Education should be beacon of progress, not political pawn: Union Edu Min on Karnataka scrapping NEP
New Delhi, Aug 17: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday condemned Karnataka government's decision to scrap National Education Policy (NEP) as "politically-motivated" and said education should be a beacon of progress and not a political pawn.
"Disappointed to learn about Karnataka CM's politically-motivated decision to discontinue the National Education Policy 2020. Our education system needs evolution, not regression. NEP was a result of years of consultations, reflecting aspirations of all. This decision reveals the anti-reform, anti-Bharatiya Bhasha and anti-Karnataka character of @INCIndia.
"Karnataka deserves leadership that values progress and inclusivity and not petty politics. Let's put students first and stop the petty politics! @siddaramaiah," Pradhan wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the NEP will be scrapped in the state from the next academic year.
He said his government by scrapping the NEP, which was brought in by the previous BJP government, will try to provide education in accordance with the Constitution.
"NEP was implemented in Karnataka, when it was not introduced in any other BJP-ruled states...I want to tell one thing, this year there was a bit of delay, from the next year onwards we will change the NEP and try to provide education in accordance with the Constitution, because BJP is anti-constitution and they believe in Manuwad," Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking at the general body meeting of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee here, he said NEP has to be scrapped after making necessary preparations, and as the academic year had begun by the time the election results were out and the government was formed, it has been continued this year to avoid inconvenience to students in the middle of the year.
NEP has been opposed by students, parents, lecturers and teachers, he said, alleging the BJP has sacrificed the interest of students by implementing NEP in Karnataka even before other states implemented it.
Karnataka became the first to adopt NEP in higher education, in August 2021. The Congress, then in opposition, had criticised the NEP, dubbing it the "Nagpur Education Policy aimed at propagating RSS agenda". RSS' headquarters is situated in Nagpur.
The Congress, in its election manifesto, had promised to scrap the NEP, and during the recent budget, the CM had said it will be replaced by a state education policy.
ಶಿಕ್ಷಣವು ಪ್ರಗತಿಯ ದಾರಿದೀಪವಾಗಬೇಕೇ ವಿನಃ ರಾಜಕೀಯದ ದಾಳವಾಗಬಾರದು. ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ನೀತಿ 2020 ಅನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಗಿತಗೊಳಿಸುವ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಸಿಎಂ ಅವರ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಪ್ರೇರಿತ ನಿರ್ಧಾರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಿಳಿದು ನಿರಾಶೆಯಾಗಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆಗೆ ವಿಕಸನದ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿದೆಯೇ ಹೊರತು ಹಿಂಜರಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲ. ಎನ್ಇಪಿ ಎಂಬುದು ಹಲವು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಗಂಭೀರ…
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 17, 2023
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.
Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
