Kevadia, July 11 : The two-day National Vice-Chancellors' Conference, hosted at Tent City-2 in Ekta Nagar, Narmada district in Gujarat, was inaugurated by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday.

Attended by heads of over 50 central universities from across the country, the conference is centred around the effective implementation and evaluation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with a broader vision to realise the goals of a 'Viksit Bharat 2047.'

Delivering the keynote address, Minister Pradhan emphasised the transformative impact of NEP 2020 on India's higher education landscape.

'Over the past decade, we've seen a significant shift towards inclusive, multidisciplinary, and innovation-driven education. Student enrollment has increased by 30 per cent since 2014-15, with a notable 38 per cent rise among female students. For the first time, the gross enrollment ratio (GER) of women has surpassed that of men. GER among Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes has also shown a marked improvement,' he said.

He elaborated on the five foundational pillars of NEP 2020 - holistic education, interdisciplinary learning, innovation, inclusive access, and Indian knowledge systems. Urging vice-chancellors to embrace a "student-first" approach, he stressed the importance of aligning curricula with future employment, ethical responsibility, and societal upliftment.

The Minister also called for the integration of emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and regional languages in the curriculum, while advocating for the mainstreaming of India's traditional knowledge systems (IKS).

Minister Pradhan urged all universities to formulate strategic roadmaps for NEP implementation that include multidisciplinary course offerings, skill development through technology, and value-based education.

He underlined the importance of incorporating modern approaches into campus initiatives while preserving India's cultural and intellectual heritage. Additional Secretary Sunil Barnwal explained NEP's five core pillars - access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability - encouraging institutions to reflect these in their planning and delivery.

Ramashankar Dubey, a senior vice-chancellor, reiterated that all central universities are committed to implementing NEP in line with the national vision of a developed India by 2047. The conference is built around three major themes: alignment with NEP goals, collaborative dialogue and resource sharing among VCs, and planning for future reforms to meet global academic benchmarks.

Thematic sessions over the two days include discussions on: Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) and the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF/NCrF), curriculum alignment for future employment, digital education platforms like SWAYAM and AAPAR, university governance (SAMARTH), equity and inclusive education, promotion of Indian languages and knowledge systems, research and innovation (ANRF, PMRF), rankings and accreditation, internationalisation through the 'Study in India' initiative and faculty development under the Malaviya Mission.

Participating institutions include Delhi University, Central University of Haryana, Assam University, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Central University of Rajasthan, Central University of Kashmir, Visva-Bharati, IGNTU, National Sanskrit University, Sikkim University, Tripura University, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), University of Allahabad, among many others.

/IANS