Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday, September 23, said in the Assembly that the government is open to debate the National Education Policy (NEP) before its implementation in the state. The CM’s statement comes after the implementation of the NEP evoked a heated debate between opposition parties Congress, JD(S) and the ruling BJP. A report in The New Indian Express quoted Bommai saying that there are multiple dimensions involved in the implementation of NEP. He added that a task force has submitted a report on the implementation and remarked that the government won’t back down from the debate. The CM also said that the initiative was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the best interest of children and their futures, the report stated.
Earlier, Congress member BK Hariprasad, criticising the implementation of NEP in Karnataka, said that the government was imposing ‘RSS policies’ through it. Meanwhile, Marithibbe Gowda of the JD(S), claimed that the NEP would force children of backward communities to drop out.
According to a report in The Hindu, Gowda also said that the government is hurrying the implementation and raised questions over the fate of over 14,000 guest lecturers in the state, as NEP mandates having permanent lecturers.
Responding to the allegations, Higher Education Minister Dr CN Ashwathnarayan said that they had held consultations with various stakeholders and taken their feedback. He added that several people supported the draft NEP, while others offered further suggestions which were taken into account.
A report in the Times of India stated that the CM and House Chairman Basavaraj Horatti both decided it would be better for the government to call a meeting of legislators to hold further discussions on the matter.