Withdraw NEP immediately, Siddaramaiah tells govt

Karnataka Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Friday urged the BJP government to withdraw its decision to implement the new National Education Policy (NEP).

Siddaramaiah was responding to a letter written to him by Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan seeking an appointment to discuss the NEP.

"It is to be noted that the government has already decided and inaugurated the said policy from the current academic year, without any discussion with the students, teachers, education experts or opposition. It is not correct to call for discussion now after inaugurating the implementation," Siddaramaiah stated.

The former chief minister charged that the NEP’s intention was to "indoctrinate" students with "communalism" and that it infringed upon the autonomy of states on education and universities.

"NEP is unscientific and will push lakhs of students to darkness," he argued. "Detailed deliberations should have been initiated democratically before drafting such issues with wide implications," he said. "The NEP also recommends the allocation to education to be at 6% of GDP. So then Karnataka should allocate about Rs 1.08 lakh crore."

Expressing concern that the NEP would promote privatisation "leading to inequality and social injustice," Siddaramaiah said he would agree for a discussion only after it was withdrawn. "If, after deliberations, NEP is found to be good, we will support the government...Otherwise, the government will have to take the burden of pushing lakhs of people to misery," he said.