Submission to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2016

The Government of India aims to bring out a National Education Policy to meet the changing
dynamics of the populations requirement with regards to quality education, innovation and
research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the
necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science,
technology, academics and industry. With reference to the same, Janaagraha Centre for
Citizenship & Democracy (JCCD) would like to provide our inputs for the National Education
Policy (NEP), with particular reference to teaching of civics within the curriculum, given our
experience of running our successful civic literacy programme, Bala Janaagraha.
The mission of the National Education Policy is to Ensure that school and higher education as
well as adult education programmes inculcate an awareness among children, youth and adults
of Indias rich heritage, glorious past, great traditions and heterogeneous culture, and promote
acquisition by the learners at all levels of values that promote responsible citizenship, peace,
tolerance, secularism, national integration, social cohesion and mutual respect for all religions,
as well as universal values that help develop global citizenship and sustainable development.
The National Education Policy 2016 speaks of the curriculum to be outcome-based and aim for
overall development of students through imparting life skills in an increasingly technology
driven environment. All students will be taught both fundamental duties and rights so that
they can become responsible citizens both within the country and in the world. It also talks of
addressing issues of gender, social, cultural and regional disparities, with an emphasis on unity
in diversity. It mentions the inclusion of Citizenship education, peace education, character
building, legal and constitutional literacy, financial literacy, environment sustainability and
other common core which will be promoted through all subject areas.
Our citizens are minimally engaged in the affairs of the city around them, except when faced
with service issues which affect their daily routine. This apathy is manifested in the low
engagement and turnout at the civic body elections.
Keeping in mind the challenges of engaging with citizens in urban India, Janaagraha believes
that promoting civic learning among children, could lay the foundation towards nurturing an
active and involved citizenry in the future. Done right, civic learning can help to develop critical
thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, initiative and innovation
(Torney-Purta and Wilkenfeld, 2009). A Stanford University Report echoes similar views. The
report outlines that students exposed to civic learning receive balanced knowledge, skills and
values, allowing them to become effective members the society (Youth Civic Development and
Education Report, 2014). The works of Kahne and Middaugh (2008) found that civic learning
opportunities effectively develop civic commitments and capacities. They argue that the

education and preparation of students to become informed and engaged citizens is essential
for their empowerment and for the overall health of our democracy. Any democracy, worthy of
that designation, must provide these opportunities in an equitable way.
In India, civic education is delivered at the high school level. However, Janaagraha believes the
curriculum and the pedagogy used could be improved upon in grooming an aware and
responsible citizenry.
As pointed out by the Kothari Commission, the social science curriculum hitherto emphasized
developmental issues. These are important but not sufficient for understanding the normative
dimension, like issues of equality, justice, and dignity in society and polity. An epistemological
shift is suggested so as to accommodate the multiple ways of imagining the Indian nation. The
national perspective needs to be balanced with reference to the local. It is important to build a
citizenry committed to democratic practices, values, sensitivity towards gender justice,
problems faced by the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, needs of the disabled, and
capacities to participate in economic and political processes (National Curriculum Framework,
2005).
The current civics curriculum in schools is a great exposure to students of the theoretical
concepts of governance structures and institutions, the Constitution, directive principles and so
forth. However, the curriculum does not do adequate justice to sensitizing, influencing and
encouraging children to be engaged and participate on issues relating to civic aspects in their
neighbourhood and communities - that have a direct bearing on their quality of life.
Being a broad overview, the formal Civics curriculum, does not lay emphasis on aspects related
to institutions of local Governance - the ULBs, the Corporations, the mayors, the Corporators,
the parastatals and their structures and responsibilities. These are the arms of Governance
that operate at the level of communities & neighbourhoods and these are the structures that
are directly responsible for provision of infrastructure & services to the citizen. These are the
institutions that noticeably impact the quality of life of citizens. And it is at this level that
effective engagement and participation of the citizens, particularly the youth, with institutions
of governance is necessary for sustainable improvement of quality of life in our cities.
Participative democracy, after all, is a critical prerequisite for the foundation of a vibrant
society, as the Honble Prime Minister himself advocated at his recent Town Hall on 6 th August
2016. The Prime Minister spoke about the importance of participatory democracy beyond
voting, thereby recognising that the latter in itself is not the complete and true spirit of
democracy and therefore cannot be the one-stop-shop for fixing civic issues.

In this context we believe that there is a need to fill this gap, amongst the youth of this country
of knowledge, understanding and encouragement for young citizens to participate on aspects
related to civic issues in their neighbourhood; to contribute to improvement of their own
quality of life; to participate and not be a spectator; to collaborate and not be a complainant.
As part of improving the Quality of Citizenship, we at Janaagraha, a not for profit organisation
based out of Bengaluru, run Bala Janaagraha, a practical civic learning programme with the
objective of transforming todays children into active citizens of tomorrow.
This programme works with students of Class VIII, in the age group of 13 to 14 years of age,
engaging them on aspects related to local governance and active citizenship. As part of the
course work, students are also required to work on a practical live project that brings into
action the learnings rendered in the classroom.
The programme not just informs through classroom sessions, but also gets students to engage
with issues in their neighbourhood in practice. As part of the on-ground project work, which
gives students real-life exposure to local civic issues and how to participate and engage and
contribute to getting them resolved, the students undertake a civic project. The activity
currently involves students taking up a stretch of road in their neighbourhood and interacting
with the relevant stakeholders to identify the shortcomings being faced by them and initiate a
multi-dimensional approach to resolve them. During the course of the project students meet
various local representatives such as the ward Councillors, MLAs, Mayors, MPs - and in a few
cases, even the Chief Ministers - to seek their help in improving the status of the selected road.
A majority of aspects that get highlighted during this project activity are related to waste
management and segregation. The civic project activity engages students and gives them a
platform to express themselves on issues critical to their quality of life. Also the project, by its
very nature, drives critical thinking, logical reasoning, team work, presentation skills,
negotiation skills and a solution driven approach among students.
When the Prime Minister was asked by a group of students about the main challenges of
Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, he said, When I first thought about the scheme, I felt it was a huge
challenge. Swacch Bharat Abhiyan is not a government project, it is a thought process. I assure
you things will change through small steps. The Bala Janaagraha Programme is such a process.
Over 40% of the projects submitted by the Bala Janaagraha students as part of the Civic Project
have been on aspects that relate directly to the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan.
To establish the positive outcomes of the Bala Janaagraha programme, a series of evaluations,
to assess progression of civics knowledge and participation levels amongst students of the Bala
Janaagraha Programme, as compared to those who are not, have been undertaken over the last
few years. The Impact Assessment Report of the Bala Janaagraha Programme for 2015-16

indicated a 14 % increase in knowledge on civic issues and an 8% increase in participation of the

students in activities such as the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. Corresponding increases in civic
knowledge and participation in a control group of non Bala Janaagraha Programme Schools was
just one percent on both accounts.
We believe the concepts that students get exposed to through the Bala Janaagraha Programme
are an essential starting point and precursor for the youth to believe in the importance of and
be exposed to citizen participation in governance - to be a partner in the Governments quest
for an India of tomorrow where the quality of life of a citizen is as much in the hands of its
citizen as it is the responsibility of the Government to deliver.
Therefore, we believe that to fulfil the objectives of the NEP, the current Civics curriculum
needs to be rethought and supplemented to include more aspects; aspects on the lines that the
Bala Janaagraha Programme exposes students to for improved knowledge and participation.