The education system in India has traditionally been regulated by extensive input-oriented guidelines that emphasise infrastructure standards, faculty numbers, instructional time, and adherence to procedural requirements. The implementation of these measures, although aimed at maintaining quality, has frequently resulted in a lack of diversity in approaches, stifling both innovation and accountability regarding genuine student outcomes.
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 signifies a significant departure from the existing paradigm. The NEP fundamentally underscores the importance of outcome-based education (OBE), focusing on the knowledge, skills, and values that learners acquire, rather than the adherence of institutions to predetermined inputs. Nonetheless, five years following the adoption of the NEP, the implementation continues to exhibit inconsistencies. The existing regulatory frameworks within the domains of primary education, higher education, and vocational training predominantly function based on outdated compliance models.
On 24 January 2026, International Day of Education, the Centre for Civil Society organises a high-level panel discussion aimed at rigorously analysing the pathways through which India can transcend mere compliance and implement substantial regulatory reforms that facilitate outcome-based learning in practice.
Discussion Theme
Beyond Compliance: Driving Regulatory Reforms for Outcome-Based Learning
The discussion will explore how India’s education regulators, institutions, and policymakers can redesign governance structures to support learning outcomes, flexibility, innovation, and accountability, in line with the spirit of NEP 2020.
Objectives
- Examine the limitations of input-based regulation in Indian education
- Highlight why outcome-based education is central to NEP 2020
- Identify regulatory bottlenecks that hinder outcome-based learning
- Encourage a shift from procedural compliance to learner-centric accountability
Sub-Themes
1. Input-Based v. Outcome-Based Learning
This segment will set the conceptual foundation by contrasting the two regulatory approaches.
2. Why Outcome-Based Education Is Central to NEP 2020
The NEP repeatedly emphasises competencies, skills, and holistic development, but implementation remains challenging.
3. The Need for Regulatory Reforms to Make NEP Work in Practice
This segment will focus on regulatory design and governance.
The forthcoming discussion will lead to the official publication of CCS’s most recent Bihar State Regulatory Profile (SRP) concerning the educational landscape in the State of Bihar, thereby anchoring the policy dialogue.
This section will outline:
- Highlight significant results derived from the Bihar State Regulatory Profile
- Highlight regulatory challenges specific to Bihar’s education ecosystem
- Provide recommendations for reform that are based on empirical analysis.
The SRP may serve as a case study illustrating why regulatory reform is essential for translating outcome-based education from policy intent into classroom reality.
