Siddaramaiah gives NEP the thumbs down

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: During his Budget announcement, Siddaramaiah criticised the NEP for several reasons. He said the NEP is "incompatible with the federal system of governance" and that it "has several anomalies that undermine the Constitution and democracy."

He also said that the NEP is "a uniform education system" that does not suit a nation like India, which has diverse religions, languages and cultures.

VP, Development Educationist and the Chief Advocate of Public Education Prof Niranjanaradhya said, “Having a state education policy is a great move and is well within the rights of the State. Education is not a benefit, it is empowerment and the identity of the State when the Centre is unconstitutional and undemocratic, federal state can take its own decisions.”

Siddaramaiah's criticism of the NEP is not without merit. The NEP has been criticised by several education experts for being too ambitious and for not being realistic about the challenges facing the Indian education system.

However, the NEP also has its supporters, who argue that it is a necessary step towards modernising India's education system.

The future of education

It remains to be seen what the future holds for education in Karnataka. The state's decision to replace the NEP with a state education policy is a significant one.