The government recently released the ‘Mandate Document: Guidelines for the Development of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). While the National Education Policy 2020 is the ‘Philosophy’, National Curriculum Framework is the ‘Pathway’ to champion the changing demands of the 21st century and positively impact the future.

Some of the important characteristics of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) are:

It delineates the process of the development and the characteristics of the NCF.

1. It provides clear and specific anchors for the NCF to the vision, principles, and approach of NEP 2020.

1. It sets the mechanisms for the development of a coherent and comprehensive NCF, fully leveraging the widespread consultations already under way
2. The process designed ensures the seamless integration imagined – vertically (across Stages) and horizontally (across subjects in the same Stage) in the NEP 2020 – to ensure holistic, integrated, and multi-disciplinary education
3. It enables the critical linkage between the curriculum of schools with the curriculum of Teacher Education as an integral part of the transformative reforms envisioned by the NEP 2020 in the overall Teacher Education sector, thus  enabling rigorous preparation, continuous professional development, and a positive working environment for all our teachers
4. It informs the creation of opportunities for life-long learning for all citizens in the country
5. Directly ‘useable by’ and ‘relatable to’ the most important stakeholders in education – teachers, students, parents, and communities across the country – to enable and empower, change and improve the reality of education practice
6. Anchored and informed by sound theory and cutting-edge research, yet using simple language with real-life illustrations from classrooms and schools in a variety of contexts
7. Outlining a systematic path for step-by-step movement from current reality to the ideal to ensure real progress in education that touches the lives of all.

Source: PIB