengths of
CG-4 the sides of a right-angled triangle, and discovers a geometric
Develops understanding of proof using areas of squares erected on the sides of the triangle,
perimeter and area for 2D and other related geometric constructions from the Sulba-Sutras
shapes and uses them to
solve day-to-day life C-4.3 Constructs various designs (using tiling) on a plane surface using
problems different 2D shapes and appreciates their appearances in art in
India and around the world
C-4.4 Develops familiarity with the notion of fractal and identifies and
appreciates the appearances of fractals in nature and art in India
and around the world
CG-5 C-5.1 Collects, organises, and interprets the data using measures of
Collects, organises, central tendencies such as average/mean, mode, and median
represents (graphically and
in tables), and interprets C-5.2 Selects, creates, and uses appropriate graphical representations
data/information from (e.g., pictographs, bar graphs, histograms, line graphs, and pie
daily-life experiences charts) of data to make interpretations
CG-6 C-6.1 Applies both inductive and deductive logic to formulate

Develops mathematical definitions and conjectures, evaluate and produce convincing
thinking and the ability to arguments/ proofs to turn these definitions and conjectures into
communicate mathematical theorems or correct statements, particularly in the areas of
ideas logically and precisely algebra, elementary number theory, and geometry
CG-7 C-7.1 Demonstrates creativity in discovering one’s own solutions to

Engages with puzzles and puzzles and other problems, and appreciates the work of others
mathematical problems and in finding their own, possibly different, solutions
develops own creative
methods and strategies to C-7.2 Engages in and appreciates the artistry and aesthetics of
solve them puzzle-making and puzzle-solving
CG-8
Develops basic skills and C-8.1 Approaches problems using programmatic thinking techniques
capacities of computational such as iteration, symbolic representation, and logical operations
thinking, namely, and reformulates problems into series of ordered steps (i.e.,
decomposition, pattern algorithmic thinking)
recognition, data
representation, C-8.2 Learns systematic counting and listing, systematic reasoning
generalisation, abstraction, about counts and iterative patterns, and multiple data
and algorithms in order to representations; learns to devise and follow algorithms, with an
solve problems where such eye towards understanding correctness, effectiveness, and
techniques of computational efficiency of algorithms
thinking are effective
CG-9
Knows and appreciates the C-9.1 Recognises how concepts (like counting numbers, whole
development of numbers, negative numbers, rational numbers, zero, concepts of
mathematical ideas over a algebra, geometry) evolved over a period of time in different
period of time and the civilisations.
contributions of past and C-9.2 Knows and appreciates the contributions of specific Indian
modern mathematicians mathematicians (such as Baudhayana, Pingala, Aryabhata,
from India and across the Brahmagupta, Virahanka, Bhaskara, and Ramanujan)
world
Part C
276
CG-10
Knows about and C-10.1 Recognises interaction of Mathematics with multiple subjects
appreciates the interaction across Science, Social Science, Visual Arts, Music, Vocational
of Mathematics with each of Education, and Sports
their other school subjects

CG-1
Understands numbers
(natural, whole, integer,
rational, irrational, and C-1.1 Develops understanding of numbers, including the set of real
real), ways of representing numbers and its properties
numbers, relationships
amongst numbers, and
number sets
CG-2
Builds deductive and
inductive logic to prove
theorems related to
numbers and their
C-2.1 Extends the understanding of powers (radical powers) and
relationships (such as ‘√2 is
exponents
an irrational number’,
recursion relation for
Virahanka numbers, formula
for the sum of the first n
square numbers)
C-3.1 States and motivates/proves remainder theorem, factor

theorem, and division algorithm
CG-3
C-3.2 Models and solves contextualised problems using equations (e.g.,
Discovers and proves
simultaneous linear equations in two variables or single
algebraic identities and
polynomial equations) and draws conclusions about a situation
models real-life situations in
being modelled
the form of equations to
solve them C-3.3 Learns Brahmagupta’s quadratic formula (in both symbolic and
poetic form) and its derivation, and uses it to solve some of the
poetic puzzles of Bhaskara as well as modern-day problems
Part C
277
C-4.1 Describes relationships including congruence of two-

dimensional geometric shapes (such as lines, angles, triangles)
to make and test conjectures and solve problems
C-4.2 Proves theorems using Euclid’s axioms and postulates for
triangles and quadrilaterals, and applies them to solve geometric
problems
CG-4 C-4.3 Proves theorems about the geometry of a circle, including its
Analyses characteristics and chords, subtended angles, inscribed polygons, and area in terms
properties of two- of π
dimensional geometric C-4.4 Understands the irrationality of π, the best approximations to π
shapes and develops discovered over human history, and the first exact formula
mathematical arguments to (infinite series) for π given by Madhava
explain geometric
relationships C-4.5 Specifies locations and describes spatial relationships using
coordinate geometry, e.g., plotting a pair of linear equations and
graphically finding the solution, or finding the area of triangle
with given coordinates as vertices
C-4.6 Understands the definitions of the basic trigonometric functions,
their history and motivation (including the introduction of the
sin and cos functions by Aryabhata using chords), and their
utility across the sciences
C-5.1 Visualises, represents, and calculates the area of a triangle using

CG-5 Heron’s formula and its generalisation to cyclic quadrilaterals
Derives and uses formulae given by Brahmagupta’s formula
to calculate areas of plane C-5.2 Visualises and uses mathematical thinking to discover formulae
figures, and surface areas to calculate surface areas and volumes of solid objects (cubes,
and volumes of solid objects cuboids, spheres, hemispheres, right circular cylinders/cones,
and their combinations)
CG-6
Analyses and interprets data C-6.1 Applies measures of central tendencies such as mean, median,
using statistical concepts and mode
(such as measures of central C-6.2 Applies concepts from probability to solve problems on the
tendency, standard likelihood of everyday events
deviations) and probability
C-7.1 Proves mathematical statements and carries out geometric

constructions using stated assumptions, axioms, postulates,
definitions, and mathematics vocabulary
CG-7 C-7.2 Visualises and appreciates geometric proofs for algebraic

Begins to perceive and identities and other ‘proofs without words’
appreciate the axiomatic C-7.3 Proves theorems using Euclid’s axioms and postulates – for
and deductive structure of angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, area-related theorems
Mathematics for triangles and parallelograms
C-7.4 Constructs different geometrical shapes like bisectors of line
segments, angles and their bisectors, triangles, and other
polygons, satisfying given constraints
C-8.1 Models daily-life phenomena and uses representations such as

CG-8 graphs, tables, and equations to draw conclusions
Builds skills such as
visualisation, optimisation, C-8.2 Uses two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional
representation, and objects to visualise and solve problems such as those involving
mathematical modelling surface area and volume
along with their application
in daily life C-8.3 Employs optimisation strategies to maximise desired quantities
Part C
(such as area, volume, or other output) under given constraints
278
CG-9
C-9.1 Decomposes a problem into sub problems
Develops computational
thinking, i.e., deals with C-9.2 Describes and analyses a sequence of instructions being
complex problems and is followed
able to break them down
into a series of simple C-9.3 Analyses similarities and differences among problems to make
problems that can then be one solution or procedure work for multiple problems
solved by suitable
C-9.4 Engages in algorithmic problem solving to design such solutions
procedures/ algorithms
C-10.1 Recognises the important contributions made by

CG-10 mathematicians (Indian and others) in the field of Mathematics
Knows and appreciates (such as the evolution of numbers, geometry, algebra)
important contributions of
mathematicians from India C-10.2 Recognises modern contributions to Mathematics made in both
and around the world India and abroad, and understands the next frontiers and next
major open questions in the field of Mathematics
CG-11
C-11.1 Applies mathematical knowledge and tools to analyse problems/
Explores connections of
situations in multiple subjects across Science, Social Science,
Mathematics with other
Visual Arts, Music, Vocational Education, and Sports
subjects
3.4.2 Rationale for Selection of Concepts

The Learning Standards — the Curricular Goals and Competencies — defined here make choices
for the concepts that will be taught and learnt in each of the Stages. The key principles that
underlie these choices are described here.
a. Principle of Essentiality
This principle involves three key questions: What Mathematics is essential to learn so that
one can solve one’s day-to-day problems, live a normal life, and ably participate in the demo-
cratic processes of the country? What Mathematics is essential to be able to adequately un-
derstand other essential school subjects, such as Science and Social Science? And, finally,
what mathematical ideas are essential for developing interest in students to further pursue
the discipline if one desires to do so?
b. Principle of Coherence
Concepts that are selected for each Stage must be in coherence with each other and with the
overall Stage-specific Curricular Goals, Competencies, and Learning Outcomes. The goal must
not be to bombard the student with all mathematical concepts at the expense of coherence.
c. Principle of Practicality and Balance

Due to a rush for completing the syllabus, the focus on building conceptual understanding
often gets compromised and rote memorisation of formulae and direct use of algorithms
becomes a central part of the teaching process. NEP 2020 strongly recommends reducing
content to give time for discussion, analytical thinking, and fully appreciating concepts.
At each Stage, while choosing the concepts for Mathematics, emphasis has been given to the idea
of balancing content load with discussion, analytical thinking, and true conceptual understanding.
The selection of concepts in each Stage must aim to increase the space for balancing conceptual
and procedural understanding of the concepts. This will create space for Teachers to focus more
Part C
on building conceptual understanding and meaningful practice.
279
With this rationale, Learning Standards have been configured to give emphasis to understanding
Mathematics as a discipline by the end of Grade 10, so that students can appreciate its intrinsic
beauty and value and, thereby, also pursue higher education in Mathematics if they so wish.
Areas and concepts that are considered useful for all students to interact with the world over
their lives, or study other subjects, are covered by Grade 10, so that if they decide to drop
Mathematics after Grade 10, they are still equipped with essential skills, concepts, and
Competencies in Mathematics. At each Stage, all concepts are included that may be needed as
prerequisites for concepts in later Stages.
Section 3.5
Content
The approach, principles, and methods of selecting content has commonalities across subjects
— those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.2 of this document. This section focusses
only on what is most critical to Mathematics Education in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read
this section along with above-mentioned the section.
3.5.1 Principles for Content Selection

The following principles will be followed while choosing topics of study for Mathematics
classrooms. Stage-wise principles are laid down; for each Stage, principles for the previous Stage
have also been considered, wherever applicable.

a. Plenty of space should be given to students’ local context and surroundings for developing
concepts in Mathematics. Case studies, stories, situations from daily life, and vocabulary and
phrasing in the home language should be brought in to help introduce and unfold a concept
and its sub-concepts.
b. The development of a culture of learning outside the classroom should be encouraged. More
play-way methods (activities) should be included wherever possible.
c. Avenues for mathematical reasoning should be created in all activities, projects,
assignments, and exercises. The content should encourage students to articulate the reasons
behind their observations and guesses/conjectures and ask why a pattern extends in a
certain way and what the rule behind it is.
d. The language of the content should be simple so that students can also express their
thoughts using similar language; this should gradually enlarge their vocabulary and enable
them to become more skilled over time in using precise mathematical vocabulary, symbols,
and notation.
e. Content should encourage learning processes (meaningful practice leading to building
memory and procedural fluency) and cognitive skills (reasoning, comparing, contrasting,
and classifying), as well as the acquisition of specific mathematical capacities.
f. There should be consistency and coherence across the content, and the progression of the
concepts should be spiral rather than linear.
Part C
280
g. For content selection, the focus should be on activities that are engaging and built around
the daily-life experiences of students. It should cater to more than one Learning Objective/
Competency simultaneously and take into account one or more learning areas at the same
time.
h. More formal definitions should naturally evolve at the end of a more informal discussion, as
students gradually develop a clear understanding of a concept.

a. Content should allow students to explore several strategies for solving a problem or puzzle.
b. Content should involve situations and problems that offer multiple correct answers. For
this, open-ended questions should be given more space in the exercises.
c. Content should provide opportunities for students to ‘talk’ Mathematics. Semi-formal
language used by students in discussions should be accepted and encouraged.
d. Problem posing is an important part of doing Mathematics. Exercises that require students
to formulate and create a variety of problems and puzzles for their peers and others should
be encouraged.
e. Content should allow students to explore, create, appreciate, and understand instead of just
memorising concepts and algorithms without understanding the rationale behind how they
work.
f. Content should offer meaningful practice (through worksheets, games, puzzles) that leads
to working memory (smriti) and ultimately builds procedural/computational fluency.
g. Mathematics should emerge as a subject of exploration, discovery, and creativity rather than
a set of mechanical procedures.
h. Content should give opportunities to naturally motivate the usefulness of abstraction.
Finding π
Ever wondered if we can find Pi (π) on our own without any computers, calculators, or
any textbooks? The answer is yes! And that too, just by using a thread, paper-pencil, and a
geometry box. In my class, I do this exercise when we learn the properties of circles. The
activity is quite simple. We take a piece of paper and draw multiple circles using a
compass of varying diameters. Then we put the thread on the outline of the circle and
measure the length of that thread. This length will be the circumference of the circle.
Repeat this for all the circles and note down in table like below:
# Circumference or length of the thread (C) Diameter (D) Ratio of Circumference to Diameter
1
2
3
4
5
Part C
281
At the end of exercise, I ask students to notice the ratio value…it is usually around 3. This
is the famous constant, popularly known as the Pi, denoted by a Greek symbol ‘π’.
Once we do this, we solve many more related questions, like ‘If I know the radius of the
circle, can we guess its circumference?’ and more. Using teaching aids with such activities
keeps my students more alert and interested throughout the class.

a. Content should be chosen and designed in a way that enables students to understand
notions of abstraction, the axiomatic system, and deductive logic.
b. More project-based work should be designed and given space in the content so that
students have opportunities to weave together several concepts simultaneously. This will
help students appreciate the unity and inter-relatedness of mathematical concepts.
c. Interdisciplinary approaches should be kept in consideration while designing the content.
Project-based work could be designed based on themes to ensure the integration of other
subjects, e.g., linear variation and equation solving in the Science and Social Science.
d. Content at this stage should allow students to develop and consolidate the mathematical
knowledge and skills acquired during the Middle Stage.
e. Students should develop necessary skills to work with tools, modern technological devices,
and mathematical software useful in mathematical discovery and learning.
f. Content should highlight the history of Mathematics and how mathematical concepts have
developed over time, and, in particular, the contributions of Indian and other
mathematicians.
3.5.2 Materials and Resources

Materials and resources form a critical part of content. Principles for selecting content for
teaching and learning Mathematics include:
a. Concrete materials: TLMs can be useful resources that make learning experiences more
interesting and enjoyable. Such material can be used in understanding concepts, as well as
in practice and assessment. These resources enable students to comprehend concepts more
effectively, as they connect verbal instruction with real experience, concretise abstract
concepts, and develop curiosity and interest in learning. Schools can establish Mathematics
laboratories or corners with equipment for experimentation, exploration, demonstration,
and verification of mathematical ideas. Some examples include electronic calculators, graph
machines, mathematical games, puzzles, ganit malas, bundle sticks, geoboards, algebra tiles,
Dienes Blocks, or flat long cards, dominoes, pentominoes, Mathematics-related videos, and
inclinometers.
Part C
282
Box 3.5i
Incorporation of Indian Contributions to Mathematics

Mathematics has an extremely rich history in India spanning thousands of years from the
ancient and Vedic times to the modern era. Some selected landmarks of mathematical
discoveries in India include:
Before 2nd
Millennium BCE Names of powers of 10 up to 1012 in the Yajurveda
c.800 BCE
The first general statement of the Baudhayana-Pythagoras theorem, in Baudhayana's
Sulba-Sutra
c.500 BCE
The concept of generative grammar is introduced, and is used to model an entire
language, in Panini's Astadhyayi
c.300 BCE First algorithm to represent numbers in binary, in Pingala's Chhandashastra
c.300
Development of the Indian system of writing numerals using the digits 0-9, as used
around the world today. First known usage in the Bakhshali manuscript
Introduction of the sin (jya) and cos (kotijya) functions, thus laying foundations for
trigonometry, in Aryabhata's Aryabhatiya
499
First use of Indian numerals to perform complex computations, carried out in the
context of astronomy in Aryabhata's Aryabhatiya
Introduction of zero as a number, and of negative numbers as numbers, and of the

rules for arithmetical operations on them, by Brahmagupta in
Brahmasphutasiddhanta
628
First use of variables for numbers, thus laying the foundations for algebra, by
Brahmagupta in Brahmasphutasiddhanta
First general solution to the one-variable quadratic equation, by Brahmagupta in
Brahmasphutasiddhanta
Introduction of the Virahanka--Fibonacci numbers 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34, ..., in the
context of poetry by Virahanka in the Vrttajatisamucaya
c.700
First explicit description of Pingal's Meruprastar / Pascal's Triangle, in the context of
poetry by Virahanka in Vrttajatisamucaya
c.1000 First known 4 × 4 magic square, inscribed at the Parshvanatha Temple in Khajuraho
First complete method to solve the Brahmagupta-Pell equation x2 − ny2 = 1 (n a fixed
1150
integer) in integer pairs (x,y), given by Bhaskara in Bijaganita
1360 First exact formula for π, given as an infinite series by Madhava
Development of the foundations of calculus, including power series and differentials,

1360 to
1650 by members of Madhava's school of mathematics — in particular, by Jyesthadeva in
Yuktibhasha
Ramanujan discovers rapidly converging series for π, asymptotic formulas for the
1910's number of partitions of a number, the circle method, and mock theta functions -
among numerous other foundational discoveries
2002
First provably polynomial-time algorithm to determine whether a whole number is
prime, in an article titled "PRIMES is in P" by Agarwal, Kayal, and Saxena at IIT Kanpur
These and other foundational mathematical discoveries in India, and the fascinating stories
behind them, will be incorporated and integrated at appropriate points in the curriculum.
Part C
283
b. Textbooks: Textbooks should provide factually correct information in an accessible

manner. There should be broad narratives and motivations (including those specific to a
State or region) that hold the content together, so it does not read like just a collection of
techniques. The development of ideas should be coherent and sequential/spiral, with
concrete examples leading to abstract concepts, and new concepts growing from old ones.
The language should be simple and comprehensible and should give space for students to
build their own definitions, and only gradually start using more formal mathematical terms.
The content chosen should be in alignment with the pedagogical instructional practices
specific to Mathematics (stated in Section 3.6). Content should include first concrete
representations and visual representations, and only then abstract representations. There
should be a balance between content and exercises/puzzles to ensure ‘learning by
discovering/doing’.
c. Workbooks: Workbooks are a useful tool in the teaching and learning of Mathematics.
Workbooks can be designed to fulfil three purposes: (a) introducing new concepts, (b)
practice for consolidating the understanding of concepts, and attaining procedural and
computational fluency, and (c) self-assessment tools for students to track their own
understanding, and to provide the same information to teachers also. Teacher handbooks
accompanying student workbooks can also be very useful.
d. Technology: Information and communication technologies provide additional
opportunities for students to see and interact with mathematical concepts, making the
teaching of mathematics more interactive and engaging. Making use of graphing
calculators/software, computer algebra systems, and other digital tools allow students to
experiment with and visualise mathematical objects and operations, and to explore and
make discoveries through games and simulations.
Section 3.6
Pedagogy and Assessment
The approach, principles, and methods of pedagogy and assessment has commonalities across
subjects — those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.3 and §3.4 of this document.
This section focusses only on what is most critical to Mathematics in schools. Hence, it will be
useful to read this section along with the above-mentioned section.
3.6.1 Pedagogy for Mathematics

Traditional approaches to teaching mathematics directly jump into abstract symbolic
manipulation. This is not very effective in making mathematics accessible to learners. There are
several steps before the learner is ready for symbolic manipulations. The first step is to have
concrete experiences that embody the mathematical concept involved. Once the learners have
immersed themselves in this experience, discussing this experience using language is the next
level of abstraction. This language use can then be represented as pictures or diagrams. Finally,
these pictures can be converted into the symbols that are used in Mathematics to represent that
particular concept or idea. Effective Mathematics pedagogy should take into consideration this
sequence for developing a conceptual understanding of mathematics.
Part C
284
For students, problem-solving and problem-posing are critical steps in learning Mathematics.
Practice and independent problem solving help students process and remember difficult
concepts, and this should be encouraged in the classroom as frequently as possible. Students
should also be encouraged to solve problems and puzzles in groups, so that they can see different
approaches towards solving a problem and have conversations about mathematical concepts,
thereby making them more graspable. They should also be encouraged to pose questions and
come up with new problems.
Many students from the Preparatory Stage onwards enjoy learning via scientific experiments
performed in laboratories. Students get to experience the following stages of scientific discovery:
observing a phenomenon in nature, setting up an experiment in a lab, performing the experiment
and noting down observations, trying to find a pattern, and then finally trying to explain the
phenomenon. Unfortunately, current practices in Mathematics teaching does not expose students
to such a journey. Mathematics is too often presented as a finished product which is purely
demonstrative and formal. Guessing using increasingly developed intuition, a skill needed to
discover new theorems and their proofs, is discouraged in Mathematics classes.
It is possible to show this ‘experimental’ nature of Mathematics using an inductive method of

teaching at the Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary Stages. The idea is to develop teaching
material consisting of appropriate Mathematics experiments. Students can work in groups and
guessing can be encouraged. For example, an experiment could students to write down the first
few even numbers as sums of two smaller numbers and lead them to observe that they can
always be written as sum of 2 primes. Guidance from the Teacher should lead them to conjecture
that ‘any even number greater than 2 is a sum of 2 primes’. They should collect as much evidence
as possible. Though this particular problem is unsolved, towards the end, each student could be
given an opportunity to talk about their experiment (instead of proving/ disproving the
statement). Many such experiments in number theory, geometry, and combinatorics could be
prepared. Such activities have the potential to greatly enhance intuition and problem-solving
ability.
Mathematics also naturally provides many opportunities for critical thinking, in the form of
interrogating definitions, formulating, or choosing alternative proofs, conjectures, explanations,
representations, or generalisations. Curriculum and pedagogy need to provide room and
educational opportunity for such thinking. For example, working on match-stick geometry helps
interrogate geometric assertions. Students should be encouraged to define their own geometric
objects and classes of numbers with specific properties to encourage experimentation, creativity,
discovery, and critical thinking.
3.6.1.1 Instructional Practices

a. Students should be exposed to multiple ways of seeing the same mathematical concept. This
could be through pictures, symbols, different motivations or applications, and different
descriptions in spoken language. Each of these provides a distinct perspective, and they
together help the student form their own understanding of the mathematical concept.
b. The Teacher should encourage students to express their understanding in their own words
using mathematical vocabulary and terms (including in their own home language when
different from the medium of instruction). Opportunities should be created for
mathematical conversations between students.
Part C
285
c. The Teacher should provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful discussions
involving questions that require explanations (such as ‘How could you explain your thinking
to someone just beginning to learn this?’ or ‘How do you know?’). Habits of verification
should be inculcated from an early age. When a student has distributed 24 toffees among 8
students, it is important to not only ask ‘Has everyone gotten an equal number of toffees?’,
but also to follow up with ‘How do you know?’
d. The Teacher can incorporate problem-solving tasks in the classroom that serve multiple
purposes. Problems can be chosen to review concepts previously studied by students and
link them to new concepts. The task can be designed so that students have to reason
through questions, and then justify their thinking orally or in writing.
e. Teachers can use physical models, diagrams, graphing calculators, simulations, computer
algebra systems, games, and other tools to help students model situations, visualise
concepts, think through a problem, and devise strategies for solutions.
f. Small-group work can be an effective way of learning Mathematics. Discussions and
problem solving in groups give students the opportunity to talk about Mathematics, ask
questions they may be hesitant to ask the teacher, and work on harder problems by pooling
together their understanding. However, it should be of short duration to manage the groups
effectively.
g. Meaningful practice, through worksheets, puzzles, games, mental and oral Mathematics,
group work, and homework involving paper and pencil, should be an integral part of the
Mathematics classroom. Practice problems should be designed so that students revisit
concepts and techniques and see different situations where a certain technique can be used.
When choosing problems and guiding students to solve them, teachers should ensure that
students are actively learning and not just memorising techniques.
h. During the Middle and Secondary stages, opportunities should be provided for reading
simple mathematical text and writing mathematical content. Mathematical communication
should be explicitly signalled as an item of teaching and learning. Books and online resource
material should be provided by schools for this purpose.
Discovering the Magic of Mathematics!

In geometry, there is a lot of learning through axioms, corollaries, and theorems which
often leave students wondering ‘Where did this come from!? Does it happen every time!?’
So, what I do is I usually introduce such things through activities. For example, to learn
that ‘sum of all internal angles in a quadrilateral is equal to 360⁰,’ we do a simple activity.
I ask students to draw any random quadrilateral and then label their internal angles as
∟1, ∟2, ∟3 and ∟4 as shown in the picture below. Next, I ask the students to measure
the 4 angles to discover the sum is around 360⁰. Alternatively, when one cuts these angles
and join them to meet their all four vertices at a point without leaving any gap (as seen
below) to form a complete angle — one discovers that the sum is 360⁰.
Part C
286
Here, my emphasis is always on designing activities that help my students learn

mathematical concepts instead of just memorising them as facts and formulae. This is an
example of inductive method of teaching theorems, one could also use deductive methods
to teach these theorems.
3.6.1.2 Some Suggested Methods of Teaching

a. Play-way (activity-based) method: In play-way or activity-based learning, students use
toys, games, and puzzles to explore mathematics. This may involve physical games, or
games/activities involving aids such as dice, puzzles, dominoes, and building blocks
Incorporating play can help make some mathematical notions seem more natural and
relevant to students, and also enables them to be creative, pose questions, collaborate with
others, and use multiple senses to learn. For students who feel alienated by Mathematics,
this may help them enjoy the subject and feel more confident in their ability to
understand it.
b. Inquiry-based method: This method allows students to explore mathematical content by
posing, investigating, and answering questions and sharing their findings with their peers
for them to critique. Through this method, the student learns to reason and collaborate
with their peers to discover mathematical patterns and truths.
c. Problem-solving method: Word and logic puzzles (including puzzles that use elimination
grids to solve logic problems) are a fun way to teach deductive reasoning. Simple puzzles
can help develop students’ logical and creative thinking skills in an enjoyable manner.
d. Inductive method: Inductive method is based on the principle of induction. Induction is
the process to establish a generalised truth by showing that if it is true for a reasonably
Part C
adequate number of cases, then it is true for all such cases. Thus, the inductive method of
287
teaching leads us from known to unknown, from a particular case to a general rule and
from concrete to abstract. When a number of concrete cases have been understood, the
student is able to attempt a generalisation. Students are presented with a series of
individual concrete cases, and they are expected to come up with a generalised and abstract
mathematical representation of these cases. This method can help students discover
patterns in numbers or geometry, which they may later encounter as theorems or formulae.
Such discoveries reveal the beauty that drives many people to study mathematics.
e. Deductive method: Deduction is the process by which a particular fact is derived from
some generally known truths. Thus, in the deductive method of teaching, the student
proceeds from general to particular, from abstract to concrete, or from formula to examples.
Here, a pre-established rule or formula is given to the student, and they are asked to solve
the related problems by using that formula or to prove theorems using definitions, axioms,
and postulates.
Each of the methods above has its own advantages and limitations. It is also true that one method
does not work for all students, and so the Teacher must draw on their understanding of their
class and choose a combination of methods to ensure the learning of every student. The matrix
below suggests methods in rows and Stages in three columns.
Table 3.6i
Stages
Suggestive Methods
Preparatory Middle Secondary
Play-way    
Discovery/Inquiry    
Problem solving     
Inductive    
Deductive    
Recommendation on Use:   — More Often,   — Often &  — Less Often
3.6.1.3 Integrating Mathematics with Other Curricular Areas

An interdisciplinary approach enables students to expand their horizons by allowing them to
consider and tackle problems that do not fit exactly into one subject. It also changes how students
learn by enabling them to synthesise multiple perspectives, instead of driving their thoughts
unidirectionally based on the understanding of one discipline. It allows students to explore and
involve multiple perspectives and dimensions from different curricular areas to deal with daily
life problems. Hence, integrating Mathematics with other Curricular Areas can help students
develop interest in the subject and build a holistic view of different disciplines.
Mathematics learning can thus be made more meaningful and interesting by integrating it with
other curricular areas. Some possibilities for doing this are described below:
a. Integrating Mathematics and Art: Art and Mathematics are closely linked, with both
disciplines playing an important role in understanding patterns, as well as enhancing
spatial abilities and visualisation. Many activities that are a part of students’ lives, such as
Part C
288
music, dance, needlework, and rangoli naturally lead them to see patterns, which can be
described and further understood using mathematical language. Integrating the Arts with
Mathematics can include art and craft activities that engage students in creating visual
patterns, tessellations, and geometric objects, and can include exposure to examples of
artworks that contain interesting patterns. Some ideas for integrating Art in the
Mathematics classroom are:
i. Creating and analysing different rangoli/kolam patterns.
ii. Creating origami, and using it to understand angles, symmetries, and how a 2D object
can be transformed into a 3D one.
iii. Recognising geometries and symmetries in art and architecture.
iv. Symmetry can also be explored through dance and movement by assigning mirroring
exercises for students. This concept can also be explored through visual games, self-
designed board games, simple print-making activities based on traditional art forms
like Rogan printing, and by viewing examples of architecture, painting, and sculpture.
v. Pattern activities could also include art forms, like weaving, embroidery, and bead
work, where patterning is heavily reliant on mathematical precision, grids, and
matrices.
vi. Ratio and proportion are fundamental to the arts. The technique of drawing the human
body requires an understanding of proportion (e.g., the length of an arm is about thrice
the length of the head). The study of ratios and proportions can also be related to
different cultures and their canons of beauty being defined by specific ratios and
proportions.
vii. Music is filled with patterns. The joy of making music lies in creating innumerable
permutations and combinations of patterns by grouping notes, sounds, and beats.
Tempo determines how notes can be combined and fitted into specific rhythm cycles in
multiple variations. Music is an extremely useful way to understand fractions since it
uses full notes, half notes, quarter notes, and one-eighth notes which also relate to
tempo in terms of ek gun, dugun, trigun, chaugun. Improvisation in the classical forms
of music require an immense alertness and ability to do mental math. For example,
creating note patterns in multiples of 3, 5, or 7 in a 4-beat rhythm can be, both
challenging and aesthetically pleasing.
The way frequencies are chosen in music also involves understanding simple fractions,
due to what sounds good and most resonant to the ear. For example, the ratio of
frequencies of the top and bottom Sa in a saptak is 2:1, and the ratio of frequencies of
Pa and Sa is 3:2. There are reasons from Physics (namely, the notion of resonance) as to
why particular combinations of notes sound good to the ear, and the notes (shrutis) that
are used in Indian classical music (and also in music around the world), as explained in
Bharata’s Natyashastra, is based on simple whole number ratios of frequencies.
b. Integrating Mathematics and Sports: Integrating mathematics and Sports can benefit
students who enjoy sports and see the relevance of measurement, unit conversion,
probability and statistics, scoring systems, and trajectories of thrown objects in the context
of sports. Student projects can explore mathematical connections such as in the Fosbury
Flop in high jump or the Duckworth Lewis Scoring System in cricket.
Part C
289
c. Integrating Mathematics and Science. The appearance of the Virahanka numbers and the
golden angle in nature (e.g., in pinecones, sunflowers, daisies, kaner and tulsi plants) make
for an excellent interdisciplinary journey of discovery.
Similarly, other Curricular Areas can also be integrated with Mathematics to understand and see
more meaning of Mathematics in daily life.
3.6.2 Assessment in Mathematics

Few key principles for assessment in Mathematics are:
a. Students must be assessed for understanding of concepts and mathematical skills and
capacities, such as procedural fluency, computational thinking, problem solving,
visualisation, optimisation, representation, and communication.
b. Students must be assessed through a variety of ways, e.g., solving a variety of problems
testing procedural knowledge and conceptual understanding in key mathematical concepts,
geometric reasoning, algebraic thinking, word problems, and working in groups to solve
mathematical problems.
c. Open book assessments can go a long way towards reducing anxiety in students.
Examinations could provide ‘fact sheets’ consisting of information, such as formulae, and
definitions, so that students need not memorise them but use them in actual problem
solving.
A few Teacher Voices illustrate assessment in Mathematics below.
Multiplication as Repeated Addition

I teach Grade 4. I wanted to assess my students’ understanding of multiplication as
repeated addition and its application in daily life.
The question below is directly related to their conceptual understanding of multiplication
as repeated addition and the ability to apply that understanding in a new situation. I
preferred this to just asking them to solve questions from the textbook using vertical and
horizontal multiplication.
Given below are groups of flowers. Which of the following shows the fastest way to find
out the total number of flowers in the given picture?
Part C
290
A. 4 + 5
B. 4 + 4 + 4+ 4 + 4
C. 3 + 2
D. 5 x 4
E. 4 x 5
I used the following marking scheme:
Marking Scheme
Option A 0 point
Option B 1 point
Option C 0 point
Option D 2 points
Option E 0.5 point
Percentages
I teach Grade 7. I wanted to assess my students’ ability to use the understanding of
percentages in solving real-life contextual word problems. Students can solve routine
problems from their textbooks, but tend to stumble when they need to comprehend a
word problem by themselves and use the appropriate procedure to solve it. This is what I
tried.
Q: A cricket team played 20 matches in a tournament. If they lost 25% of the matches and
won all the remaining matches, how many matches did the team lose?
a. 2 matches
b. 4 matches
c. 5 matches
d. 10 matches
Once the class solved this problem, I also asked my students to frame a problem on
percentages where the answer would be 10 matches. Each student came up with a
different word problem! This was a real test of their mathematical capacities.
Part C
291
Teacher’s Voice 3.6iii
Multiple Methods
I teach Grade 9. I find that my students usually solve mathematical problems using only
one method. They rarely use a combination of methods to arrive at a solution. This is an
important capacity in Mathematics as it helps in discerning when to use which method.
So, I gave my students a problem and asked them to use at least 3 different ways of
solving it. This was the problem:
There are 48 students in Grade 8 in a school. If the number of girls is three times the
number of boys, then how many girls and boys are there in that class?
Solve this question using at least 3 different methods: Algebraic method, Ratio method,
Section method, using patterns, or any other method.
Since students may attempt this in very many ways, I also gave them these solved
answers to self-assess their work after they worked out their methods.
Correct Answer 1: Algebraic Method (1)
Step 1: Number of boys = x
Step 2: Number of girls = 3x
Step 3: 3x + x = 48
Step 4: 4x = 48
Step 5: X = 12
Step 6: Number of boys = 12
Step 7: Number of girls = 36
Correct Answer 2: Algebraic Method (2)
Step 1: Number of girls = x
Step 2: Number of boys = x/3
Step 3: X + (x/3) = 48
Step 4: (4x/3) = 48
Step 5: X = 36
Step 6: Y = 12
Correct Answer 3: Using ratios
Step 1: The ratio of the number of girls to the number of boys is 3: 1.
Step 2: 3x + x = 48
Step 3: 4x = 48
Step 4: X = 12
Correct Answer 4: Using Section Method
Step 1: Girl’s section = 3/4
Step 2: Number of girls = 3/4 (48)
Step 3:(3 x 48)/4
Step 4: 3 x 12 = 36
Step 5: Number of boys = 1/4 (48) = 12 or number of boys 48 - 36= 12
Part C
292
Correct Answer 5: Solving using the pattern.

Boys and Girls
1 3
2 6
4 12
8 24
12 36
Number of girls = 36
Number of boys = 12
And any pattern from which the correct answer can be drawn.
Turn around and solve questions like:
36 + 12 = 48 And write 36 = 3 x 12
So, the number of girls = 36 and the number of boys = 12.
Correct Answer 6: Using equations
Step 1: Number of girls = x
Step 2: Number of boys = y
Step 3: X + y = 48
Step 4: X = 3y
Step 5: 3y + y = 48
Step 6: 4y = 48
Step 7: Y = 12
Step 8: X= 36
Part C
293
Chapter 4
Science Education
Science is the study of the natural and physical world around us through a systematic process of
observing, questioning, forming hypotheses, testing hypotheses through experiment, analysing
evidence, and thereby continuously revising our knowledge.
The process of Science is not something that only scientists do in laboratories alone. It also
develops an important set of capacities (and dispositions) essential for leading a rational and
fulfilling lives. These capacities (and dispositions) help us make informed and good decisions
that benefit us and our communities.
Learning Science enables us to gain valid knowledge about the world as well as acquire scientific
values, capacities, and dispositions, such as curiosity, creativity, evidence-based thinking, and
sound decision-making.
As a subject in schools, Science draws significantly from the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry,
Physics, Earth Sciences, as well as from Mathematics, Computational Sciences, and, where
relevant, from Social Science and Vocational Education, in order to provide an interdisciplinary
understanding and appreciation of the role of Science in everyday life.
Part C
294
Good education in Science, including the development of a mindset of inquiry and research in
students, is critical in addressing the challenges that India and the world face today, such as
climate change, improving healthcare, technological advancement and use for sustainable
development, creation of just and equitable livelihoods, and living in harmony with nature.
Therefore, ensuring high quality education in Science, and its relationship with other subjects
such as Social Science and Vocational Education forms a key focus of this NCF. This would help
students to gain an understanding of how science and scientific research can address the central
challenges faced by our society.
Children must start learning the process of science and the basics of the scientific method starting
in the Foundational Stage itself. In the Preparatory Stage, they gain further experience in the
process of Science and the scientific method through observing patterns and relationships in
their natural environment and conducting simple hands-on experiments.
Science is introduced as a separate Curricular Area only in the Middle Stage. In this Stage, the
approach integrates the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. This integrated approach
continues in the first two years of the Secondary Stage (Grades 9 and 10). In the final two years
of the Secondary Stage (Grades 11 and 12), a disciplinary approach is taken, with Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Science being offered separately. Students thereby get the
opportunity to choose and understand the nature of one or more of these disciplines more deeply
and develop competencies specific to each. As in the case of other Curricular Areas, Grades 11
and 12 are not dealt with in this chapter, but in Part B, Chapter 10.
Section 4.1
Aims
Science aims to develop an understanding of the natural and physical world through systematic
inquiry. Learning Science also builds important capacities such as observation, analysis, and
inference. This in turn enables the meaningful participation of individuals in society and the
world of work with scientific temper, critical and evidence-based thinking, asking relevant
questions, analysing practices and norms, and acting for necessary change.
Science Education aims to achieve:
a. Scientific understanding of the natural and physical world. Scientific understanding
develops through specific observations, questions, experiments, theories, laws, principles,
and concepts. An adequate knowledge of these is essential to build a systematic and
verifiable understanding of the way the natural and physical world functions. In Science
Education, students must thus learn the fundamental methods, concepts, and theories on
which Science rests.
b. Capacities for scientific inquiry. The abilities to put forth hypotheses, arguments,
predictions, and analyses, and to test hypotheses, evaluate situations, and draw logical
conclusions, are fundamental to the learning of Science. Science Education must thus build
these skills in students systematically over the Stages in school.
Part C
295
c. Understanding the evolution of scientific knowledge. There are crucial historical

moments in the development of Science and scientific knowledge that could not have
occurred without the efforts of various individuals and organisations over thousands of
years. Understanding these key moments and discoveries will develop students’
understanding of how scientific knowledge and the methods of science evolved and still
evolve over time.
d. Interdisciplinary understanding between Science and other curricular areas.
Learning in Science involves understanding interlinkages across disciplines. Concepts,
principles, laws, and theories cannot be viewed as isolated, but instead they together
contribute to a holistic understanding of the world. Students would learn to inquire and
learn about the world through such an interdisciplinary approach.
e. Understanding of the relationship between Science, Technology, and Society. The
contribution of Science to Society and how different societal needs led to the generation of
scientific knowledge is also an important part of learning Science. Engaging with issues
related to connections between Science, Technology, and Society, including the ethical
aspects and implications, and appreciating the role Science plays in addressing the
challenges and the world is undergoing, will add to the breadth of students’ learning.
f. Scientific temper. Developing the capacities for critical and evidence-based thinking and
freedom from fear and prejudice is central to the learning of Science. Students will imbibe
scientific values and dispositions such as honesty, integrity, scepticism, objectivity, tenacity,
perseverance, collaboration and cooperation, concern for life, and preservation of the
environment.
g. Creativity. Asking good questions, observing patterns in the world around us, formulating
plausible hypotheses given those patterns, and designing good experiments to test those
hypotheses often requires artistry and creativity. Developing such creativity and a sense of
aesthetics in the pursuit of scientific understanding and exploration is another very
important but oft-ignored aim of Science Education.
Section 4.2
Nature of Knowledge
Science is an organised system of knowledge, that evolves as a result of curiosity followed by
inquiry, logical reasoning, experimentation, and the examination of empirical evidence. It enables
an understanding of the physical and natural environments and phenomena, the identification of
meaningful patterns and relations including causes and effects, and supports the development of
models, theories, laws, and principles.
a. Science is fundamentally a creative endeavour. Science involves imagining new ideas

and concepts to understand the world. Creative imagination is required to engage with the
concepts of Science — e.g., natural selection to explain diversity (theory of evolution),
planetary models to represent the motion of planets, and atomic theory to envision the
microscopic world beyond our capacity for observation. Asking questions, formulating
hypotheses, designing experiments and making models all require creativity.
Part C
296
b. Science provides the methods and tools necessary to explore and understand the
world. These methods and tools lead to explanations supported by empirical evidence that
can be tested in a variety of diverse real-life situations against rigorous criteria
(observation, rational argument, inference, replicability).
c. Scientific knowledge keeps evolving and this is reflected in its history. Scientific
knowledge is very reliable but also subject to change when presented with new evidence or
with a re-conceptualisation of prior evidence and knowledge. Science, therefore, develops
an appreciation for change as well as for the rigorous process through which scientific
knowledge evolves.
Section 4.3
Current Challenges
A major challenge related to Science in the school curriculum is the focus on facts and definitions,
often with a neglect for the development of conceptual understanding and the capacities for
scientific inquiry.
a. Science teaching-learning has traditionally been based mostly on the textbook, with a focus
on facts and definitions. One reason for this is the curricular load, which reduces the time
available for exploration and discussion. The development of conceptual understanding and
capacities requires time which is currently missing due to the high content load. This
challenge only increases as students move to higher grades — the demand on them
increases as the curricular load becomes even greater. The need for abstract thinking also
increases. It is critical that the students develop the capacities to be able to make the
progression. However, the current focus on facts does not build these capacities adequately.
b. The content to be included in the curriculum is often determined by the content and
demands of entrance examinations for higher education. This is not sound logic. Science
content in school should be determined by the Aims of School Education and what all
students should aim to learn in Science. Meanwhile, higher education entrance
examinations (or other methods) must change to being competency-based rather than
rote-based and ‘fact recounting’.
Content of Science syllabus must not assume that all students will pursue Science in Higher
Education, as some syllabi seem to, today.
c. Another challenge is the disconnect between the school curriculum and what students
observe and experience outside school. Students come to school with their own theories
about the world. These theories develop as they observe the world around them and seek
explanations for what they see. Often, these theories may conflict with what is being
discussed in the classroom; common intuition and scientific theories at times may not
match. Illustratively, through mere perception, it is very hard to think that the Earth is not
flat.
d. While a lack of infrastructure is common across Curricular Areas, learning Science
especially requires access to apparatus, equipment, and laboratories. Unfortunately, this
remains a neglected need. Low-cost, easily available materials are also not used, since
Part C
297
Teachers often lack the capacity to develop such local, low-cost teaching-learning materials.
At the Secondary Stage, access to a laboratory is non-negotiable — students must be able to
assemble and manipulate apparatus, use materials, and design simple experiments to truly
develop important competencies related to Science.
Section 4.4
Learning Standards
4.4.1 Curricular Goals and Competencies
This section lays out the Learning Standards (Curricular Goals and Competencies) for Science as
an integrated Curricular Area.
In the Middle Stage and Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage, Science is taught using integrated
approach. This integrated approach develops fundamental capacities related to the disciplines of
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Earth Science while the use of connections across them helps
students appreciate the interrelations between these subjects and make sense of their
observations and experiences.
At all Stages, along with conceptual understanding, the capacities of scientific inquiry are
developed as age appropriate. These concepts and capacities are chosen both from a disciplinary
perspective and in terms of what is useful and necessary in their everyday lives. Students thereby
understand the world around them with increasing depth, explore scientific questions at different
levels through discussion and experimentation, and learn to communicate this understanding in
different ways.
It is important to note that the Curricular Goals are interdependent, and not separate curricular
pieces of study. For example, the Curricular Goals CG-1 (explore matter) and CG-6 (how to do
Science) given in the Middle Stage would need to happen together, say through a project, for a
student to attain both Goals.
Part C
298

C-1.1 Classifies matter based on observable physical (solid,
liquid, gas, shape, volume, density, transparent,
opaque, translucent, magnetic, non-magnetic,
conducting, non-conducting) and chemical (pure,
impure; acid, base; metal, non-metal; element,
compound) characteristics
C-1.2 Describes changes in matter (physical and chemical)
CG-1 and uses particulate nature to represent the
Explores the world of matter properties of matter and the changes
and its constituents, C-1.3 Explains the importance of measurement and
properties, and behaviour measures physical properties of matter (such as
volume, weight, temperature, density) in indigenous,
non-standard and standard units using simple
instruments
C-1.4 Observes and explains the phenomena caused due to
differences in pressure, temperature, and density
(e.g., breathing, sinking-floating, water pumps in
homes, cooling of things, formation of winds)
C-2.1 Describes one-dimensional motion (uniform, non-

uniform, horizontal, vertical) using physical
measurements (position, speed, and changes in
speed) through mathematical and diagrammatic
representations
C-2.2 Describes how electricity works through
manipulating different elements in simple circuits
and demonstrates the heating and magnetic effects of
electricity
CG-2 C-2.3 Describes the properties of a magnet (natural and

Explores the physical world in artificial; Earth as a magnet)
scientific and mathematical C-2.4 Demonstrates rectilinear propagation of light from
terms different sources (natural, artificial, reflecting
surfaces), verifies the laws of reflection through
manipulation of light sources and objects and the use
of apparatus and artefacts (such as plane and curved
mirrors, pinhole camera, kaleidoscope, periscope)
C-2.5 Observes and identifies celestial objects (stars,
planets, natural and artificial satellites, constellations,
comets) in the night sky using a simple telescope and
images/ photographs, and explains their role in
navigation, calendars, and other phenomena (phases
of the moon, eclipse, life on earth)
Part C
299
C-3.1 Describes the diversity of living things observed in

the natural surroundings (insects, earthworms,
snails, birds, mammals, reptiles, spiders, diverse
plants, and fungi), including at a smaller scale
(microscopic organisms)
C-3.2 Distinguishes the characteristics of living organisms
(need for nutrition, growth and development, need
CG-3 for respiration, response to stimuli, reproduction,
Explores the living world in excretion, cellular organisation) from non-living
scientific terms things
C-3.3 Analyses patterns of relationships between living
organisms and their environments in terms of
dependence on and response to each other
C-3.4 Explains the conditions suitable for sustaining life on
Earth and other planets (atmosphere; suitable
temperature-pressure, light; properties of water)
C-4.1 Undertakes a nutrition-based analysis of food

components with special reference to Indian culinary
practices and modern understanding of nutrition,
and explains the effect of nutrition on health
CG-4
C-4.2 Examines different dimensions of diversity of food
Understands the components — sources, nutrients, climatic conditions, diets
of health, hygiene, and well-
C-4.3 Describes biological changes (growth, hormonal)
being
during adolescence, and measures to ensure overall
well-being
C-4.4 Recognises and discusses substance abuse, viewing
school as a safe space to raise these concerns
C-5.1 Illustrates how Science and Technology can help to

improve the quality of human life (health care,
communication, transportation, food security,
CG-5
mitigation of climate change, judicious consumption
Understands the interface of of resources, applications of artificial satellites) as
Science, Technology, and well as some of the harmful uses of science in history
Society
C-5.2 Shares views on news and articles related to the
impact that Science/Technology and society have on
each other
Part C
300

1-Ncf 2023 Hindi Removed Compressed

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1-Ncf 2023 Hindi Removed Compressed

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1-Ncf 2023 Hindi Removed Compressed

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

National Curriculum Framework for School Education

National Curriculum Framework

National Curriculum Framework

National Steering Committee for National Curriculum Frameworks

1.1 From the Chair

32 ISL Indian Sign Language

64 PBR People’s Biodiversity Register

1.3 Table of Contents

From the Chair 5

How to Read the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 14

 PART B: CROSS-CUTTING THEMES 141

 PART C: SCHOOL SUBJECTS 209

 PART D: SCHOOL CULTURE AND PROCESSES 513

 PART E: CREATING A SUPPORTIVE ECOSYSTEM 547

Conventions and Styles Used in this NCF 575

Wide and Inclusive Process for Development of the National

How to Read the

However, if there is a need to be selective, then it is recommended that Part A must

An Artificial Intelligence-based virtual assistant has been trained to help users

Vision of the National Curriculum Framework

To enable the development of the aforementioned Knowledge, Capacities, Values, and

Environment, Practices, and Culture

Effecting these Curricular Changes

Organisation of this NCF

1.1 A Few Preliminary Points

1.1.2 Curriculum Framework

1.1.3 What does this NCF aim to achieve?

1.2 Core Principles of this NCF Design

1.3 Learning Standards

1.3.1 Broad Aims of School Education

1.3.2 Values and Dispositions, Capacities, and Knowledge

1.3.3 Curricular Aims, Goals, Competencies, and

1.4 Stage Design

1.4.1 Foundational Stage

1.4.2 Preparatory Stage

1.4.3 Middle Stage

1.4.4 Secondary Stage

Learning Standards have been set for these areas of study.

c. Phase 2 — Grades 11 and 12:

f. Assessments and Board Examinations:

1.5 Few Thrust Areas of this NCF

1.5.1 Art and Physical Education

1.5.2 Vocational Education

1.5.3 Environmental Education

f. In Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage, Environmental Education is part of

1.5.4 Rootedness and Pride in India

This rootedness of this NCF is manifested in the following ways:

1.6 Other Curricular Areas

1.6.1 Language Education

1.6.2 Mathematics Education

1.6.3 Science Education

Students will be encouraged to ask questions, observe, experiment, make connections,

1.6.4 Social Science Education

1.7 School Culture and Processes

1.7.1 School Culture

1.7.2 School Processes

1.8 Creating a Supportive Ecosystem

1.8.1 Capacity Building for Implementation

1.8.2 Ensuring an Appropriate Environment for Learning

a. Outdoor infrastructure must be ensured, which includes boundary/compound wall; basic