'NEP 2020, a critical appraisal': AIDSO begins campaign to collect 1 crore signatures against NEP

NEW DELHI: The National Education Policy (NEP 2020) has been facing widespread opposition in Karnataka. In a latest move, the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) has initiated a massive signature campaign to collect 1 crore signatures from across the country against the implementation of NEP.

Also read | 'Address academic crisis caused by NEP': Bangalore universities yet to announce exam schedule

The AIDSO said, “Despite opposition from teachers, students and parents, the Central Govt has been hurriedly and despotically implementing NEP. This policy is being implemented undemocratically to commercialize education and uproot public education.”

It is noteworthy to mention that Karnataka was the first state to implement NEP 2020. The Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai in August 2021 launched a policy of digitisation and research and development which he said could help implement the new NEP.

Calling it a “draconian policy”, the AIDSO said, “As a part of this movement, under the guidance of All India Committee of AIDSO, a massive signature campaign has been initiated to collect 1 crore signatures across the country.”

Also read | Vice President Venkaiah Naidu pitches for early education of children in mother tongue

The Karnataka chapter of this campaign was inaugurated at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park today by its state president and a book "NEP 2020, a critical appraisal" (in Kannada) was released by the state secretary.

Condemning the new education policy, Allamaprabhu Bettaduru, SG Siddaramaiah, Purushottam Billimale and many other writers and academicians extended their support for the campaign via video messages, it said.

Ashwini KS, AIDSO state president said, "To boast themselves as 'the first in the country', the Karnataka Government implemented the 4-year degree course in the current academic year as part of NEP-2020. However, the government and universities have not released the syllabus and relevant textbooks for the new course despite the fact that the exams are just a month away.

Also read | Karnataka institution to offer free education to children of Kashmiri pandits

“Due to a shortage of teaching staff, classrooms, and teaching material, comprehensive teaching was not possible. Due to this sudden implementation, a lot of confusion has arisen in Karnataka’s UG education arena," Ashwini KS said.

Ajay Kamath, state secretary, said, "NEP has focused on extreme privatization and commercialization of education and has placed several proposals in this regard. One example is the proposal to close down government schools in the name of ‘merging schools’ and building ‘school complexes’. In essence, NEP-2020 is a blueprint to commercialize, communalize, privatize and centralize education. We students shouldn't allow democratic education - which was earned by the struggles and sacrifices of various eminent personalities - to fall into the hands of power-hungry and profit-hungry individuals. Hence, AIDSO calls upon students to build up a strong movement against this draconian policy.”