The Impact of Educational Reforms on English Language Teaching and Literary Studies in India

This study critically investigates how recent educational reforms in India, particularly the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and related higher education reforms, have influenced English Language Teaching (ELT) and literary studies at both school and university levels. English education in India has historically been shaped by colonial pedagogical traditions that prioritized grammatical accuracy, memorization, and examination-oriented learning. Contemporary reforms, however, advocate a shift toward communicative competence, student-centred learning, diversified literary curricula, and integrated pedagogical practices. Drawing on a mixed-methods research design involving policy analysis, structured interviews with English teachers and literature faculty, and survey responses from students across multiple Indian states, the study examines changes in curriculum design, teaching practices, assessment methods, teacher preparedness, and learner engagement. The findings suggest that while reforms have encouraged competency-based learning, multilingual pedagogies, and broader literary representation, their implementation remains uneven. Challenges such as insufficient professional training, limited institutional resources, and deeply entrenched assessment systems continue to restrict the transformative potential of these reforms. The paper concludes by recommending targeted teacher development initiatives, contextualized curricular frameworks, and assessment reforms aligned with pedagogical goals.