Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has already announced that it will completely scrap the NEP 2020 from state educational institutions from next academic year. (HT PHOTO)

The Karnataka government on Monday announced that a committee will be established within the coming week to draft the State Education Policy, slated to take effect from the next academic year.

The committee will take inputs from various stakeholders, including vice-chancellors, private school and college managements officials, and academicians. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting with academicians and vice-chancellors of state universities on Monday to discuss the scrapping of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The decision came after the CM held a meeting on Monday with academicians and vice chancellors of universities. Vice-chancellors of 32 public universities and senior officials of the higher education department participated in the meeting.

Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Shivakumar outlined the state’s intentions to develop a tailored education policy that aligns more closely with Karnataka’s unique educational requirements. “Karnataka government had a meeting with vice-chancellors and various academicians, including our officials. The National Education Policy (NEP) was brought in 2021, but let me tell you none of the BJP ruling states have taken interest in it and adopted it. States like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have rejected the NEP. We have examined all the aspects and we are going to scrap the NEP. From next year we will come up with our education policy. We will form a committee within a week,” the deputy chief minister said.

In another development, chief minister Siddaramaiah announced the distribution of laptops to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students within universities operating under Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) and the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) guidelines.

The decision was taken following the meeting with academicians, where the chief minister spoke to P Manivannan, principal secretary of the social welfare department and ordered the release of ₹230 crore to be given for the project. “Laptops should be distributed to every student of all communities in universities. Necessary action will be taken for this in the coming days,” Siddaramaiah said during the meeting.

Officials in the know of the development said that the issue of the number of vacancies in universities across was also discussed during the meeting. More than half of the sanctioned posts remain unfilled, leaving a mere 1,882 positions filled said the vice-chancellors and officials told CM during the meeting.

An additional financial burden was unveiled during the discussion. It was revealed that the salaries of 2,865 guest lecturers are being covered by university resources, imposing a strain on their financial health.

During the meeting, the chief minister has voiced scepticism about the establishment of new universities in the face of diminishing budget allocation. Furthermore, recurring costs continue to rise. This has raised questions about the potential to provide quality education in such circumstances. The higher education department’s budget stands out for allocating a significant 88% of its grant towards salaries.

Addressing the need to align education with industry demands, the chief minister recommended that Visvesvaraya Technical University develop a curriculum that caters to the requirements for the job market. He emphasised the importance of flexible education, particularly for engineering graduates, to enhance their employability prospects.

The CM also highlighted the importance of cultivating scientific temperament and rational thinking in graduates during a recent interaction with vice-chancellors. “What is the use of graduates equipped with ignorance, without scientific temperament and rational thinking, who come out of the universities? What use are they for the country, state and society,” the chief minister said.

He said that the universities should equip graduates who will lead the country scientifically, intellectually, economically and in a civilised way. “If they come out of universities filled with ignorance, they will not be useful for the country or state nor will they be useful for their own future,” the CM said.

In a call to action, the chief minister stressed the role of universities in shaping graduates who are not only well-equipped in knowledge but also possess the ability to lead in scientific, intellectual, economic, and civil domains. Karnataka is home to around 1.31 lakh students who are pursuing education in the 32 universities scattered across the state.

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