Reimagining Holistic Education in India

This research examines the role of social sciences within the evolving framework of holistic and interdisciplinary education in India. The study focuses on how educational reforms, particularly the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, attempt to transform India’s traditionally compartmentalized and rote-based education system into a multidisciplinary model that emphasizes critical thinking, experiential learning, flexibility, and real-world application of knowledge. The paper explores the historical evolution of social science education in India, major curriculum gaps, interdisciplinary educational models, policy reforms, stakeholder perspectives, and the societal consequences of weakening humanities and social sciences within mainstream education. Using a qualitative analytical approach based on literature review, policy analysis, curriculum evaluation, and comparative educational perspectives, the research identifies several structural and institutional barriers affecting the implementation of holistic education. These include fragmented curricula, inadequate teacher preparation, infrastructural inequalities, rigid institutional systems, limited experiential learning, and persistent societal preference for STEM-oriented disciplines. The study also examines how the declining emphasis on social sciences affects democratic participation, ethical reasoning, media literacy, civic awareness, and preparedness for contemporary global challenges such as climate change, misinformation, digital citizenship, and artificial intelligence ethics. The research further evaluates emerging interdisciplinary educational models in India alongside international frameworks such as Finland’s phenomenon-based learning and liberal arts education systems. It highlights the gap between the transformative vision of NEP 2020 and the practical realities of implementation across diverse educational contexts in India. The study concludes that strengthening holistic education requires greater integration of social sciences into interdisciplinary curricula, stronger institutional support, improved teacher training, context-sensitive policy execution, and increased emphasis on inquiry-based and experiential learning. Ultimately, the paper argues that balancing technical education with humanistic and civic understanding is essential for building socially responsible, critically aware, and adaptable citizens capable of addressing complex national and global issues.