Sitharaman and Pradhan: Central Government Will Not Impose New Education Policy on States
Sitharaman said NEP 2020 is a "very progressive policy and is the result of extensive consultations" as she launched two books in Bhubaneswar to facilitate primary education for tribal children in Odisha.
In response to opposition from non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday that the Center will not impose NEP on all states and that they are free to adapt to it based on their needs.
Sitharaman said NEP 2020 is a "very progressive policy" and the result of "extensive consultations" as she launched two books in Bhubaneswar to simplify primary education for tribal children in Odisha.
A flexible policy is NEP. The Center does not make this decision and impose it on all the states. It is a wide framework, and the states are free to modify it to meet their needs, she said, adding that learning, speaking, and thinking in one's mother tongue leads to mental clarity that can be applied afterward. "For this reason, it's crucial to learn in your mother tongue."
She made this statement as Tamil Nadu's DMK minister Udayanidhi Stalin and Karnataka's chief minister Siddaramaiah both vehemently opposed the proposal. In accordance with the Congress government's election promise, the Karnataka CM declared on Monday that the NEP will be eliminated starting with the upcoming academic year.
"NEP must be eliminated after the appropriate preparations have been made. Parents, lecturers, teachers, and students all oppose NEP at the same time. By introducing NEP in the state before the rest of the nation, the BJP has sacrificed the interests of the nation's students. NEP will continue this year because it shouldn't have an impact on pupils in the midst of the school year, according to Siddaramaiah.
On Wednesday, Stalin, a minister in the DMK administration, declared that any attempt to impose Hindi through the NEP will be met with resistance.
The Karnataka government's decision was denounced on social networking platform X (previously Twitter) by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was also present at the meeting, as being "politically motivated."
"Education ought to be a symbol of advancement rather than a tool of politics. I was disappointed to discover that the Karnataka CM decided to scrap the National Education Policy 2020 for political reasons. Our educational system needs to advance, not backward. Years of consultations led to the NEP, which reflected everyone's goals.
This choice exemplifies the Congress' anti-reform, anti-Bharatiya Bhasha, and anti-Karnataka tendencies. Karnataka deserves to be led by people who prioritize development and inclusivity over petty politics. Let's quit the petty politics and put the needs of the students first, Pradhan remarked.
The two newly published books, according to Pradhan, will not only help youngsters build strong scholastic foundations but will also help to protect and promote the tribal community of Odisha's cultural, and linguistic history, and identity.
According to Pradhan, "There are over 62 tribes making up 23% of the population of Odisha, so it becomes necessary to teach students with the aid of pictures, stories, and songs based on their local nature and culture to improve their speaking abilities, learning outcomes, and cognitive development."
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