Opinion | Social Transformation and Education

NEP 2020 one of the most ambitious reforms India has seen in decades. NEP talks about a shift—from rote learning to understanding, from exam pressure to joyful learning, from rigid streams to flexible choices.

There’s something powerful about education—it doesn’t just teach you to read and write, it teaches you how to live. If you’ve ever seen a child from a remote village grow up to become a doctor, a teacher, or even a thoughtful citizen, you’ll understand what I mean. Education isn’t about blackboards and exams alone. It’s about dignity. It’s about change. And most of all, it’s about transformation—of individuals, families, and whole societies. Now, let me speak from the heart. We often talk about “social transformation” like it’s a big, abstract idea. But it’s actually very simple. When people start thinking differently, treating each other with respect, asking questions, demanding better lives—that’s transformation. And what’s the first place where this change begins? The classroom. We’ve come a long way as a country. From the days when schooling was a luxury for the few, to now, when even the remotest villages have at least a primary school. But let’s not fool ourselves—access alone isn’t enough. The real question is: what kind of education are we offering? Are we teaching students to become just workers, or are we helping them become citizens with values, courage, and vision?

This is where the National Education Policy 2020—or NEP—comes into the picture. And to be honest, it’s one of the most ambitious reforms India has seen in decades. NEP talks about a shift—from rote learning to understanding, from exam pressure to joyful learning, from rigid streams to flexible choices. It says students should learn in their mother tongue at least till Grade 5. That’s a big step toward inclusion. Because when you teach a child in the language they dream in, you don’t just educate them—you empower them. NEP also recognizes that one size doesn’t fit all. It talks about vocational training from a young age, the integration of arts and sports with academics, and gives importance to mental health and well-being. It’s trying to blur the old line between science and humanities, between so-called ‘good’ and ‘ordinary’ careers. And that’s essential for a society like ours where talent is everywhere but opportunity is not. There are also government initiatives like the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, which is trying to unify and strengthen school education—from pre-primary to class 12. Or PM SHRI Schools, which aim to develop 14,500 model schools across India with modern facilities and smart classrooms. Then there’s the Digital India push—through DIKSHA and SWAYAM platforms—to provide quality learning material to everyone, anywhere. Of course, the digital divide is still a big issue, especially in rural and tribal areas. But the intention is clear: learning should not be limited by geography or income.
Let’s not forget schemes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, which did more than raise slogans—it brought attention to the education of the girl child. We’ve seen girls from remote belts of Kashmir to desert villages in Rajasthan rise up and take their place in classrooms, even topping boards and cracking national exams. That’s not just academic success. That’s transformation—because when you educate a girl, you’re changing the destiny of an entire family. But there’s another side to this story, too. Let’s be honest—many schools are still struggling. Teachers are overburdened, infrastructure is weak, and sometimes the system is just too rigid to allow real creativity. Exams still haunt our children. Parents still push for marks more than understanding. And in many places, social discrimination still creeps into classrooms. That’s why we need more than policies. We need a mindset shift. We need to believe that every child—whether rich or poor, boy or girl, from a village or a city—deserves the same quality of education. And that education isn’t just about jobs. It’s about learning how to live with each other, how to think critically, how to listen and grow. You see, social transformation isn’t loud. It’s not always about protests or revolutions. Sometimes, it’s as quiet as a mother teaching her daughter how to hold a pencil. Or a teacher explaining a science concept to a boy who has never seen a lab. Or a school celebrating Eid and Diwali together so children learn that difference is not division. And I say this with full conviction—no scheme, no budget, no policy will ever work unless the community gets involved. Parents, teachers, students, even us, as ordinary citizens—we need to care about our schools. We need to hold our institutions accountable, but also support them. We need to celebrate good teachers, fund libraries, open our minds to new ways of learning. Let’s also remember that education doesn’t stop at school. Life itself is a classroom. And our children are watching us. How we treat each other, how we speak about gender, caste, or religion—that too is education. That too shapes their worldview.
So yes, NEP is a good start. Government schemes are steps forward. But the real transformation—the kind that lasts—will come when education becomes personal to each of us. When we stop treating it as a ladder to success and start seeing it as a path to wisdom.
To all the students reading this, I want to say—don’t just learn to pass. Learn to question. Learn to build. Learn to care. And to the elders, the policymakers, the teachers—let’s not forget that in the eyes of a child, the world begins with us. Social transformation is not some faraway dream. It’s happening now. In small schools. In silent sacrifices. In the stubborn hope of a child who walks miles to study. Let’s honour that hope. Let’s educate to transform, and transform to uplift.
Email ID of the author: lawtahirmajeed@gmail.com