Abstract

The word "value" originates from the Latin word valere, which means to be strong or of worth. In education, values are more than abstract moral ideas—they shape how people think, feel, and communicate with one another. This paper examines how Value-Based Education (VBE) evolved in India and how the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 works to restore it. Drawing on insights from scholars like John Dewey, Clyde Kluckhohn, and Radhakamal Mukerjee, we look at values as long-standing beliefs that support character development and social harmony. Core values in this study spans personal, social, civic, and spiritual, to constitutional dimensions. Historically, Indian education relied on the Indian Knowledge System (IKS), which centered on Samskara (character), Dharma (righteousness), Satya (truth), Ahimsa (non-violence), and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (global oneness). British colonial policies disrupted this holistic approach, replacing it with a utilitarian framework geared toward imperial administration. Though post-independence bodies like the Radhakrishnan (1948–49) and Kothari (1964–66) Commissions urged a return to these moral roots, progress remained uneven. However in this paper examines how NEP 2020 offers a fresh blueprint, and how it merges traditional philosophy with constitutional values with hands-on learning to help build thoughtful, responsible 21st-century citizens.