National Education Policy 2020: A Transformative Shift in Education to Foster Critical Thinking among Students

National Education Policy 2020 recognizes the pivotal role of critical thinking in preparing students for the demands of the 21st century and aims to embed it across all aspects of the education system to foster a culture of inquiry, analysis, and innovation. It focuses on the development of the “creative potential” of each student. According to Ken Robinson, “Creativity, now, is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.” Developing critical thinking skills takes practice and often involves activities like analyzing texts, engaging in debates, solving problems, and evaluating evidence. It's a skill that is relevant in many aspects of life, from academics and professional settings to everyday decision-making. The policy advocates that the principle aim of education should not only be to develop cognitive skills — both “higher-order cognitive capabilities,” such as critical thinking and problem-solving and “foundational capacities” of numeracy and literacy — but should also be to develop emotional, social, and ethical capacities and dispositions. It encourages creativity, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking at all levels of education with the support of good governance, autonomy, and empowerment. The present paper is an attempt to explore and understand how National Education Policy 2020 can be a transformative act in Education to foster critical thinking among students.