The National Education Policy (NEP) was introduced as a transformative step to bring Indian education in line with global standards. One of its most debated features is the “twin-track” approach that aims to push academic excellence while also promoting vocational and skill-based education. But this vision, while promising on paper, is playing out very differently in urban India and rural Bharat. Where India’s elite schools have the means to adopt the NEP smoothly, many government schools in rural and semi-urban areas are still struggling to meet basic standards.
I decided to write on this topic because education reform impacts every household—urban or rural, rich or poor. And when policies like NEP create uneven results, it’s crucial to talk about how those gaps might grow wider. The divide between ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ isn’t just about cities and villages anymore—it’s about opportunity, infrastructure, language, and learning outcomes. Understanding this gap can help us question how fair or inclusive any new education system truly is. If the NEP is going to shape our children’s future, we must ask: is it doing that equally for all?
What Does the Twin-Track NEP Model Really Mean?
The NEP promotes a dual approach:
- Academic excellence through flexibility – More choice in subjects, no rigid science-commerce-art boundaries.
- Skill and vocational training – Introduces students to coding, crafts, agriculture, and other skills from middle school onwards.
In principle, this is meant to offer well-rounded development and make students future-ready. But in practice, the implementation depends heavily on a school’s infrastructure, teacher training, and available resources.
How ‘India’ Is Embracing It
In cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, many private schools and central institutions are already experimenting with NEP guidelines:
- Students can pick elective subjects early
- Coding, AI, and robotics labs are being set up
- Teachers receive NEP-aligned training
These schools also have access to digital tools, multilingual content, and project-based learning modules. Urban parents are aware and involved in their child’s educational choices. In short, the top layer of ‘India’ is equipped to handle NEP’s flexibility.
Where ‘Bharat’ Is Left Behind
In contrast, most rural schools—especially in states like Bihar, UP, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha—still struggle with:
- Shortage of teachers for core subjects, let alone vocational streams
- Poor or no digital infrastructure
- Lack of clean classrooms, libraries, and even toilets
- Medium of instruction mismatched with home language
In many of these schools, even basic classroom learning isn’t stable, so expecting them to offer choice-based learning or career-linked courses feels unrealistic.
Language and Culture Gaps Make It Worse
The NEP promotes mother-tongue instruction in the early years, which is a great idea in theory. But the availability of good quality learning material in regional languages is limited. Also, in aspirational families across Bharat, English is still seen as the passport to better jobs. So, this language policy is clashing with ground-level aspirations, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns.
Is the System Creating Two Streams of Learners?
This unequal rollout is leading to two very different student outcomes:
- Urban children are getting exposure to interdisciplinary, flexible education
- Rural children are still stuck in outdated, textbook-driven systems
In the long run, this could create an even deeper educational divide where students from Bharat are pushed more into vocational streams, while students from India continue on academic tracks. This raises serious questions about fairness and access.
What Can Be Done to Bridge the Gap?
The government, both Centre and State, needs to urgently address these gaps:
- Massive investment in rural infrastructure, especially for NEP-related upgrades
- Hiring and training of teachers in both academic and vocational areas
- Partnerships with edtech companies to deliver digital content in low-resource settings
- Regular monitoring of NEP implementation, especially in government schools
Only when the NEP is rooted in reality across all regions can it deliver on its promise.
