NEP 2020 similar to Tamil Nadu education policy but opposed for political reasons: Subhas Sarkar

NEW DELHI: The 65 pages National Education Policy report is similar to the Tamil Nadu education policy, however, the NEP 2020 is being opposed in the state for political reasons, union minister of state for education Subhas Sarkar said on Wednesday.

The union minister said if the education policy of the Tamil Nadu government is better, the central government is ready to include its good features in the new education policy 2022. He reiterated that the education ministry has already invited all the state governments to suggest the best education systems.

Further, he said that the ministry of education has been receiving suggestions to improve the education system not only from the state-level but also from district-level.

He also assured that the central government will definitely consider if the Tamil Nadu government asks for central educational institutions.

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Subhas Sarkar was attending the 33rd convocation ceremony of Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology in Kuniyamuthur area of Coimbatore. Emphasizing the importance of NEP 2020, he said, “The new education policy gives importance to technical knowledge and it is the need of the day, and I request the young people who get degrees should develop not only academic knowledge but also knowledge about our heritage and culture.”

He further said that the central government aims that all higher education be taught in the regional language. In a step towards encouraging regional languages, the minister said that the question papers for engineering courses have been designed in 12 state languages. He also said that all the first year textbooks have been printed in 12 state languages including Tamil.

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Last year, the Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin said that the state would not implement the NEP 2020, and announced that an expert committee would be set up to formulate an education policy for the state. Kerala and Tamil Nadu education ministers R Bindu and K Ponmudy also participated in “Reject NEP” convention held in May this year and opposed the implementation of NEP.