NEP 2020: Transforming Educational Practices and Policies for the Development of Holistic Intelligence among Prospective Teachers

The National Education Policy (NEP, 2020) has redefined the educational landscape in India by shifting emphasis from content-heavy, examination-oriented approaches to competency-based, flexible, and holistic learning, marks a paradigm shift in India’s educational vision moving beyond conventional knowledge acquisition toward the holistic development of learners. This transformation is of particular consequence for teacher education, given that preservice teachers are future makers of the learning space. This paper critically explores how NEP (2020) reorientates practices and policies in teacher education to cultivate intelligence of an integrated nature (intellect, emotion, physical and spiritual) among pre-service teachers. Through qualitative document analysis, a systematic literature review and thematic analysis, the paper reviews evidence from policy frameworks, academic papers and teacher education guidelines. This article singles out structural, pedagogical, curricular and assessment interventions proposed in NEP (2020) and examines their potential impact on nurturing holistic intelligence. We suggest a model of NEP (2020)–Holistic Intelligence Alignment Framework that attempts to conceptualize how policy suggestions can be connected with developmental trajectories of future teachers. The paper identifies systemic lacunae with respect to faculty readiness, infrastructure limitations and assessment issues; and paucity of empirical studies on holistic intelligence. The paper posits that NEP (2020) outlined an idealistic blueprint; there was a need for strong implementation strategies and structures, capacity building, monitoring towards real transformation in TEIs.