The Karnataka government took the decision to establish a committee responsible for crafting the state’s education policy. Concurrently, it opted to retain the existing education system temporarily. This choice aligns with the government’s public stance to discontinue the National Education Policy (NEP) proposed by the BJP-led union government.

The former BJP-led administration in Karnataka had introduced the new NEP within the state. However, following the transition to a Congress-led government, the decision was made to abandon this policy.

During a meeting on Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired discussions on this topic. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar, Primary Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, distinguished author Prof Baraguru Ramachandrappa, and senior government officials were all in attendance.

Following the meeting, a statement was released by the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) opposing the NEP. The statement emphasized that education policy is a state subject and cannot be imposed by the central government. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was quoted in the statement, expressing concern over the imposed policy.

“A uniform education system cannot be established in a country like India with a multicultural and pluralistic society,” the statement conveyed. It further outlined that a new education policy committee would be established, while maintaining the current education system.

The CMO added that other BJP-governed states also harbor reservations about implementing the NEP. States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu have explicitly communicated their decision not to adopt the National Education Policy.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah underscored the significance of fair treatment for the state, given that centrally funded initiatives are applicable across all states. The statement expressed his concerns about the NEP’s potential impact on disadvantaged communities.

During the meeting, Siddaramaiah remarked that educational institutions lack the requisite infrastructure to implement the proposed policy, leading to unnecessary confusion.

Source: PTI