Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is the first serious attempt to decolonise India's education system [1].

The Governor's comments highlight a strategic shift in India's academic approach, moving away from colonial-era structures toward a model that prioritizes indigenous growth, and economic independence.

Speaking Thursday during a convocation in Chennai, Arlekar said the policy is a pivotal step in reshaping how the nation teaches and learns [1, 2]. He said the framework is designed to break old patterns and foster a more self-reliant academic environment.

Arlekar focused on the economic implications of the policy, saying that the NEP aims to create entrepreneurs out of students and not merely job-seekers [2]. He said this transition is necessary to ensure that graduates are capable of generating employment for others rather than relying on existing vacancies.

"Is this not a pivotal step towards decolonising India’s education system?" Arlekar said [1].

The Governor's remarks underscore the government's goal of shifting the educational focus from rote learning to skill development. By promoting the creation of "job-givers," the administration seeks to address unemployment through a systemic change in vocational, and higher education [2].

This push for decolonization involves integrating more local contexts and traditional knowledge into the curriculum, reducing the historical reliance on Western pedagogical models. Arlekar said the shift is essential for the long-term intellectual and economic sovereignty of the country [1].

“NEP aims to create entrepreneurs out of students and not merely job-seekers.”

The Governor's endorsement of the NEP 2020 reflects a broader ideological movement within the Indian government to align education with nationalist goals. By framing the policy as 'decolonization,' the administration is positioning academic reform as a matter of national identity and economic necessity, aiming to pivot the workforce from a service-oriented mindset to an entrepreneurial one.