Repositioning Sanskrit in Indian Education: An Analysis of NEP 2020 Reforms and Challenges

The New National Education Policy of India marks the beginning of a new era for India's approach to revive and cultivate the treasure of knowledge rooted in the classical Indian languages, with particular emphasis on Sanskrit.For decades, the language has been marginalised because of traditional and rigid teaching methods, unavailability of materials and teachers, and very limited interdisciplinary exposure.This paper explores how NEP 2020 addresses these long-standing barriers.The policy places Sanskrit within the three-language formula, encourages its use as a medium of instruction, and emphasizes the need for stronger research and innovation.It also calls for single-stream Sanskrit universities to evolve into multidisciplinary institutions, signaling a broader vision for the language's place in modern higher education.The paper highlights the potential challenges such as teacher shortages, limited resources, and attitudinal resistance that may slow down the reforms.The study concludes that while NEP 2020 provides a promising framework, its success will depend on effective implementation and on presenting Sanskrit as both a cultural heritage and a relevant field of study in the twenty-first century.