NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020: A STEP TOWARDS EQUITY OR A NEW FORM OF EDUCATIONAL EXCLUSION?

India's educational system has long been distinguished by inequities that frequently reflect socioeconomic, regional, and cultural inequality. Launched after 34 years of the previous policy, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 offers changes targeted at resolving these inequalities, especially via digital education, multilingualism, and enhanced access to education. But the execution of these changes has spurred discussions on whether they would really promote educational fairness or lead to fresh kinds of exclusion. This study looks at the NEP 2020 critically from the point of view of educational justice, focusing on rural and underprivileged areas, economic barriers, linguistic minorities, and the digital divide. This research investigates, using a qualitative method, whether the NEP would democratize education or support current inequalities.