UPA govt prepared NEP draft, Karnataka education minister to critics of policy

"Congress had no problem with NEP when Manmohan Singh was leading the government. With Congress now not in power, they have termed this an RSS agenda," said Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh.

The draft of the new National Education Policy (NEP) was prepared by the UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh and the incumbent government is “just implementing it,” Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh has said.

Nagesh was reacting to queries posed by reporters in Uttara Kannada district on the criticism raised by several political leaders from the opposition on the implementation of NEP in the state.

“It should be noted that the Congress had no problem with NEP when Manmohan Singh was leading the government. With Congress now not in power, they have termed this (NEP implementation) an RSS agenda,” he remarked.

Further, the minister explained that revisions were made to the draft “based on prevailing circumstances” and that consultations were done with experts before the state decided to begin implementing the policy.

Earlier this month opposition leader Siddaramaiah had alleged that NEP would result in “violating the federal arrangements and infringe upon the autonomy of states with respect to education and operation of universities”. The former CM also added that the policy seems to promote privatisation leading to “inequality and social injustice”.

Higher Education Minister C N Ashwathnarayan had then reacted that the government will clarify allegations made by the opposition at the Vidhana Soudha. “..Further, they will be answered on the floor of the house in the forthcoming legislative session,” he had said.

NEP is expected to be among major issues that will come up for discussion in the ten-day session that began on Monday, apart from the Opposition raising issues of rising crimes and alleged corruption in various departments.

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