Scrapping of National Education Policy: Union Minister asks 8 questions to Karnataka DyCM Shivakumar

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has raised concerns and sought answers from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over the state's decision to cancel the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). 

Dharmendra Pradhan took  micro-blogging platform X (formerly Twitter) to pose eight pointed questions that highlight the perceived contradictions in the state's stance.

In a series of tweets, Pradhan questioned the state's position on various aspects of education and policy. He inquired whether the state opposes the inclusion of early childhood care and education in formal education and whether foundational literacy and numeracy are not priorities up to Grade 2. 
Education should be for progress, not a political pawn: Union Minister slams K'taka govt decision to scrap NEP

Furthermore, Pradhan questioned the state's alleged opposition to indigenous Indian toys, games, and play-based learning methods. He specifically referred to the "Chinna's House" initiative in Karnataka.

Pradhan also queried the state's stance on Kannada and other Indian language education, and its support for conducting national-level exams like NEET, CUET, and JEE transparently in Indian languages, including Kannada.

The Education Minister pressed on by asking if the state opposes multimodal education, which includes integrating Vocational Education, Physical Education, Arts, and Sports as essential areas of study in school education. Pradhan also inquired about the state's perspective on providing world-class research facilities to Karnataka's youth through the National Research Foundation.

In the context of 21st-century education, Pradhan questioned whether the state believes that students should not learn about new and emerging technologies and whether there is no need for updated textbooks catering to modern education. He also probed whether the state opposes the concept of students earning while learning.

Lastly, Pradhan inquired if the state intends to reshape teacher training centres into centres of excellence, echoing his concerns about the overall direction of education in the state.

Pradhan criticized state leaders' statements on the NEP, asserting that while these statements might align with their higher-ups in Delhi, they could compromise the best interests of Karnataka's students. The Education Minister's probing questions underline the complexity of the NEP decision and the broader implications it holds for the state's educational landscape.