Impact of NEP 2020 on Students’ Decisions Related to Management Education in Kerala

Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India aims to enhance higher education by focusing on skill development, flexibility, and employability. Nevertheless, its influence on student preferences, especially in high literacy regions such as Kerala, where a significant number of students prefer foreign universities, is not so clear. This paper statistically establishes the impact of NEP 2020 using the results of 400 management students in Kerala. A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale, conducted through Google Forms, demonstrated high internal reliability (Cronbach's α= 0.968). Hypothesis testing was done through the use of SPSS software, and the results showed that NEP 2020 is a significant factor in determining the decision-making of students. t-tests, ANOVA, and Linear Regression were used to support this. The findings reveal the NEP to be in alignment with career objectives and the preference of Kerala-based programs over the foreign ones (p<0.001). The analysis of the linear regression indicates that NEP training is related to the change in the employability of students (R2 = 0.779, p<0.001). The BBA students (M=3.44) responded more to NEP than MBA students (M=2.88). The results indicate that NEP implementation can be modeled with the help of Kerala due to its high literacy rate. However, longitudinal studies are needed to assess its effectiveness in other states. Adoption of NEP 2020 in institutions' curricula is encouraged in order to minimize student flight to foreign institutions, as well as equip the students with the industry.