Ministry of Education has released an advisory notifying the creation of Education Advisory Council (EdAC) to the government for working on the implementation of the National Education Policy.
The council will have members with experience across crucial areas of education. It will advise, provide expertise to, and bridge the gap among the various existing bodies to implement the policy.
An official notification by the ministry reads, "In order to advise the Ministry of Education on critical aspects of implementation of the NEP 2020 and also to facilitate the comprehensive, holistic, synergetic, and systematic implementation of the policy across school and higher education it has been decided to constitute an Education Advisory Council (EdAC) to Gol. The council will have members with experience and expertise across vital areas of education including early childhood education, foundational literacy and numeracy, school education, higher education, adult education and lifelong learning, innovative pedagogy, disruptive technologies such as Al, skills and vocational education and research."
As per the notification, the EdAC will undertake the following activities as part of its terms of reference:
-Advise MoB and other ministries, agencies, and institutions involved in education on critical aspects of implementation of the NEP 2020 and facilitate its comprehensive. holistic, synergetic and systematic execution.
-Develop an overarching and futuristic roadmap and action plan for holistic NEP implementation across school and higher education.
-Analyse interventions undertaken so far and their efficacy, and make corresponding recommendations for continuous course correction.
-Recommend measures for revamping and rejuvenating the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) to strengthen and empower it for greater mandate to enhance coordination and collaboration between the centre and states.
-Any other matters requested by MoE or other ministries, agencies, and institutions involved in education.
The Education Advisory Council (EdAC) will be an independent body consisting of chairperson (Full Time) - Academician of repute, up to two additional full time members and up to five additional part time members. Eminent members will be chosen from academia, philanthropy, and/or industry to represent fields of educational expertise across school and higher education, education policy, educational administration and governance, skilling, and research and innovation.
The Office of EdAC and its supporting secretariat consisting of about 5-8 persons with expertise in education and administration will be placed in MoE.