Karnataka govt scraps NEP; to bring new policy next year, says DK Shivakumar

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar declared on Monday that the Karnataka Government has decided to discontinue the New Education Policy as of the upcoming academic year and that a new state education policy would be developed.

“We have examined various aspects of the National Education Policy that was adopted by BJP and we have decided to scrap it. We will bring a new Karnataka Education Policy next year,” said Shivakumar.

The NEP must be abolished with the proper preparations, which could not be done this year in time, CM Siddaramaiah said in a speech to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) at the party headquarters.

“By the time the state election results were out (this May) and the new government was formed, the academic year had already started,” Siddaramaiah added.

On August 18, taking to ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter), Shivakumar wrote, “After coming to power, we promised to cancel the National Education Policy and we are committed to that promise. What is the rush to implement NEP first in Karnataka? Why has NEP not been implemented in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh?”

“The education system in Karnataka is a model for the country. That is why Bangalore is the IT capital today. So many people in the state are in good positions abroad, because of our education system” the Deputy CM further added.

Following this declaration, a number of BJP leaders said that the Karnataka government’s choice was made with the intention of impeding the state’s development.

BJP MP Tejaswi Surya said, “Congress decision to scrap NEP in Karnataka reflects their intent to stop growth of Kannada; stop students from leveraging their academic credits; stop multidisciplinary & innovative approaches to Education.”

“CM Siddaramaiah must rethink before taking such politically motivated decisions & spare children from his petty politics. It is unfortunate that despite having so many ‘advisors’, this is the level of decision making that Karnataka & especially children are made to go through & suffer under this Govt,” he added.

Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said “The decision to change NEP is a foolish one. NEP is deliberate for several years throughout the country. The Siddaramaiah government had approved this draft during his old regime. The draft has been made with a futuristic approach providing multiple choices to the students to put out their talent.”

If this government thinks of withdrawing it, it will be at the cost of the future of our children. Small changes can be made in the policy but if this is withdrawn, none of the students or academicians will agree and the people will revolt against this, he added.

Madhu Bangarappa, the minister of elementary education for Karnataka, said earlier this year that the state’s education department will not be implementing the NEP but rather the State Education Policy (SEP).

It should be emphasised that NEP 2020, which was introduced in July 2020, offers a set of guiding principles for a paradigm change throughout the Indian educational system, from primary to postgraduate levels.

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