Bengaluru (Karnataka): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday called for increased pressure on the Union government and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to withdraw the National Education Policy (NEP), which he described as flawed.
Speaking at a conclave of higher education ministers from various states, Shivakumar asserted, “The National Education Policy rolled out by the Union government has many flaws. The Karnataka government has gone ahead and brought in some amendments. The output from this conclave must reach the Centre.”
Highlighting Karnataka’s prominence in education, he said, “Karnataka has been the pioneer in the field of education in the country. Students from North India have been belonging to the state for higher education for more than three decades. Karnataka has over 70 medical colleges and 250 engineering colleges. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh also have good colleges.”
Emphasizing the need for reforms, Shivakumar remarked, “Our federal structure is unique, and our Constitution offers many rights. There is diversity in language too. We should not be competing at the national level but at the international level. For this, we need to change the NEP. We need to bring in reforms at the university level too. The appointment of vice-chancellors is a key challenge before us. Indians have adorned top positions in many Western universities. We need to take the opinion of experts to take our education system global.”
He also praised the contributions of southern states in education, stating, “Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad have been pioneers in the creation of top international educationists. There is no match for the Southern states when it comes to education. We need to preserve this excellence. We have all gathered here to deliberate on this and we must raise our voice in unison for changes in the NEP. Home Minister Parameshwar and I run many educational institutions and have enormous experience. We are aware of the changes in the education sector.”
Stressing the importance of preserving educational standards, he concluded, “It is important to preserve the education standards and provide for a good future for the youth. We need to send out a message to the Centre about the NEP. I would like to thank Higher Education Minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar for organising this conclave.”