Authors : Ruby Mahali; Antara Halder; Dr. Ujjwal Kumar Halder

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 3 - March

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5w4uffk4

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/yxma8cbs

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26mar2125

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The Indian education system traditionally relied heavily on a rote-learning or memorisation-based approach. Where the expectations from students are to memorise the textbook knowledge and reproduce it during the examinations, this approach did measure students' academic performance, but their analytical ability, problem-solving skills and real-life application capacity were largely ignored. In the 21st century, in a dynamic and knowledge-driven society, this approach is now considered insufficient. In this context, the National Education Policy and NEP 2020 emerge as a transformative framework that emphasises on making education holistic, flexible and competency-based. The core focus of any NEP 2020 is to reform the assessment system where emphasis is not just on “what a student knows, but on how students think”. Critical thinking-based assessment is the most central component of this reform, which aims to develop and assess students' higherorder cognitive skills such as analysis, evaluation, reasoning and creative skills. Thus, this paper adopts a qualitative approach that highlights the challenges that are arising in the implementation of critical thinking-based assessment and the impact it is having on students' learning outcomes.

Keywords : The Indian education system traditionally relied heavily on a rote-learning or memorisation-based approach. Where the expectations from students are to memorise the textbook knowledge and reproduce it during the examinations, this approach did measure students' academic performance, but their analytical ability, problem-solving skills and real-life application capacity were largely ignored. In the 21st century, in a dynamic and knowledge-driven society, this approach is now considered insufficient. In this context, the National Education Policy and NEP 2020 emerge as a transformative framework that emphasises on making education holistic, flexible and competency-based. The core focus of any NEP 2020 is to reform the assessment system where emphasis is not just on “what a student knows, but on how students think”. Critical thinking-based assessment is the most central component of this reform, which aims to develop and assess students' higherorder cognitive skills such as analysis, evaluation, reasoning and creative skills. Thus, this paper adopts a qualitative approach that highlights the challenges that are arising in the implementation of critical thinking-based assessment and the impact it is having on students' learning outcomes.

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