Implementation Issues of the National Education Policy 2020 in Engineering Education: Challenges and the Way Forward

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promises a major change in Indian higher education, prioritizing holistic, multidisciplinary learning and skill integration through systems like the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) and Multiple Entry/Multiple Exit (ME/ME) options. While the underlying goals are commendable, executing these significant reforms within the professional engineering sector faces acute operational, financial, and teaching difficulties. This paper critically examines key implementation challenges, including severe scarcity of resources and persistent ambiguity regarding credit transfer rules, which result in student uncertainty and significant administrative strain. Furthermore, it addresses the controversial issue of the dilution of core engineering specialization caused by the mandatory inclusion of multidisciplinary subjects (Open Electives, Minors), which risks impacting graduate competence and market readiness. A particular emphasis is placed on the exaggerated difficulties experienced by rural and non-autonomous affiliated colleges compared to their urban counterparts. By isolating these on-the-ground problems, this paper aims to provide targeted, actionable recommendations for policymakers and institutional leaders to ensure the policy's transformative potential is realized fairly and effectively.