Indian Music in Higher Education under the National Education Policy 2020: Roles, Challenges, and Prospects. A Policy-Oriented Critical Narrative Review

ABSTRACT
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 envisions Indian higher education as holistic, multidisciplinary, flexible, skill-oriented, and grounded in Indian knowledge traditions. Within this framework, Indian music merits recognition not merely as entertainment or a co-curricular activity, but as a field of knowledge integrating creativity, cultural memory, aesthetic development, disciplined practice, social participation, and livelihood. This policy-oriented critical narrative review examines the prospective role of Indian music in higher education, identifies barriers to institutional implementation, and proposes actionable measures. It analyses NEP 2020, relevant University Grants Commission guidelines, the National Credit Framework, and selected recent scholarship on music learning, well-being, and technology-enhanced music education. The sources were interpreted through six themes: multidisciplinarity, Indian knowledge and cultural preservation, experiential and skill-based learning, credit and assessment, digital education, and institutional implementation. The review identifies opportunities in multidisciplinary curricula, credit-bearing modular courses, integration of the guru-shishya tradition with university pedagogy, documentation of regional musical traditions, digitally supported learning, and creative entrepreneurship. Major constraints include shortages of qualified faculty, imbalance between theory and performance, inadequate infrastructure, difficulties in valid assessment, linguistic barriers, digital inequality, and weak career pathways. The paper proposes an integrated institutional framework connecting curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, research, community engagement, inclusion, infrastructure, and employability. It finds that policy recognition alone cannot secure substantive change unless institutions create measurable learning outcomes, style-sensitive performance rubrics, sustainable staffing, ethical community partnerships, multilingual resources, and professional linkages. Indian music can therefore acquire a meaningful and future-oriented place in higher education only when symbolic recognition is translated into academic autonomy, adequate resources, credible assessment, sustained research, and respect for regional and stylistic diversity. These measures can align cultural continuity with contemporary student needs while strengthening participation, scholarship, and the creative economy. The model offers universities a basis for phased implementation, periodic evaluation, and context-responsive curricular reform across India.

Keywords: National Education Policy 2020; Indian music; higher education; Indian Knowledge Systems; music pedagogy

1. Ministry of Education, Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Sivaraman, S., Parmar, N., Madhu, S., Sable, R., & Patel, B. (2026). Evaluating the impact of NEP 2020 on higher education reforms and skill development in India: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 11, 1683208. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1683208 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Government of India. (2023). National Credit Framework. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/9028476_Report-of-National-Credit-Framework.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. University Grants Commission. (2023). Guidelines for incorporating Indian Knowledge Systems in higher education curricula. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/6436045_Guidelines-IKS-in-HE-Curricula.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. University Grants Commission. (2023). Guidelines for the introduction of courses based on Indian heritage and culture. https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/4923019_Final-Guidelines-for-the-introduction-of-courses-based-on-Indian-heritage-and-culture.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. University Grants Commission. (2023). Guidelines for empanelment of artists/artisans-in-residence in higher educational institutions. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/9671561_Guidelines-for-Empanelment-of-Artists-Artisans-in-Residence-in-Higher-Education-Institutions.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Goopy, J., & MacArthur, S. L. R. (2026). Music learning and school-aged children’s and adolescents’ wellbeing: A scoping review. Research Studies in Music Education, 48(1), 25–44. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103X251323562 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Mohammadian Ardakani, R., et al. (2026). A systematic review of technology-enhanced music learning models: Impacts on music education. Computers and Education Open, 100354. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeo.2026.100354 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. University Grants Commission. (2023). Guidelines for innovative pedagogical approaches and evaluation reforms. https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/1031121_Guidelines-Innovative-Pedagogical-Approaches-Evaluation-Reforms.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Ranchi University. (2023). Four Year Undergraduate Programme: Hindustani Music Honours/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Research. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. https://ranchiuniversity.ac.in/assets/latest-at-ru/NEP%20FYUGP%20Music%202023.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. SNDT Women's University. (n.d.). Department of Music, Pune. https://new.sndt.ac.in/musicpune/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Mahatma Gandhi University. (n.d.). Inter University Centre for Studies in Science of Music: About us. https://iucssm.mgu.ac.in/about-us/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. BITS Pilani. (n.d.). Music Lab. https://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/music-lab/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. University of Jammu. (2024, July 23). JU concludes second round of summer internship program. https://www.jammuuniversity.ac.in/node/7335 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. (2025). Workshop on AI applications for Indian music. https://www.hst.iith.ac.in/archives/indian-music-workshop/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Moura, N., Dias, P., Veríssimo, L., Oliveira-Silva, P., & Serra, S. (2024). Solo music performance assessment criteria: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1467434. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1467434 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study