From Policy to Practice: A Multi-State Analysis of NEP 2020 Implementation Barriers in Government Primary Schools

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 represents India's most comprehensive educational reform in three decades, yet its implementation in government primary schools faces substantial systemic barriers. This empirical study examines implementation challenges across five Indian states Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu through a mixed-methods approach combining surveys of 847 primary school administrators, classroom observations, and policy document analysis. Findings reveal critical barriers across four domains: infrastructural inadequacies (78% of schools lacking digital infrastructure), human resource constraints (average teacher-student ratio of 1:42 versus NEP's recommended 1:30), pedagogical resistance to foundational literacy and numeracy reforms (63% teachers expressing low self-efficacy), and administrative-financial bottlenecks (average 11-month delay in fund allocation). Regional disparities emerge significantly, with southern states demonstrating 34% higher implementation readiness than northern counterparts. The study identifies that successful implementation requires synchronized interventions addressing capacity building, resource allocation mechanisms, and institutional reform. These findings have immediate implications for policy refinement and implementation strategy recalibration at both central and state levels.