Education Minister Pradhan condemns Karnataka's decision to scrap NEP as 'anti-student'
New Delhi, Aug 22: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday condemned the Karnataka government's decision to scrap the NEP as "anti-student" and asked the state's Congress dispensation not to play with the futures of the young generation.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah last week said the NEP will be scrapped in the state from the next academic year.
He said his government, by scrapping the NEP, introduced by the state's previous BJP dispensation, will try to provide education in accordance with the Constitution.
The Union minister also came down heavily on Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, saying his "preposterous" statements on the National Education Policy (NEP) may please his political masters in Delhi but compromises the interests of students of Karnataka.
In a post in Kannada in X, Shivakumar had said, "After coming to power, we promised to cancel the National Education Policy and we are committed to that promise. What is the rush to implement NEP first in Karnataka? Why has NEP not been implemented in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh?"
He further claimed that Karnataka's education system is a model for the country. "That is why Bangalore is the IT capital today. So many people in the state are in good positions abroad, because of our education system," Shivakumar had said.
Speaking to reporters, Pradhan said, "NEP is a future document for the 21st century, not a political document. NEP is about (the) new emerging technology of the 21st century. It is about skills-based education in the school system."
He further said, "What kind of politics (do) they want to play? Let politics take its own route and the Karnataka government should not play with the futures of the young generation."
The Union minister also posed several questions for Shivakumar.
He asked, "Does he (Shivakumar) and the Congress oppose early childhood care and education as a part of formal education? Does he not want our children to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by the time they complete grade 2?
"Does he oppose localised Indian toys, games and play-based learning for our children? Does he oppose education in Kannada and other Bharatiya bhasha (language)? Does he not want examinations such as NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test), CUET (Common University Entrance Test), JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) to be conducted in Bharatiya bhasha, including Kannada, in a transparent manner?" Pradhan asked.
The Congress, in its election manifesto for the assembly polls in Karnataka, promised to scrap the NEP and, during the recent budget, Siddaramaiah said it will be replaced by a state education policy.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Compromised PM didn't sign trade deal with US, but a bargain for Adani's release: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of signing a trade deal with the US only to secure the "release" of billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
"Compromised PM did not strike a trade deal, but a bargain for Adani's release," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X, after reports that the US has agreed to settle the lawsuit that accused Adani of hiding alleged bribery.
The US government has agreed to settle the lawsuit filed against Adani, who is accused of duping investors by concealing that his company's huge solar energy project in India was being facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme, according to court filings published Thursday.
Reacting to the reports, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it was now clear why the PM agreed to the "hopelessly one-sided Indo-US trade deal that was really a steal by the US".
"And it is also clear why he abruptly halted Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025, acting on President Trump's threats rather than on our national interest. Reportedly, the Trump Administration is about to drop all charges of corruption against Modani," he said on X.
"How much more compromised can the PM get?" Ramesh asked.
In the lawsuit filed in late 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani, who is a director at the group's renewable energy unit Adani Green Energy Ltd, of agreeing to pay about USD 265 million in bribes to Indian government officials between approximately 2020 and 2024 to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts on terms that expected to yield USD 2 billion of profit over 20 years.
It was alleged in the lawsuit that Adani Group raised USD 2 billion in loans and bonds, including from US firms, on the backs of false and misleading statements related to the firm's anti-bribery practices and policies.
The ports-to-energy conglomerate had denied the allegations.
