Research in Adult Education Departments in India after the Implementation of NEP 2020

Abstract

With the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020‚ adult education in India has shifted from being a marginal area of policy intervention to a core component of the national human development agenda (Government of India‚ 2020)․ This article presents a systematic review of the research production of Adult Education Departments (AEDs) in Indian universities between 2020 and 2024․ Based on 287 studies collated from SHODHGANGA‚ ERIC‚ Google Scholar and other repositories‚ the paper identifies emerging research themes‚ methodological trajectories‚ institutional geographies and structural constraints in the post NEP 2020 research landscape․ The research has considerably expanded on digital literacy (22․3%)‚ skill development (18․7%)‚ lifelong learning (14․9%)‚ gender equity (12․4%) and rural/tribal adult education (10․8%)․ These include long-term studies‚ interdisciplinary work‚ and evidence informed policymaking․ The article dissects these issues and concludes with a forward looking research agenda for AEDs․