Step 1: Understanding NEP 2020 framework
NEP 2020 divides school education into four stages:
Foundational Stage (3–8 years) — Pre-school to Grade 2
Preparatory Stage (8–11 years) — Grades 3 to 5
Middle Stage (11–14 years) — Grades 6 to 8
Secondary Stage (14–18 years) — Grades 9 to 12
Step 2: Role of vocational education
The policy aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and practical life skills by integrating vocational education. It recommends that this integration should begin from Grade 6, which is part of the Middle Stage.
Step 3: Implementation goals
The goal is to expose students early to different vocations and build skills like carpentry, gardening, coding, and more — promoting experiential learning and employability.
Step 4: Conclusion
Since vocational education starts from Grade 6 (Middle Stage), the correct answer is (3) Middle stage.