<p>Srinagar: In a move that underscores growing divergence within the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has come out in support of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 — a stand that contrasts sharply with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s fierce opposition to the policy and its ideological underpinnings.</p><p>Speaking at the valedictory session of a two-day conclave on NEP at Srinagar’s Amar Singh College on Friday, Abdullah described the Design Your Degree (DYD) programme as a “transformative reform” that allows students to shape their education based on career needs.</p>.Jammu and Kashmir: Dissent grows within NC as two MPs question Omar Abdullah's leadership.<p>“Education in our country was often confined to rote learning: books were given, and students were expected to reproduce the same content in exams,” he said. “Now, students are empowered to design their own degrees — a concept not even available during my time.”</p><p>Omar, whose party National Conference is part of opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, said the shift towards combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience was helping bridge the gap between classrooms and workplaces. “Earlier, companies would say that after hiring educated youth, it took a year to make them forget what they had learnt. The new approach combines theory with practical exposure,” he said.</p><p>His remarks come at a time when the NEP has become a major flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Recently Kerala’s Left-led government, which had initially opposed the policy, decided to join the Centre’s implementation plan — and now, Abdullah’s endorsement has further highlighted differences within the opposition alliance.</p><p>While Abdullah has appreciated the reform’s academic flexibility, Rahul Gandhi has positioned himself as its most vocal national critic. Addressing a protest rally of I.N.D.I.A. bloc student organisations in New Delhi on March 24, Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Modi government’s education policy, saying the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wants to destroy the future and the education system of the country.</p><p>“If the education system goes into their hands, which is actually happening slowly, this country will be destroyed. No one will get jobs and the country will be finished,” Gandhi had said.</p><p>He has repeatedly argued that the NEP seeks to centralise control over education, weaken state autonomy, and impose a uniform ideological framework that undermines India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.</p><p>In contrast, Omar’s remarks suggest a focus on the practical aspects of the policy rather than its politics. His endorsement — coming from a regional leader of a I.N.D.I.A. bloc constituent — underlines the widening divergence within the alliance over how to respond to one of the Modi government’s most ambitious education reforms.</p>
<p>Srinagar: In a move that underscores growing divergence within the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has come out in support of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 — a stand that contrasts sharply with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s fierce opposition to the policy and its ideological underpinnings.</p><p>Speaking at the valedictory session of a two-day conclave on NEP at Srinagar’s Amar Singh College on Friday, Abdullah described the Design Your Degree (DYD) programme as a “transformative reform” that allows students to shape their education based on career needs.</p>.Jammu and Kashmir: Dissent grows within NC as two MPs question Omar Abdullah's leadership.<p>“Education in our country was often confined to rote learning: books were given, and students were expected to reproduce the same content in exams,” he said. “Now, students are empowered to design their own degrees — a concept not even available during my time.”</p><p>Omar, whose party National Conference is part of opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, said the shift towards combining theoretical knowledge with practical experience was helping bridge the gap between classrooms and workplaces. “Earlier, companies would say that after hiring educated youth, it took a year to make them forget what they had learnt. The new approach combines theory with practical exposure,” he said.</p><p>His remarks come at a time when the NEP has become a major flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc. Recently Kerala’s Left-led government, which had initially opposed the policy, decided to join the Centre’s implementation plan — and now, Abdullah’s endorsement has further highlighted differences within the opposition alliance.</p><p>While Abdullah has appreciated the reform’s academic flexibility, Rahul Gandhi has positioned himself as its most vocal national critic. Addressing a protest rally of I.N.D.I.A. bloc student organisations in New Delhi on March 24, Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Modi government’s education policy, saying the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wants to destroy the future and the education system of the country.</p><p>“If the education system goes into their hands, which is actually happening slowly, this country will be destroyed. No one will get jobs and the country will be finished,” Gandhi had said.</p><p>He has repeatedly argued that the NEP seeks to centralise control over education, weaken state autonomy, and impose a uniform ideological framework that undermines India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.</p><p>In contrast, Omar’s remarks suggest a focus on the practical aspects of the policy rather than its politics. His endorsement — coming from a regional leader of a I.N.D.I.A. bloc constituent — underlines the widening divergence within the alliance over how to respond to one of the Modi government’s most ambitious education reforms.</p>