Northeast Seeks Region-Specific Framework for NEP Implementation

Overview

• Education ministers and officials at a two-day conclave in Chumoukedima pressed for a tailored Northeast approach to the National Education Policy that treats hilly and remote areas differently from plains.
• Speakers called for separate indices and construction standards for hill areas because many NEP and RTE provisions assume flat-terrain conditions that do not fit the region.
• Delegates proposed institutionalising inter-state coordination under the North Eastern Council with twice-yearly meetings and joint regional proposals to pool assessments and schemes.
• Funding shortfalls and falling government-school enrolment were flagged as urgent problems, with one delegate noting that government schools make up about 80% of schools in Nagaland but account for only roughly 33% of enrolment.
• Participants stressed blending multilingual and indigenous knowledge in curricula while adding digital, AI and research skills to improve employability, and framed the conclave outcomes as planning recommendations rather than immediate policy changes.